Romany Rambler is sold

 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

The End of an Era

 Things have been happening here.  Our Toyota HiLux, purchased in July as a tow vehicle, has been sold back to the car yard we bought it from.  This all happened quickly and painlessly, and was whisked away last week.  Luckily for me, friends Bill and Val came around to help me unload and clear out the back of the ute - this was full with items from our last caravan trip away.  

Goodbye car - Robin didn't enjoy driving this at all

Over the last couple of weeks I have been trudging  back and forth to the caravan emptying out drawers, cupboards, pantry, wardrobes.  There was so much stuff tucked away!   I had help from Owen when it came to the lockers and all the different tools they contained.  He advised what must remain with the van and what could go.  This morning Owen and Helen came back up, helped me with the final cleaning, and after lunch towed the van to a sales yard for me.  I really couldn't have managed without their help.  The van will be sold on behalf, and hopefully the Summer holidays will be an ideal time to sell.

Goodbye, Romany Rambler

Our custom made caravan steps will be looking for a new home.  These were commissioned to make it easier to climb into the van, with my sore back and his knee replacements.

Caravan steps

So it really is the end of an era with caravanning.  We purchased our first caravan not long after we were married, and have enjoyed traveling the length and breadth of New Zealand.  Sadly, we never made it over the Stewart Island.  Once reaching retirement age, our trips have got longer, and we had booked the InterIslander for another long trip down south in January - not happening now, of course.  Gemma, and Muffy before her, became much traveled caravan cats.  

Farewell to Robin

 Farewell to my darling Robin, who passed away suddenly on Thursday.  He was doing what he loved best, away on a caravan trip, this time with our ICA group, up  in Hastings.  The previous night we attended the Christmas Dinner with the group, this is our last photo together.  

After a very restless night, the following morning it was all over for us.  Many thanks to friends Bill and Val who got me, the cat  and the caravan home safely, that was a big ask, and they did it willingly.

Farewell to Robin, we shared 41 happy years together, and many, many holiday adventures.  Life will be so different now.

Rainy and Cold

 It rained off and on all night at Turangi, and didn't look much better in the morning.  Not entirely unexpected as the long Labour Weekend often has cold and wet conditions.  Our Spring weather can be very fickle indeed.

It's wet out there again

I'm always a little nervous driving along the Desert Road, especially on a holiday weekend.  The traffic was quite heavy, as expected, and Robin did his best to let the faster traffic go by.  The scenery changes dramatically, from sub alpine trees, to miles of tussock covered land which is used for military training, and then changes again to rolling farmland at the southern end. The rain and low clouds followed us, obscuring my view of Mt Ruapehu.

Very low clouds indeed

It was time to stop and catch our breath at Waiouru.  Robin attended to the fuel requirements while I went over to the coffee cart.  I had an interesting chat with the owner and another customer inside when I mentioned we were on our way home to Levin.  Both of these ladies had lived there in the past. 

Time for coffee at Waiouru

The bad weather cleared and our final stop on this trip was the Marton NZMCA Park.  Yes, we could have traveled all the way home, but a little while after settling in, the heavy rain came down again, and lasted overnight.  This is a handy little camp, one of the few with toilets available.  This harks back to the days when this property was a Council administered motor camp.  We can remember coming to the camp years ago with the caravan club.

Overnighting at Marton

Robin had decided to leave the car hooked up to the caravan overnight.  But the camp custodian came and advised us and the owners of the adjacent van to unhitch the car and park it across the way.  Although both the caravan and car fitted in the long sites, it seems that there had been instances of late arrivals damaging the cars as they drove in.  And that is also why bollards had been placed around the meeting room, to stop vehicles running into it, as had happened several times.  Unbelievable!

Bollards added to protect the building

Just for a change, we woke up to a fine and sunny morning.  A nice surprise, after all the rain we had encountered lately.  It was a short 70km trip home the next morning, always good to arrive home safe and sound and to unpack in fine weather.

Our trip north was necessary for caravan maintenance, the annual service.  And the awning needed repair too, although not ripped, a little of the stitching was coming undone.  That couldn't be left as it would have only got worse.   We were pleased with how this job was done too, and the very friendly and helpful workers at Cvana.  But...... the fridge in the caravan had been playing up all trip, so now that needs looking at.    All in all, it was a very sucessful trip, and we towed the van 1300km while we were away.

Rotorua to Turangi

Just as well our 61km trip from Welcome Bay to Ngongotaha didn't take too long as sites on the top shingled area were at a premium when we arrived.  There was plenty of room on the lower grassed areas but with bad weather coming, we wanted to be on the hard standing.

We found a space beside an empty reserved site, with the camper van returning later in the day.  

 

One of the few remaining sits on the top level.

Since so many motor-homers are bike enthusiasts - just see how many vans have bikes on the back, we assumed that many in camp were taking part in the annual Whaka 100 biking event.  With everything from fun rides for kids, 10, 25, 50, and 100km rides, plus the National Championship, there is something for all skill levels.  No, we don't cycle ourselves, in fact I remember at one camp we were asked "where are your bikes?"  I don't think we would look good in lycra!

