Caravan Club Weekend at Mawley Park

During the night at Ashhurst Domain the weather turned to custard.  Down came the rain, and the wind blew through the trees sending debris down on our caravan roof. Not a peaceful night at all.   We did wonder how the bad weather would impact on our trip the following morning.  Luckily the wind wasn’t an issue and we drove over the rather narrow Saddle Road.  With the Manawatu Gorge permanently closed this is one of two alternative roads over the Ruahine Ranges.

Up and over the Saddle Road

The higher we got, the more the mist was swirling around, and the wind turbines on the Apiti Wind Farm appeared ghost like at the top of the hill.

Wind turbines

We were the first to arrive at Mawley Park camp, Masterton, and soon settled down – in fact, we arrived a day early on Thursday, just because we could.    These sites seem to be made for tourist motorhomes, as the one we are occupying is actually two sites.  Luckily there is little wind over this side of the hill, but plenty of rain.  This area, the Wairarapa is always drought prone, so sustained rain will be great for the farmers.  Maybe it will be wet all weekend, we will have to wait and see what the weather gods decree.

Another rainy day

The other members arrived, some on Thursday, like us, and the rest on Friday.  The local fish and chip shop was visited by hungry caravan club members who wanted a night off from cooking duties.  There was a great turn out, with only two couples unable to join us for the weekend.

It was a rather wet weekend

This was our first caravan club rally since lockdown, and everyone was happy to get together again after so long.  Lots of catch ups took place.  The days were fairly free, and several took the opportunity to have a nice lunch out downtown, while others did a grocery shop, all helping out the local economy.  The usual club Morning Teas and 4zees took place, and in the evenings Dave had organised a few quizzes for us, to see how our brains survived lockdown. 

There was a special occasion on Saturday morning when we had a Flag Breaking Ceremony, for our new club flag.  Selwyn had ordered the new flag but going into lockdown slowed things down and the order was put on hold.  But we had it for this weekend, and we looked outside early on Saturday morning when we heard  a lot of clanking going on.  It was  Selwyn, sheltering from the rain under our awning while he replaced the halyard as the one originally on the pole as not suitable for the new flag.

Selwyn getting things ready for the flag ceremony

As our longest serving members, Eileen and Geoff were asked to pull on the cord to unfurl the flag.

Our new club flag

After rain showers on Sunday morning, the skies cleared and the sun came out, isn’t that usually the way when it is time to go home?  Visitors came calling to join us for Morning Tea  – it  was so nice to welcome Dave and Rae from the Wairarapa Caravan Club.  Our two caravan clubs have quite a long association and meet up together from time to time.  Then it was time to pack up and head for home, and we drove over the Pahiatua Track on our return journey, looking out over Palmerston North and we descended the hill road.

A visit to the Dump Station, and then we were heading for home, and unpacking after our three weeks away.  All in all we travelled a fair way, we clocked up 2000km on this trip.

Anzac Day 2020

Saturday 25th April is Anzac Day here in New Zealand, and also celebrated by our friends in Australia.  The word Anzac is part of the culture of New Zealanders and Australians.  ANZAC is an acronym for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, a grouping of several divisions created early in the Great War of 1914–18.  The Anzacs first saw action at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. The small cove where the Australian and New Zealand troops landed was quickly dubbed Anzac Cove. Soon the word was being used to describe all the Australian and New Zealand soldiers fighting on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Later it came to mean any Australian or New Zealand soldier.

This year, because of Covid 19 Lockdown, the first time in more than a century, there'll be no dawn services to commemorate ANZAC Day.  People are encouraged to mark it in their own way, perhaps placing poppies in their letter boxes, or in windows. We have our hand crafted ceramic poppy outside our kitchen window.  This was purchased three years ago when we visited the Great War Exhibition at the historic Dominion Museum in Wellington -   read about our visit here

Our ceramic Anzac poppy

And of course Robin had the New Zealand flag flying.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place, and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing fly
Scarcely heard amid the guns below.

Giving thanks to all our Anzac heroes, past and present. 

Thursday in Himatangi

We are hoping for a nice sunny weekend during our caravan club rally at Himatangi, always a nice place to stay.  Robin was pleased with how our new Jeep towed the van our inaugural trip.

 

Two vans decided to make the most of being retired and arrive on Thursday – and why not.  We arrived first and Selwyn and Kath an hour or so later.

The early birds

The morning didn’t start off well at all while we were packing the van.  This was to be our new kitten Gemma’s first trip away in the caravan so we have been getting her used to wearing the little pink harness.  No problem there – until we attached the lead, she didn’t like that one little bit.  So to keep her safely out of the way while we were in and out the door carrying food and clothing to the van, we popped her into the the carry cage.  You can imagine our surprise when we found that she had escaped, how on earth did she get out?  As it turned out one of the metal wires was missing, and she must have squeezed through popping two others out of place.  Who would have thought that such a little kitten could be so determined?  Looks like we now need to purchase a new carry cage.

