Off on Safari, Masterton and Alfredton

 Straight after the conclusion of the combined rally we traveled to the Masterton NZMCA park to meet up with our fellow members who would be joining us on the safari trip.

Masterton NZMCA Park

The instructions were to top up with fuel, have full water tanks and empty waste tanks, and have plenty of supplies for the week.  There were limited shops and fuel stops along our safari route.  There were five vans overnight, with one arriving the following morning.

We are going on safari

We enjoyed lunch and 4zzees outside in the sunshine on Sunday, but the cold weather arrived on Monday morning.  Robin gave a briefing about the day's travel, and we all set off to Alfredton Domain.  The drive took us through some pretty farmland, with plenty of cattle and sheep grazing contentedly.

The turn from the road into the Domain was rather sharp and we had to go through a narrow gate, so it was important to have the car and caravan lined up correctly.  Robin started the entry, checked in the mirror, then decided to back up and try again.  This approach was much more successful, after all, we didn't want to scratch the side of the caravan, did we.

Originally named and known as Moroa, Alfredton was formed in 1868 and was part of the Small Farms Association.  These days it is a tiny village with a school and a church.  The Domain is an attractive place with ewes and small lambs everywhere.  The calls of our beautiful native bird, the tui, were heard overhead in the large trees.  We sorted ourselves out and found a park for the night.

Staying at the Alfredton Domain

A free camp, with water available, and a rather rustic toilet block.  There was no internet available in this rural area.

Rather rustic, but functional