Weekend at Pohangina

 Spring has sprung at home and the tree in our front yard is bursting with tender new leaves.  Although a little cloudy, we were looking forward to a nice weekend away.

Gemma decided to make life difficult for us, with all the hustle and bustle of packing the caravan going on.  Why not give my people a hard time and hide for a while, she thought.  We were all ready to go and searched here, searched there, to no avail, then searched again.  Robin finally found her curled up and keeping low in a place I had already checked twice!  I don't know why she acts like this, after all she goes away in the caravan once a month at least so should be well used to the routine by now.  Finally she was secured in the car and we got on our way.

Here she is, in the car at last

We were heading off to the Pohangina Domain, formerly the village school.  As we had a lunch date with my daughter, we were the first to arrive, put our van on site, and left before anyone else arrived.  The ground was  very soft and our caravan unfortunately made a few ruts while we backed the van where we wanted it.  The old school grounds are surrounded by lovely mature trees, and there are plenty of native birds everywhere.  And because it is a rural area, lambs were bleating, cattle were mooing, and the roosters were crowing!

The name Pohangina translates to "ulcerated night", suggesting that the valley had been a place of bloodshed between the local Rangitane people and their enemies.

First to arrive

By the time we arrived back  from lunch, most of the others had arrived, settled themselves, and were out enjoying the sunshine.

Some of the vans on site

We had a visitor join us for the weekend, and I'm sure he was a little upset when his car and van got stuck in the soft ground.  No worries, there was plenty of help to unhook his car from the caravan, and with the help of a couple of mats under the wheels, the car was driven away to firmer ground.

Plenty of advice here

Then it was Owen to the rescue with his shiny black Toyota HiLux, his strop hooked up to Graham's van, pulled it out of the mud, and parked it neatly.  Thanks Owen, for your help.

Owen to the rescue

On Saturday afternoon the Rally Family, Stuart and Helen, took us on a tiki tour to the Totara Reserve camping area.  The reserve was not yet open for campers, the gate was locked, but we were able to walk through and check it out.

While some enjoyed a long walk, others sat in the sun and chatted away.  This is a nice camp, and extremely popular over the summer months.  Then it was afternoon tea time.  We walked back to the cars, took out our folding chairs, thermoses and bikkies, sat in a circle on a grassy knoll, and sat enjoying our cuppas in the lovely sunshine.

Maureen, Helen, Owen, Don, Jenny and Robin

The school room was available for the evenings to our group for a small fee, and we gathered there on Saturday night.  But the power wasn't working!  several hundred homes in the area.  We tried various switches, but to no avail.  Eventually someone went on the internet and discovered it was a local fault affecting several hundred homes in the area.  Whew, it wasn't something we had done, luckily.  The power eventually came on, and Helen and Stuart got underway with our evening activity.  They had secured the driving tests for new and renewing drivers, so we answered the 35 questions to the best of our ability, and memories.  I think most of us would have got our licenses renewed.  In a real test, people are allowed only three incorrect answers to get a pass.

Sunday morning was warm and sunny and Helen and Stuart were busy for quite some time cooking on their BBQ.  What were they doing, we wondered.  Cooking up pikelets for everyone for morning tea, that's what!  Served with jam and cream, they certainly went down well, and were most appreciated.  Thanks so much Helen and Stuart, it's been a great rally indeed.

Cooking up pikelets for morning tea

Dannevirke and Takapau

We were lucky to be offered an extra night's free stay  at the Foxton Bowling Club, so we didn't start our journey northwards till Monday morning.  Waving goodbye to the few remaining caravanners, we headed towards Woodville as arranged, to meet up with Owen and Helen for lunch.  There they were, they had arrived before us.  We took our lunch into their van, and ate together.

Lunch at Woodville

Our stop for the night was at the Dannevirke Golf Club.  It had been some years since we had last stayed here, and was a first for Owen and Helen.  