Shall we call the kitten Houdini?

Oh dear, we certainly hope she copes with her first caravan weekend away.  Once we arrived on site, made sure she had water and cat crunchies ready, she soon settled down to explore the van.  And with a sunny window ledge she is quite happy to have a snooze in the sun shine.

This is the life

Our club now sports a nice new flag, just the thing to display at rallies.   Here is President Selwyn standing proudly beside the new purchase.

Selwyn and the new flag

Tomorrow we will await the arrival of the other club members, and the  rally will get underway.  Here's hoping for nice sunny weather, but in reality, we will take what we are given.

Lest We Forget

Today we celebrate Anzac Day in New Zealand and Australia, remembering all those who fought in the wars.  Some people go to memorial Services, while others stay quietly at home, watch some of the many programmes about Anzac Day on TV, and remember those who didn’t return home. 

Our flags and poppy at home

This is the fourth stanza from Laurence Binyon's poem For the Fallen. Referred to as the Ode of Remembrance, it was first published in The Times of London in September 1914 and has been incorporated into the ritual of remembrance in many countries.

Ode of Remembrance

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Back to Hamilton

Luckily our trip to the Leisureline Owners Group get-together in Auckland coincided with our annual caravan service.  So that worked out well.  On our drive back to Hamilton we passed this flag flying on a business roof at Te Kauwhata.  Not the sort of flag we usually see in New Zealand – we have the back view but you can work out what it says.

Seen at Te  Kauwhata

We had booked to stay overnight at the Leisureline factory, and they have now installed a handy caravan power point for such occasions.  Staying overnight means we are right on the spot  for when the factory opens bright and early.

Here we are outside the factory, plugged into power overnight

The caravan was whisked around to the rear of the factory for the work to be done and we were free to go with instructions to come back later in the afternoon.  So the best way to start off the morning was to have a “Big Breakfast” at the Jukebox Diner with Geoff and Eileen, who were staying at these premises overnight in the large carpark.

Back at the diner for breakfast to start the day

Then we filled in our day doing this and that and having a good  look around the city, finally returning to the factory to see if the work on our caravan had been completed.  The van had been moved out to the front of the factory and we thought we were all set to go.  As well as the annual service we had arranged for a new gas locker to be fitted.  Our previous locker only had room for one 9kg bottle, and now we can keep both gas bottles in the front.

New gas locker fitted

However, there was one more job yet to be completed.  We had asked for a BBQ Bayonet fitting to be installed, and we had to wait for the fitting to arrive.  First a round hole was cut in the side of the van, and then the fitting and cover put in place.

Then our van was deftly moved around to the back of the factory with the help of a tow ball on the forklift – the strong gusty wind made it too difficult for the gas fitter to work out the front. 

On the move again

It was much more sheltered around the back of the building and the gas fitter and assistant and finally completed the last portion of the job.  Having this new fitting means that we don’t now have to carry a separate gas bottle when we light up the Weber BBQ.  Finally, we were good to go and get on the road again.

Two gas fitters working on the van

We’re heading slowly homewards, and decided that Tokoroa would be a good place to stay overnight.  Especially as we had never stayed there before – it’s always good to try new places.

The Shortest Day

June 21st is the Northern Solstice and marks the shortest day here in the Southern Hemisphere.  On the 21st the sunrise is around 7:48am and sunset 5:00pm in Wellington, giving just over 9 hours of potential sunshine for the capital. The timing of sunrise and sunset varies from location to location, sunrise in Gisborne being almost an hour earlier than in Invercargill. 

Map courtesy of Met Service

But it’s hard to believe that it is winter, as we have been having such gorgeous weather lately.  Warmish sunshine – only up to 15-16 degrees, not too bad for winter.  A little chilly in the mornings and evenings, but that’s to be expected, and we don’t always feel the need to turn the heat pump on once the sun departs over the horizon early each evening.  But the biggest bonus has been the lack of wind, the days have been lovely and calm, with the sunshine streaming through our windows all day.  The clear blue sky and lack of wind means we may well get a touch of frost some mornings – but we can put up with that little inconvenience. 

View over our back fence

And what would winter be without rugby?  Robin is in seventh heaven with the Lions Rugby Team touring the country.  They are playing against provincial teams as well as the mighty All Blacks.  There is a whole lot of rugby to keep him glued to the TV screen, and of course, his New Zealand flag is on show for all the village to see.

