Celebrating New Year in Mt Maunganui

The New Year’s Eve celebrations got off to a good start at the National Rally with a BBQ meal, all provided by the hosts.  While the rest of us were finding nice shady spots to sit down to get respite from the hot Mt Maunganui sunshine, the ladies from the organising club, Bay of Plenty Caravan Club, were busy in the canteen.  They were chopping, and slicing, and mixing things together with gay abandon.  While all this was happening, the men were busy slaving over a hot barbeque.  A huge quantity of sausages were cooked, together with a big pile of sliced onions.  Then it was time to serve the hordes.  As we filed past the canteen windows the sausages and onions were served.  Further along we invited to try rice salad, coleslaw, bean salad, or apple salad. 

   Cooking up the sausages

Later in the evening we gathered in the hall for the Cabaret night.  The tables were nicely set with long cloths and scattered with rose petals.  We chose a table close to an open door to allow for the breeze to come through to cool things down.  The temperatures were still hot and muggy and we had a lot of revelry to get through till the midnight countdown.

Ready to rock’n’roll

The two piece band started fairly quietly and the music swirled around the hall.  Later in the evening the band played a Monte Carlo followed by the Supper Waltz.  These we sat these out as we haven’t quite mastered the finer points of waltzing.  The supper brought back memories of those long ago community dances as we collected our plate of goodies and a hot drink each, then sat back down at our respective tables to chat and enjoy the supper.   As mid-night approached everyone got onto the dance floor in anticipation. The countdown started and all the poppers went bang!  “Old Lang Syne” was sung with gusto and another New Year began. 

Our music for the evening

We celebrated the start of the New Year with a group Champagne Breakfast outside in the sunshine.  Some brought cereal and fruit, others cooked their breakfast on the BBQ,  and our friends Geoff and Pauline were munching on bacon butties.  It was bacon and eggs for us, Robin’s speciality breakfast cooked on the BBQ.  We sipped a glass of bubbly, then finished our meal with a cup of plunger coffee and cream.  What a great way to start the morning.

Robin cooking bacon and eggs for breakfast

Geoff was cooking pizza for lunch and invited us to join them.  We were very interested to see how this all worked out as he had intrigued us when he explained that it is cooked in a casserole dish on the gas hob.  The pizza is cooked in a heavy  “Bessemer” dish with the lid on and the gas turned down low.  Geoff and Pauline cook roast chicken, casseroles and even scones in this speciality  utensil.  It comes complete with a cook book, and is so handy and easy to use, producing all sorts of hot meals easily while off power.  I think we need to get one too.

Pizza for lunch

As you can see, we had quite a time celebrating the Old Year out and the New Year in -  Happy New Year to all our friends.

Seeing the local sights

A happy band of campers queued up in the afternoon to take in the sights on our bus trip, an optional extra for the rally. The trip took us down town and we saw how all the rich people live in their sea front apartments and posh houses.  Real estate is a booming in this region.  The port is kept  busy with the many cruise ships which come calling.  The bus then took us into the hills and we arrived at Minden Lookout.

  Our bus

Although it was a short climb to the top of the lookout, we were all puffing in the clammy conditions.  The views were a little hazy, as we looked out over farmland one way,  and across to the port and Mount Maunganui in the distance.
 

We climbed back into the bus and commented that the seats were certainly not made for our ample proportions!  Through lush green farmland, and a short trip along the state highway, and we turned into our next destination of McLaren Falls.  What a delightful place this is.  There are many places to camp along the river and the views are very pretty.

The falls themselves always attract people who like to clamber all over the large rocks.  The water flow is much reduced at the current time as it is drawn off for the local power scheme.

Playing on the rocks at McLaren Falls

Back on the bus again, and we drove over the toll road. This is only one of two toll roads that operate in New Zealand.  Then it was a short drive back to the rally site.  It was a most enjoyable afternoon of sight seeing.

On the Road again

Only four of us were representing Heretaunga Caravan Club at the 21st National Rally at Mount Maunganui.  We all met for a bit of R&R at Rotorua, enjoying evening dips in the thermal hot pools.  Pity about the weather though, it rained, and it blew, then rained again.  The TV news showed bad weather throughout the country, with flooding and road and bridges washed away, so we probably got off quite lightly.

All set for the National Rally

Firemen were striding around the Mt Maunganui College grounds on our first morning.    A fire engine was parked outside the college grounds, manned by a couple of officers talking on the radio. 