Power points were available at a very reasonable charge, so we manoeuvred the vans into position and set ourselves up for the night.

At Dannevirke Golf Club

Going into the office to pay our fees, we got chatting to the man in charge, and Helen enquired if the freezer contained any ice-cream.  No, only frozen pies, was the reply.  Oh, and these sausage rolls.  With that he handed both Robin and Owen a large sausage roll, and didn't want any payment for them.  These are trucked away safely in our caravan freezers, and Robin and Owen have decided to heat and eat their sausage rolls together one lunchtime.  Which just goes to show that it doesn't take too much to keep these men happy, does it?

After one night at Dannevirke, the plan was to move on to Takapau Motor Home Caravan Park for the next two nights.  The name Takapau means Sleeping Mat.  Takapau was once the centre of a large flax milling industry and takes it's name from the flax which grew in the expansive Takapau Plains.

On Wednesday the four of us decided to go on a drive and visit OngaOnga, a historic town not too far away. 

 Full of interesting old buildings, but the wind was blowing a gale as we walked around.  There was an old bush settler's hut, a tiny jail, and the historic general store.

Bush settlers hut

Old jail

Historic General Store

But the most interesting building, in my view was the Coles Brothers building.  Not only did they work as builders, joiners, ironmongers, painters and plumbers, they were also undertakers as required.  Obviously the Coles Brothers were a  very talented family indeed.

Coles Bros building in Ongaonga

We then drove on to Waipukarau for a light lunch and to get a little shopping.  Back at camp, Geoff and Eileen arrived, so there were three of us again.

Staying at Takapau

This is a pleasant little camp, and we enjoyed Happy Hour in the hall with the friendly custodians and other campers.  The custodians have a lilac point Birman, who, they told us, thinks she is in charge of their household, the same as our Gemma thinks.  Robin was on BBQ duty, cooking up lamb chops for our dinner.

Lamb chops for dinner

From Takapau we move on to Napier for our caravan club Easter Rally.  I do hope the Easter Bunny knows where to find us.

Kahutara School

 Moving on from the Domain Reserve on Friday afternoon, we traveled on to Kahutara School, our home for the next two nights.  In Maori tradition, the name Kahutara was one of the great ocean-going voyaging canoes which was used in the migrations which settled in New Zealand.  There were eight vans on site for the weekend.

Camping at Kahutara School

We enjoyed 4zees on the school  verandah, and after our evening meal, gathered together in the hall.  There was a cake to celebrate Pamela's recent birthday.

Happy Birthday, Pamela

Helen and Stuart had organised a quiz for us to do, from the Dominion Post 5 Minute Quiz Book.  We were given a coloured page featuring a group of well known New Zealanders to see how many we recognised.  Most of the men were fairly easy to pick, but some of the women had us stumped.  Winston Peters, the Christchurch Wizard, Sam Hunt and Barry Crump were certainly recognisable, as were Jenny Shipley and Lorraine Downes, and who remembers Chloe from Wainuiomata?  Seems John certainly did, as she used to bring her pink scooter to his workshop to be serviced!  Owen and Helen were the winners with the highest score, congratulations.

Saturday was Martinborough Fair Day and most of us traveled to see what bargains we could find, and to enjoy the experience.  We were delighted to find that the Martinborough Hotel had whitebait fritters on offer, so we certainly couldn't pass them by.  Whitebait is a New Zealand delicacy, a little pricy, but so delicious and after all, how often do we get to eat whitebait?  Our fritters were served as a sandwhich between two pieces of white bread, and we savoured every mouthful.  Luckily there was plenty of tables dotted around outside the hotel so we sat in comfort eating our snack and watched the world go by.

Cooking up the fritters

And here it is, so yummy

Fed and fortified we joined the crowds to wander around the fair, checking out the stalls.  There were so many people, some with dogs on leads, some with kids and pushchairs, all slowing walking around.  We purchased a kilo of lovely fresh strawberries for our shared dessert that night, found some of our favourite locally produced chocolates to buy, and that was about all.  I was really after some cheese and fresh seasons apples but couldn't find either.  I posed by the memorial gates - there is a family story that my Mother  was christened here in Martinborough the day these gates were officially opened.