Go – the All Blacks

And New Zealand is fighting another sports battle – this time for the America’s Cup off the coast in Bermuda.  Emerites Team New Zealand has got off to a good start – being in the final with Oracle, but we won’t celebrate yet until the final race is a done deal.  This is exciting TV watching too – those boats can fly!

Our Town is abuzz with Campers

Little old Levin is buzzing as motor-homes and caravans roll into town from far and wide for the New Zealand Motor Home Association Easter Rally, which officially starts tomorrow.  So all these “out of towners” will have to find somewhere to park up tonight, before the grounds to the Levin Event Centre open up bright and early tomorrow to welcome the travellers.  About 800 or so rigs are expected to the weekend rally, which is also the Association’s 60th Jubilee.

Planning for this giant rally has been going on for quite some time, and it is sure to be extremely well run, with entertainment provided each evening in the hall.  Then there are workshops available, sight seeing trips for the out of towners, children's programme, and the pets aren’t forgotten either.  But just how much Muffy wants to take part in that will be debatable.  Robin is always keen to check out the trade stalls, and drool over the latest in caravans and motor homes, and I’m sure to find plenty to look at in the market stalls.

Packing up for the Easter Rally

Our journey tomorrow will take us all of 10-15 minutes or so, depending on traffic.  So today we are busy packing the caravan, which has been moved around to the handy car park right outside our door.  We’ll leave the perishables for tomorrow, and then we will be off.  Just hope the Easter Bunny can find us over the weekend amongst all those other campers.

And see those flags fluttering over our fence?  The results of the Referendum to choose between the two flags will be announced shortly.  Then we will know if our national flag will change or not.

Noises in the Night

If you like the hot sun beating down, Te Horo was the place to be over the weekend.  Sheltering under hats, sunshades, and awnings, was the way to go, and especially those lovely large shady trees, big enough for a large noisy group of happy campers to shelter under.  We certainly made good use of the shade provided during the weekend.  With 17 caravans, 6 motor homes, 1 5th wheeler and 2 tents camping at the school over the long weekend, there were hordes of campers everywhere.

Some of the vans at Te Horo School

Now – about those noises, we arrived back at our caravan after the wine tasting and raffle drawing followed by a friendly neighbourly cuppa to find our fridge light flashing red.  Didn’t need to guess what that was, the gas bottle had run out and needed replacing.  So out came Robin’s tool box and he was soon busy using his electric drill unscrewing this and that, taking the nose cone off the front of the caravan, more unscrewing as he undid the cradle supporting the gas bottle.  Then crash – as the new gas cylinder slipped out of his hands into place.  Everything was then noisily replaced while I stood there training the torch on the correct places so that he could see what he was doing.  And in all that time, possibly 15 minutes, no one peeked through their curtains,  and not a single camper stuck their head out the door to see what was going on.  We could have been burglars up to nefarious business, getting ready to tow a caravan or two away, or perhaps removing wheels and gas bottles.  We’ve decided that we either sounded too honest out there in the dark of the night, or maybe everyone was away in the Land of Nod and just did not hear a thing!

At Regional rallies such as this, it is always great to catch up with friends from other clubs whom we hadn’t seen in a while.  Such as Pauline, from the Wainuiomata Caravan Club.  Pauline and her late husband Geoff were part of the group who travelled with us on our South Island Odyssey a few years ago.  She still continues to rally with her caravan club, and uses a tent these days, or hires a cabin in cooler months.  We were very impressed with her tent and she has everything to hand.  Tidy plastic units hold the kitchen things nicely, and with a bed, table and chair, BBQ for cooking, basin to wash dishes, she is very well organised indeed.

Pauline loves camping

The weekend finished on Monday morning when the banners were removed from the hall, everyone thanked the Wellington Caravan Club for running the rally, and we had our last cuppa together.  The Wellington Club did a great job of organising the weekend, especially when they were thrown a curve ball just a few weeks before the rally weekend as due to take place.  The original venue was suddenly not available, so in panic mode, frantic phone calls were made to find another school.  Happily it all worked out in the end, with Te Horo School proving to be a great second choice.  The clubs gathered underneath their respective flags and we had our club photos taken.

 

Heretaunga Caravan Club members

It was time to say our goodbyes to one and all.  Dot had done such a good job of driving their motor home down on Friday to the rally, that she decided she would get in a little more practice and drive it home again.

Dot in the driving seat

With a visit to the dump station on the way home, it wasn’t too long till we arrived back home safe and sound.  The caravan was unpacked, the first load of washing was put on, and it was time for a late lunch.  It was another great weekend away.