  Ready for action

Wonder what the trouble was?   We soon found out – the fire alarm in the gym was ringing loudly, and that certainly stopped the campers in their tracks.  Up they wandered to the gym, clad in their dressing gowns and clutching their soap and towels,  all set for their morning showers.  No showers were available while the firemen were there doing their thing.  After checking the whole building out, it appears that steam had set the alarms off.  At last the campers could get on with their morning ablutions. 

Looking after our safety

After all this excitement we gathered in the hall for the Official Opening.  The hall was a sea of colour as club members arrived dressed in their official club colours.  People were clad in blue, white, yellow, purple and our own extra bright orange.  Representatives from each club gathered with the respective club banners and followed the piper as they made their way into the hall.

Robin with the Heretaunga Caravan Club banner

The local Mayor did the honours of opening the rally.  He related he knew all about camping as he grew up in a motor camp owned by his parents.  In fact, the mayor met his future bride while he was doing the afternoon rubbish collection around the camp, and was still happily married, he was proud to say.  A special presentation was made to  Ron and Averill from the BOP Caravan Club on attaining 500 rallies, congratulations for this great achievement.  

Ron and Averil with CCNZ President Peter Spicer

Click, click went the cameras as club photos were taken to commemorate the occasion.  Our friends from the Wairapapa club took our photos and we returned the favour and took theirs as they lined up.  Now the official part of the morning was over, I was happy to remove that orange tee-shirt and wear something a little less bright.

The  Heretaunga contingent

A little bit of Ireland

We needed to go out for a drive to blow the cobwebs away and decided on a circular rural route through Apiti, and back down the beautiful Pohangina Valley.  First stop was the Apiti Lookout.  This gave good views of the surrounding Ruahine Ranges.  A herd of young heifers were crowding around the lookout platform, and they seemed to like checking out all the visitors who stop.

Young heifers checking out the visitors

This is also a good place for cell phone coverage, which can be a problem in hilly rural areas.  We noticed that everyone who stopped at the lookout had their cell phones in their hands and were feverishly texting away.

View from the lookout with the Ruahine Ranges in the background

We travelled along unsealed dusty roads as we slowly made our way up and down hills and around tight corners, passing through the tiny hamlets of Umutoi and Utuwai.  Narrow one-way bridges criss-crossed over streams when we dropped down into the lush Pohangina Valley.  Driving in to the Totara Reserve Camp we were astounded to see that it was completely empty, not a single camper was staying there over the holidays.  This camp had been badly damaged with flooding some time ago and we wanted to see if any improvements had been made.  A large sign stated that a new ablution block would be built shortly.

  Totara Reserve

Further down the valley was a little piece of Ireland – the Waterford Cafe and Bar, run by a couple of transplanted Irish folk, who each speak with a lovely lilting accent.  We stopped there for coffee and cake and to soak up some Irish ambience.

The Irish pub in Pohangina Valley

The bar is full of Irish posters on the wall and a collection of Waterford crystal.  I rather liked this poster of Irish Bogs – who would have thought there was so much variety!

A collection of Irish bogs

Grand-daughter Emma lives close by so we popped in to see her and Michael, and met Michael’s new puppy.  She is so cute, but has no name yet, discussion is still being held on this important decision.

Holding the puppy with no name

We said our goodbyes and started the journey home, over the hill road to Coylton, through Cheltenhem and finally arriving back at Kiwitea.

Boxing Day Races

The highlight of the social calendar for son-in-law Robert is a trip to the Boxing Day Races at Awapuni, Palmerston North.   Dressed in his stylish suit, and wearing his new “horsey” tie (a Christmas present of course), he looked every inch a country gentleman.

Our grand-daughter Megan was very keen to go to the races too, but had to visit the doctor first, to check out her very sore throat.  Megan was taking no chances, so was dressed up to the nines for the doctor’s visit.  It turned out that she has tonsillitis, but  the doctor gave her the all clear to continue on with a day at the races.  Robert did quite well with his betting during the race meeting and came home with more money than he went with, so that was a good thing.

Dad and Megan, all dressed up

Megan and her Dad are very keen horse trialists and have an impressive selection of cups on display.  Megan won the Manawatu Hunt Junior Member Award, and the Kimbolton and Kiwitea Pony Club cup.  Robert won the Manawatu Hunt First Season Hunter on his new horse Storm.  The other large club was for a quite different category altogether, Megan won the Oroua Federation CWI cup for the 5th Form Best Award in Dressmaking at High School.  Nicky is also the proud winner of a cup, the tiny one in the middle.  “Most obsessed Twilight Fan Award” was presented to her at a social work function.  There are a lot of different skills and talent in this family.

 The family cup collection

Robert has spent much of his working life around horses, and the neighbours presented him with a fun little pony for Christmas.    It is small so won’t need much in the way of feeding, and seems to be missing a few parts, so that will save on shoeing costs too.  Press the button in the ear and it brays and whinnies quite vocally.  Don’t think it will carry him on the next hunt meet though!