Historic gates at Martinborough Square

We had seen enough of the fair and being on our feet by then, so back we drove to the van.  Streams of cars were still arriving, people come from near and far to attend this fair.  We had lunch and commented that the weather was lovely and calm - this area is usually so very wild and windy as on our previous visits.  Murphy's Law, in the afternoon the wind got up, and just kept getting stronger.  The wind didn't put the hardy BBQers off though, Owen fired his one up and cooked his meal, plus meat for Don and Robin as well.  Thanks Owen.

Owen and Robin as supervisor

Gathered around the long tables, we all ate together, rather like a very large family gathering.  Then it was time for the shared desserts, such a spread.  Jelly and icecream, peaches and strawberries, chocolate cheesecake and mini pavs, plus several lots of chocolates.  Plenty for everyone and some even had seconds.

Pot Luck dessert

That evening the wind really came calling, shaking the caravans with angry bursts through the night just to show us who was boss.  We did worry about traveling home with wind warnings in place.  But luckily, the wind died away, the warnings were lifted, and we traveled back over the Remutaka Hill without any problems.  Another enjoyable caravan club rally weekend.

Christmas in the Country

It was a family Christmas this year, spent with my daughter Nicky and her family in rural Kiwitea.  But first, time to pack the caravan, moving the van from it’s parking area to the car park outside out home.  Here we can plug into power to get the fridge cold, and make the necessary trips from the house to the van, carrying food and clothes.  And most importantly, don't forget the family Christmas presents.

Caravan in front of our home

We left home on Saturday, an easy drive through the back roads to Kiwitea .Son-in-law Robert helped guide Robin back the caravan into place, but there was an oopsie when he backed over Nicky’s favourite avocado tree.  There was a loud “snap”, but luckily it was the wooden stake which broke, the tree trunk bent and survived to keep on growing.

Here for Christmas

You know you are in the country when you see plenty of hay bales.  And someone on this farm arranged a few bales with happy faces on the road side.  Just the thing to make a couple of townies happy.

Happy hay bales

We called into the local honey shop, Down Under Honey, hoping to find some comb honey.  Yes, they had some in the shop, and we happily purchased some.  We drove down the drive past a group of ostriches on this property, always interesting to see these regal looking birds.

Ostriches at Down Under Honey

Christmas morning was wet and showery, as the weatherman promised.  The traditional family Christmas breakfast here is always warm croissants with ham and cheese, very tasty indeed.  Then it was time to open the presents.  Granddaughter Emma was the Christmas Elf in charge of giving out the gifts.

Emma loves Christmas

After all that activity it was time to get the barbeques out and get cooking for Christmas lunch.  We had brought up a rolled pork loin and Robin soon had it cooking nicely – our Weber BBQ is great for cooking roasts and it certainly smelt delicious.

Rolled pork loin for Christmas lunch

Nicky had prepared another old favourite, chicken breasts stuffed with cream cheese and apricots, and wrapped in bacon.  Robert fired his BBQ up and got cooking too, these needed turning often to make sure all the chicken was properly cooked through.  Delicious!

Robert cooking the chicken bacon roll-ups

The weather cleared up late morning so we could eat outside on the deck.  Neighbours arrived, and we settled down to lunch.  With pork, chicken, various salads and the neighbour’s home made rye bread, we were very well fed indeed.  Glasses of bubbly were raised in a toast, and everyone was quiet as we enjoyed our delicious meal.  After a respite it was time for desserts.  Granddaughter Megan had made a layered berry meringue dessert, simple but so delicious, plus a chocolate cheesecake.  And the neighbor had brought along a chocolate mousse.  We  were certainly well fed.