This camp borders a farm and comforting rural sounds wafted over the fence, cows mooing softly.  We were disappointed to see a woman from a nearby campervan walk up to the fence and empty her coffee pot over the farmer's land - how rude was that.  And against NZMCA rules, I'm sure.  The rain came down in the afternoon, and all through the night.

The next morning it had cleared, and we hooked up and headed for Turangi, via Reporoa, which has a handy comfort stop.  Reporoa is a farming area and was first settled by returned servicemen.  The Fonterra Repora dairy factory, opened in 1968,  brought a boost to the local economy.

Quick stop in Reporoa

It's always a pleasant drive beside Lake Taupo.

After 137kms we arrived at Turangi, our stop for the night.  Although quite a large camp, it always seems under utitilised to us, in fact we prefer to stop here rather than the newish NZMCA Park at Taupo.

Staying the night at Turangi

It was pleasing to see that a start had been made on the new dump station at the park.  Robin was chatting to the custodian who mentioned the concrete had only been poured a few days, and was yet to harden.  Unbelievable but true, a camper tried to walk over the concrete and empty their toilet cassette even though the area is obviously not yet commissioned.  Now the custodians have to  park themselves either side of the concrete pad to stop such stupidity.  Some people are just so stupid!

Concrete pad for the new dump station

Gemma enjoyed some outside time, sitting by  the step, till a noisy van sent her scurrying back inside.  She thinks she is brave, but she is such a scaredy cat!

Gemma at Turangi

And then the rain came down, and the diesel heater was turned on.  Luckily it doesn't take too long at all to warm up the caravan.

Awning Repairs and Welcome Bay

 It was just as well we were up  bright and early while overnighting at Cvana, in Tauranga.  We had parked the van in the workers car parking area and needed to depart.  The factory is situated in a busy industrial area and cars and trucks were tooing and froing, arriving for work and going about their business.  The helpful staff guided us out and in front of their workshop, the car was unhooked, and once again we were free for several hours.  Taking Gemma with us too, of course.  

Where to this time?  We weren't too far from The Mount (Mount Maunganui) so drove there and found a parking spot overlooking the beach.  What a busy bunch the locals were.  There were people climbing up the pathway on the Mount, tiny dots in the distance.  We watched as a never ending stream of people walked, jogged, ran and cycled along the pathway adjacent to the beach.  Fit youngsters  effortlessly ran by, older couples walked together, young Mums wheeled their babes in pushchairs, it was great to see many people out and about enjoying the morning.

  Mt Maunganui and the beach

After a couple of hours we got a call to say the repairs had been completed, so back we went to collect the van and get on our way.  Our stop for the night was not too far away, a 14km drive to Welcome Bay NZMCA Park.  This park has plenty of room, with large grassy areas for parking.

Welcome Bay NZMCA Park

A couple of the nearby properties have peacocks, and their distinctive calls rang out.  It's almost as if they are crying "Help".  There is a large meeting room with books to swap, and several boxes of kiwi fruit had been donated for the members.  "Help yourselves", we were told.

Zespri kiwifruit on offer

I don't remember seeing the "Tree of Knowledge" last time we stayed here, complete with a swing, but here it is.

The Tree of Knowledge

In the evening we met up with friends Louise and Robert who live in nearby Papamoa, and went out to dinner at the local RSA.  The meal was very nice, salmon for me, and a lamb shank for Robin.  For some reason, not a single photo was taken.  The weather changed overnight, and we woke to wind and rain, not at all nice after our days of sunshine.

Peat Lakes of Ohaupo and over the Kaimai Ranges

 There was a free day at Ohaupo while our caravan was undergoing it's service, so we decided to check out the Ohaupo Peat Lakes.  We drove out to Lake Ngaroto, taking a picnic lunch with us.

Ngaroto is the largest of the many peat lakes found between Hamilton and Te Awamutu.  These lakes were formed about 19,000 years ago when sand and gravel carried in the Waikato and Waipa river blocked up small valleys.  Water loving plants thrived and thick layers of peat eventually built up within the lake and around the margins.

There is a walkway around the lake, including stretches of boardwalk together with dirt and grass pathways, about a 6km flat walk.  Self contained camping is allowed at the lake side, and there were several motor homes staying the day we arrived.  

Lake Ngaroto

Carved Maori Pou were erected in 2016 and marks the place where the  sacred carving Te Uenuku was lost during the Battle of Hingakaka.  The ancient carving represents the rainbow god Uenuku and is one of the greatest taonga (treasures) of the Tainui people.  It was re-discovered in 1906 buried close to the lake shore and now resides in the Te Awamutu Museum.

Pou marking the spot where the sacred carving was lost

By mid afternoon a phone call came to say our van was all done and ready to be collected.  Our day wasn't over as we had to drive over the Kaimai Ranges to stay overnight at Cvana Awings in Tauranga.  This was a 110km trip, and we finally arrived at about 5.30pm, tired and ready for an early night.  Our awning needed repairing, so we needed to be up bright and early the next morning for the work to begin.

