Our caravan, named by us as Romany Rambler, has now been sold by C B Caravans, and has a new home in the South Island.
The van was purchased on October 2019, and according to the log book, which Robin religiously filled in, we had travelled 30820kms before he passed away in November 2024. So many monthly caravan club rallies, some with the ICA group we also belonged too, several club safaris, and two South Island trips. There was certainly such a lot of driving up and down the country, towing the van behind us.
The last log book
Although the caravan is now sold, as a Life Member I will still be keeping in touch with the Heretaunga Caravan Club, and be involved with their social outings. And I hope to do the occasional trip away, albeit a bit differently now.
Last weekend I drove myself up to Hastings for a family birthday. That was hard, as I haven't really done long journeys on my own. Obviously, I was a bit nervous, rather tense and ended up with a sore muscle on my side! The drive up to Hastings was through drizzly rain, and the never ending road cones on the side of the road. There never seem to be any workers to go with the road cones, I noticed, but that seems to be what happens these days. My little car behaved well on the trip, and as a bonus, I had discovered some petrol vouchers tucked away in the caravan when I cleared it out, so that filled the tank for me.
My little car parked outside a rather uninspiring motel in Hastings
I encountered quite a bit of heavy fog driving out of Hastings on Sunday morning. Or was it mist, I really don't know the difference. Time for a spot of morning tea a little later and I turned off the road into Norsewood. On the 15th September 1872 the sailing ship Hovding arrived at Napier with 483 new settlers from Norway. A few days later the men trekked through the heavy bush to reach the area now known as Norsewood. Families followed and the community became established, and over the years many more Scandinavian settlers arrived. This family of three happy trolls, father, mother and son are in town to welcome travelers.
The happy troll family of Norsewood