Robert’s new pony

Don’t let the Chicken in!

It’s certainly a different sort of life, out here in the country in Kiwitea.  Whenever we go in or out the back door, we two townies are admonished with cries of “Don’t let the chicken in”.  The family obviously don’t have to be told this basic instruction as they have been living with the chicken in question for some time now.  Henny Penny isn’t shy and easily chased away like your average type of chicken.  Oh no, Henny Penny rules the roost.  She isn’t afraid of the resident cat, Fanta.  And as for those fraidy-cat farm dogs, Henny Penny runs rings around them.  They may well round up the sheep, tell the cattle where to go, and be unafraid of the horses with their heavy shod feet, but they had just better watch their manners around her!  It is her aim in life to walk into the house and hang out with the interesting people who live inside.  If only one of those townies staying in their big white caravan  forget to shut the door to the house behind them, then she would be a happy chicken indeed.  And then again, perhaps they will leave the door open on their caravan too, then she could pop inside that as well and have a quick look around.

Henny Penny

The family hosted a Solstice barbeque the other night.  Everyone brought plenty of food along for the pot-luck tea, and son-in-law Robert was busy cooking up all the meat.  Sausages, lamb chops, and the most delightful tee bone steaks were soon sizzling away.  A lot of this meat was processed from stock fattened on these neighbourhood acres, so it really was home grown.   

Robert hard at work on the BBQ

One of the neighbours brought along her young 10 week old pup Chase, whose breeding is half German Shepherd and half Blue Heeler.  Judging by the size of his paws, Chase is going to be a very large dog indeed when he grows up.  He was playing happily as young pups do, getting pats from the youngsters, chasing around chairs and generally enjoying the summer evening outside with all those delightful smells.  Henny Penny wasn’t having any of this.  How dare this young upstart come on to her property and think that he can do whatever he wants!  A few pecks kept the puppy in his place, but being young, he soon forgot who the real boss of the BBQ was.  The last straw came when one of the guests offered Chase a left over bone from his plate.  Henny Penny immediately confronted the pup and snatched the bone from his mouth.  “There – take that, you insolent young pup in wolves' clothing.  I’m the boss here,” she seemed to be saying.

Henny Penny on the attack

Country Christmas in Kiwitea

There was a loud knocking on the caravan door this morning at 6.30am.  “Get up, Nana and Grand-dad, we’re going to open the presents now”, Emma declared.  And how old was this excited child who could hardly wait?  Why, she is only 21!  Christmas is alive and well on the farm in Kiwitea.  The presents were stacked up under the tree and Emma nominated herself to have the very important job of handing the gifts out.

All shapes and sizes of gifts under here

The gifts were duly passed out and the recipients wasted no time in taking off the the wrapping paper.  This was tossed in a heap in the middle of the room and the pile of discarded wrapping paper got bigger and bigger.  Never mind, we will pick it all up at the end.

The pile of paper is growing

Our Christmas morning breakfast is a family tradition of warm croissants with freshly sliced ham off the bone and cheese.  All washed down with rich plunger coffee and how about a glass of orange juice as well?  How delicious!  It may be Christmas Day but Robert still had to move some stock from one paddock to another.  Tui the “eye dog” was more than happy to have a run around and take those lambs to where ever Robert wanted them to go. 

Tui working the lambs

While Tui was busy working, the elderly Border Collie Babe was enjoying herself lying on the grass as she gnawed on a bone.  Henny Penny the chicken wanted a taste too, but Babe was keeping that bone for herself.

  Get away, it’s my bone

We don’t usually have a big traditional Christmas dinner.  Lunch was another family tradition, chicken cooked on the barbeque.  (Something I prepared earlier, as the TV cooks say).  Made from chicken breasts sliced thin, wrapped around a dried apricot soaked in Campari – that’s what I found in my daughter’s drinks cabinet, or you could use brandy, sherry, or whatever you can find in the cupboard.  This little parcel is then wrapped up in streaky bacon and secured with toothpicks.  Robin was in charge of cooking them slowly on the BBQ, turning them frequently.  They smelt wonderful, and tasted delicious.   We enjoyed them with potato salad, pasta salad, and green salad, and toasted each other with a glass of bubbly.  These chicken roll-ups taste just as nice cold the next day, that is, if there are any left over.  For dessert we enjoyed a slice of rich decadent homemade chocolate cheesecake, one of my daughter’s specialities.  Now that was a Christmas lunch worth having!

Robin cooking the chicken and bacon roll-ups