Spending the night at Cvana Awnings

Heading to Ohaupo

 We farewelled our caravan buddies and got on our way, taking a few days to reach Ohaupo to get our Leisureline caravan serviced.  First stop was not too far away at Sanson, to go to the dump station and fuel up.  It was lunch on the go from the Z Service station, coffee and a pie while we started on our trip - means we wouldn't have to stop on the way.

Lunch on the go

Our stop for the night was at a private property in Ohakune, newly available for fellow Leisureline caravan owners.  It was a lovely rural property, and we certainly appreciated the opportunity to stay overnight.

Leaving the caravan on site,  we just had to call into the "world famous in New Zealand" chocolate eclair shop.  We were served by the former owner Steve, who told us he is "living the dream", making the tasty goodies, chatting with customers and getting paid for it, without the worry of running the business any more.  The new owners have set up a coffee lounge in one corner of the shop, a welcome addition I'm sure.  

The Chocolate Eclair Shop

 Ohakune is also famous for the Big Carrot, proudly standing on the edge of town!  Plenty of carrots are grown here, as well as potatoes and swedes.   In case you are wondering, the name Ohakune means "an opening to a new world" and refers to the descent from nearby Mount Ruapehu into the valley and swamps of the area.

The Big Carrot at Ohakune

A site worthy of stopping for a photo stop is the Makatote Viaduct.  Building was completed in 1908 and the viaduct  is recognised as an important part of New Zealand's engineering heritage.

We drove past Mt Ruapehu as we continued on our journey, it's always such a lovely sight to see.  This is a view from the Western side of the mountain.

Mt Ruapehu

We stayed the next two nights at the NZMCA Otorohanga Park, fairly quiet at this time of year with about 10 vans here each night.  The name means "food for a journey".  There is a legend which tells of a Maori chief passing by, who chanted incantations that stretched out his meagre supply of food to last the full journey.  

Staying at Otorohanga NZMCA Park

We enjoyed  a celebratory birthday dinner for me at the Otorohanga Club while we were here.  The meal was delicious, roast pork and veggies,  bubbly for me, and a beer for him.

Enjoying my Birthday dinner

It was just a short 43km trip to Ohaupo the next day for our caravan service.  The Leisureline service team allow customers to stay overnight and we were joined by Geoff and Eileen - it was great to catch up with them again.  While we were getting a caravan service done, they were collecting their van after repairs had been completed.  The four of us visited the local fish and chip shop for dinner that night, so no cooking for us again.   

One waiting for a service, the other waiting to go home

Final Days on Safari

The last stop on our safari was two nights at Takapau.  It was nice to be on  power again, as we were still experiencing cool weather.  

 Takapau is a pleasant camp, with power, water, recycling, laundry, a dump station, showers and toilets, and most important for our group in the chilly weather, somewhere to meet and gather.  About half  of our members opted for power sites this time.  

Staying at Takapau

We ate together in the hall on Saturday night, enjoying our local fish and chips.  Then there was a safari wrap up, starting with the telling of embarrassing stories.  I started the ball rolling when I related my tale of woe as a young Mum driving a car with L plates, remember those, plus two kids and two dogs.  I was traveling up the Wairarapa side of the Remutaka  Hill when all the traffic came to a standstill.  When the cars started off again I found it impossible to do the dreaded hill start and kept sliding back, getting closer and closer to the car behind me.  Finally, the driver came to me and offered to start my car and drove it to a flat pull off area.  I was mortified, and stayed put till all the traffic had passed by, before slowly driving home to Lower Hutt.  Other embarrassing tales followed, most of them long forgotten and buried in the subconscious, as it turned out.

During our safari we had a competition to count the number of one way bridges (there were many) we drove over.  Turnbulls and Archers came very close to the number I carefully counted and noted down, so they were declared the winners.  Bouquets and Brickbracks over our trip followed, with Helen getting a special mention for her solo caravan towing over very demanding roads, certainly not a task I would be capable of.

Sunday was a free day with people out visiting friends and family, or in our case, a little shopping and attending to the laundry.  The grand finale was dinner that evening at Sawyers Arms in Tikokino.

Sawyers Arm for a country dinner

Muddy gumboots at the door

The pub was quite full with patrons  and our group was seated in the dining room on a long table, which suited us fine.  Menus were studied, our choices were made, and generously heaped plates  arrived at the table.

 

Final dinner at Sawyers Arms

Everyone departed on Monday morning, and the gusty wind made towing a little difficult.  We stopped at NZ Natural Clothing shop at Norsewood  to make a couple of purchases, then carried on till we found somewhere to stop for lunch.

Shopping at Norsewood

Our idea was to have a break at Mangatainoko freedom camping area across the road from Tui  Brewery.  But the heavy rain put paid to that idea, the grass was rutted,  very soft and water was lying everywhere.  So we carefully drove out again, and parked in front of Tui Brewery on the main road.

There's the famous Tui Brewery tower

Lunch was easy, we had planned ahead and made some bacon sandwhiches before we broke camp, and they were very tasty indeed.  Maureen and Russell pulled up in their campervan behind us, and popped in to say hello, then we were off, on the final journey home.  Up and over the Pahiatua Track, and we were on the home stretch.  As much as I always enjoy our trips away, it's always good to get back home, safe and sound again.