It was a lovely afternoon indeed, and I have to admit that we both sneaked away from the festivities for a quiet nana nap in the caravan.  Merry Christmas to all our friends and readers, thanks for reading and wishing you all a lovely day.  Take care on the roads if you are traveling this holiday season.

Another Busy Week

Its been another very busy pre-Christmas week.  Everything happens this time of year with Christmas break-ups from various clubs and groups we are involved with.  First was our Super Leisure Group final get-together of the year.  Each month we meet up with our SLG friends, with each of us taking a turn to organise a day out for us all.  Trish was in charge of planning something for December, but sadly she had a health emergency and  was not well enough to attend.  Four of us decided to go to Trish’s choice of café and we drove down to the Hutt Valley, along the Transmission Gully Road. Oh look, there’s the Rainbow Bridge, it’s always nice to catch a glimpse of this as we drive along the motorway..

The Rainbow Bridge, at the side of Transmission Gully motorway

We were meeting at Boulcott Golf Club Cafe in Lower Hutt.  The large car park was very full indeed, and we drove slowly around looking for an empty car park.  As well as people coming out for lunch, there were obviously plenty of golfers out enjoying their time on the golf course.

Boulcott Golf Club

Calvin and Helen arrived soon after us, and we pursued the menu and checked out the cabinet food.  There were several large tables full of other pre Christmas diners too, so the service was a little slow as the staff worked hard to serve the meals.  What to have – I chose Bubble and Squeak (don’t often see that on a menu) with a side of sliced salmon, and Robin had fish and chips.  With so many people dining, I decided not to ask the busy staff to take a photo, so we did it ourselves instead.

Helen and Calvin, and us two

As always, there was plenty to chat about, our plans for Christmas, family, and our absent friend Trish. Through the window I noticed  club members out on the greens having a hit around the course. After a long two hour lunch, and a coffee, we said our goodbyes, and headed home.

Boulcott Golf Club

The golf club is off Military Road and there is a large stone memorial on the corner of the road marking the site of Boulcott’s Farm Stockade.  This tells the story of the attack on the stockade during the Maori Wars.  On 16th May 1846 over 200 Maori warriors from Wanganui attacked the stockade and were fought off by a garrison of 50 men of the 58th Regiment.  The bodies of six Imperial soldiers who fell were buried nearby.

Memorial stone

We took the alternate  drive home around Pauatahanui and along the coast road, a much more scenic route.  The Pauatahanui Inlet is always a pretty place to stop and admire the scenery, looks like the tide was out when we were there.  Free camping in self contained vans is permitted here so it would be a nice peaceful place to stay for a night or two.

At the Inlet

And what would a drive along the coast road be without a photo stop of Kapiti Island?  We stopped at the lookout on Pukerua Bay Hill to get this rather hazy view.

Kapiti Island

There was one more stop before we made it home, we decided to call in at RJ’s for some licorice.  It’s been ages since we had called in here to make a purchase.

On entering the shop we were rather alarmed to see a whole bunch of police inside, and wondered what the emergency was.  Seems the only emergency was that they had ran out of licorice, and often call into the shop to replenish their supplies.  The police personnel left with their arms full of goodies, and we looked around to see what we wanted to buy and take home.

RJ’s Licorice

The next day we had our final Christmas occasion for the year, a BBQ lunch put on by Age Concern for the members.  There was quite a turn out with 110 people attending.  We sat ourselves down at the long tables, chatted away while the volunteers were busy cooking up the BBQ sausages and meat patties.  This was served with buttered bread and butter to wrap around our sausages, cole slaw, potato and pasta salads.  All washed down with soft drinks to quench the thirst.

Age Concern BBQ lunch

Large platters of Christmas cake were served to the crowd, then Father Christmas made an appearance with a sack full of gifts – everyone had bought along a $5 gift to put in the sack.  It was a fun time indeed.

Next week, the final week before Christmas, will be much quieter with no more social commitments.  That will make a nice change of pace.