Flags in the Mail

The courier van came calling today with a parcel – no,  not a Christmas gift, but two new flags from the Flag Consideration Project.  As some of you may know, here in New Zealand we have been given the option to change our national flag.  We have just had a referendum to choose between five alternate flags.  The second referendum takes place in March for the public to choose between the existing flag or the winner of the first referendum.

Places within a community who are able to fly the two flags alongside each other on separate flag poles were asked to send in a photo, and then given the opportunity to request two new flags (on loan) from the Flag Consideration Project.  When the parcel arrived today, our own flags were soon taken down, and the two new flags put in their place.

Up goes the first choice in the referendum

This gives people the opportunity to see the flags flying together, the current flag alongside the first choice in the referendum.  This may well  help them with making the choice of which flag will get their vote in March.

Which one would you choose?

Changing our county’s flag is a big decision, and there are strong views either way.  But everyone will get the chance to have their say shortly – that’s what democracy is all about.

Spring Gardening

Our raised vegetable garden in the back yard is relatively small, but the weeds had taken over making it look rather like a jungle.  But Spring was calling and Robin set to and cleared them all out.  Then he added a big bag of Tui Vegetable Mix and dug it well into the soil.  This is a fertiliser containing all sorts of good things to make the vegetables grow well.  The seedlings were then planted out and we have high hopes for a productive summer garden.  He planted lettuce, silver beet, broccoli, and tomato plants, and sowed a row of beans too.

Let’s hope these babies grow well

Yes, we do live in an area with many Market gardens, and  we will continue to support our favourite one – after all, there is lots that we are not growing, such as potatoes and pumpkins.  But there is something quite satisfying about picking a lettuce, or plucking some lovely fresh tomatoes of the vine from your own garden.

Our new flag pole is performing well, but Robin has been flying the Silver Fern flag in support of the All Black Rugby Team, which is taking part in the Rugby World Cup in England.  Our team has got through the pool play unscathed, and the next big game will be the quarter finals.  Go – the All Blacks!

Flying the Silver Fern Flag

It’s all go at our place

What a busy old day it’s been today.  Each morning we start the day with an early morning cuppa in bed while we watch the TV news before we get up.  Pulling back the bedroom curtains we could see the sky painted a pretty peach colour.  What a lovely start to the day. 

Scene from the bedroom window

The builders have been busy in our village, working away on a double unit close by.  It is amazing how quickly buildings go up these days, but the frames come already assembled and it just seems a matter of putting all the pieces together.  The brickies have been working on the properties this week, and are almost finished their part of the job.  Vans and trucks come and go as they drop off supplies, and the builders like to work away to their radio turned up high.  Everything came to an abrupt stop yesterday morning when the power went out.  It wasn’t the builders fault, as we first thought.  We never did find out the reason, but the power was off for a couple of hours.

  New homes in the village

After 5 years of flying the flag, our flag pole has “spit the dummy” so to speak.  It was a collapsible pole that just wouldn’t collapse any more, and Robin suspects that the innards have rusted up.  Is he worried?  Not at all – he had already ordered a brand new flagpole.  And as luck would have it, the courier delivered our new flag pole today. 

The new flag pole

This one is a little different and doesn’t collapse down on itself like our previous one - it comes with a rope to raise and lower the flag.  Robin started to assemble it but was having trouble working out which part went where.  So the sensible thing to do was to find the instructions and read them thoroughly. 

When all else fails – read the instructions

So this part was fitted in that part, the rope was attached, and the whole thing lifted into the bracket.  The flag was hooked on and up it went.  Success at last.

Fluttering in the breeze

While all this was happening we heard a loud “bang” – which  sounded suspiciously like a car crash.  There is a busy very road at the back of our property and cars and trucks whizz along at speed.  We rushed out to the back yard and peeped over the high fence.  Sure enough, there had been a car accident, between a car and a van pulling a trailer.  People were milling about everywhere and no one appeared to be injured, so that was a blessing.  My goodness – it’s all go at our place!

Accident over the back fence

Lovely Spring Day

It’s been a lovely Spring day today, and looking out over our back fence there is not a hint of snow to be seen.  Just clear blue skies with the jagged peaks of the ranges looking a little hazy in the distance.  Now that a couple of trees have been removed from the beautification strip along the busy road behind us, we now have a clear view of the ranges from our property.

Our view over the back fence

Our New Zealand flag has been fluttering in the light breeze.  There are plans afoot to change the design of our flag with plenty of debate for and against.  With the Australian and New Zealand flags being so similar in colour and design, our flag is often mistaken for the Australian one – by those who can’t spot the difference.  The “will we – won’t we” debate will be decided by not one but two National referendums. 

Flying the flag at home

We have a few cheery yellow daffodils in flower, and these pretty primulas are making an appearance now it is so much warmer.  Spring has arrived – roll on Summer!