Townies at the Stock Sale

Romany Rambler: Travelled 19008Km; 318 Nights Away

I could hardly wait till Friday morning, as there was a stock sale taking place adjacent to where we were camped at Clareville for the weekend.  It wasn’t a big sale by any means, and seemed to be aimed at those who had small holdings, and ran a few head of stock on their hobby farms or lifestyle blocks.  Soon mud splattered 4WDs towing small trailers carrying sheep and calves arrived in the yards – so it was time to go over and check things out.  The men manning the office rolled their eyes and looked at each other in amusement when I commented that the young calves in the pens were crying because they missed their mothers, especially one tiny little bull calf who hardly looked old enough to be on his own. 

Friesen bull calf for sale

Sheep looking for a new home

Pigs are always my favourite, and there were only a couple of pens filled for the sale.  Look at those cute curly tails.  These bettered their reserve at the auction, so the seller was very happy.  As we walked around the building, we had to pick our route carefully to avoid the unmentionables dropped by the animals.  No wonder all the country folk wear gum boots. 

A pen of pink pigs

The auction got underway and we watched and listened as the auctioneer worked hard trying to generate interest amongst the gathered crowd.  The bidding was done very quietly, with no one shouting out prices.  It must have been achieved with quiet winks, raised eyebrows of the tiniest flutter of a finger. 

What am I bid for these calves?

The sheep and calves went for varying  prices, and a handsome russet shaggy coated  Highland Cattle beast fetched $500 in the auction.

Highland cattle

There was a mobile refreshment van parked outside and keeping all the farmers well fed and watered.  “Are you from town”, the owner asked us, and we answered yes, we were townies.   “I thought so”, she commented, “you both have white shoes on”.  With all the farmers wearing gum boots while traipsing around the sale yard covered in droppings, our white sneakers were a real giveaway, as were our cameras snapping away!

Coffee and food to go

Clareville in the Country

The notorious Rimutaka Hill road came to a standstill as two large truck and trailer units met head to head on one of the tight corners.  It didn’t help that one of them had cut the corner and was well over the double yellow lines.  But by the time I had found my camera, taken it out of the pouch, and turned it on, the truck at fault (travelling north) had slowly crawled past the other, and the traffic was starting to flow again.  We carefully edged our caravan around the corner, and travelled on our way to Clareville, just north of Carterton, in the Wairarapa.

  Two large trucks had come to a stand-off on the corner

The wind was blowing and heavy showers of rain made us wonder if we were in for a wet weekend.  Our club Heretaunga was hosting a joint rally and some of our club members decided to head over a day early, “just because we could”.  One of the benefits of being retired is that we can add extra days to our weekends away .  Out came the porch awning from under the seats, and we battled the wind to get it erected.  This small awning offers some protection from the elements as we exit and enter the caravan.  Any interesting cubby hole is a magnet for curious cats, and Muffy wasted no time in checking it out.

Muffy loves to go in small spaces

Up goes the porch awning

Robin put one of his newly made signs on the gate to show our guests the way in.   As we were the first one to arrive we had the place to ourselves for a while.  Can you see our lonely little caravan away in the distance?

This way to the rally

By mid afternoon we had company and then there were three.  Once everyone was settled, we gathered in our caravan for the time honoured ritual of 4zees.  A cup of coffee, a glass of cordial, or a beer, plus a few chippies to nibble, or whatever takes your fancy.  The jokes get rolled out, and we can put the world to rights.  It’s quite nice to have an extra day together before the rally proper takes place.

Three of us so far

Muffy meanwhile was in her element, curled up between all the visitors, sleeping the afternoon away.  There is nothing more relaxed than a sleeping cat, is there.

Follow the Signs

Romany Rambler: Travelled 18,950 Km; 316 Nights Away

There’s been a bit of banging, sawing, nailing and painting going on in Robin’s shed in the back yard today.  He’s been busy making a couple of rather rustic looking signs (I thought they were pretty good – hardly rustic! Robin) for our upcoming caravan rally in the weekend.  Our caravan club Heretaunga is running a joint rally at Clareville with the Wairarapa and Wellington clubs members invited to join us.  And just so people know exactly where to go when they arrive they will just have to follow the signs.  It should be fun, a weekend rally in country surroundings.

Just follow the signs

Guy Fawkes and Hobos at Koputaroa

With promises of all the fun of guys and fireworks plus a free “Hobo” meal it was sure to be an interesting weekend. Sixty assorted motor-homes and caravans arrived at Koputaroa School in rural Levin for the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association November Rally.  A handful of youngsters, dogs and cats came along for the weekend too. 

60 vans - we are in here somewhere

The very pleasant school grounds are shaded by many large trees.  These two lovely specimens had plaques in the lawn stating that they are protected through the Horowhenua District Council’s Register of Notable Trees.  We are not quite sure what they are, but wonder if perhaps the red one is a copper beech?

On the Register of Notable Trees

To help with weekend costs, the committee and helpers usually organise a “sausage sizzle” for lunch on Saturday, and these are always very well supported by the attendees.  Robin joined the queue to get his sausage, meat patty, fried onions and bread, all smothered in tomatoe sauce, for a lunchtime treat.

Queue here for lunch

The small band of children busily made their Guys in the afternoon.  By some strange coincidence, the three Guys on the stage all seem to have a bottle of beer in their hands! One is an alien who dropped in from outer space, the next is Buzz, a star of a kid’s show, and the third just looks so happy to be here.  And the large standing Guy in front has a definite rural look to him – he won “Best Guy”, and to keep the kids happy, all the others picked up prizes as well.  The Guys all got a reprieve as there was to be no bonfire this time.

Penny for the Guy

We all gathered in the hall for our evening meal, clutching cutlery and a dinner plate, but not quite knowing what to expect.  After all, what exactly is a Hobo Meal?  We soon found out.  The tables were lined with newspaper, it stands to reason that Hobos wouldn’t possess such a thing as a tablecloth.  We were served barbequed sausages, boiled potatoes, green peas and gravy, a tasty meal indeed and fit for all the Hobos amongst us.  Joining us at our dinner table were Fred and Avis, and this was their first time at a NZMCA Rally.  Robin and Fred were work mates many years ago, so it was great to rekindle the friendship again after so long.

Jenny, Fred, Avis and Robin

The strong wind made us think that perhaps the fireworks wouldn’t be able to go ahead. but just like magic, the wind died right down by Saturday evening.  The fireworks had been set out on an old table in a paddock adjacent to the school.  There was a bit of a hiccup when the organisers discovered that the cattle in the paddock had taken exception to this and pushed the whole lot over.  Perhaps they remembered just how noisy Guy Fawkes night had been last year!  As the sky darkened, the show got underway.  Kids and adults alike were oohing and aahing as one after another the rockets flew high, and fountains of sparks, flashes and colour erupted in front of us.  It is certainly not easy to take photos of fireworks, we found.

Here goes another one

So what is it all about?  In 1605, thirteen young men planned to blow up the British Houses of Parliament. Among them was Guy Fawkes, Britain's most notorious traitor.  He was in the cellar with 36 barrels of gunpowder when the authorities stormed it in the early hours of November 5th, and was caught, tortured and executed.  On the very night that the Gunpowder Plot was foiled, on November 5th, 1605, bonfires were set alight to celebrate the safety of the King. Since then, November 5th has become known as Bonfire Night. The event is commemorated every year with fireworks and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes on a bonfire.  Why do we keep this tradition going, I often wonder, especially those who live in countries half a world away from “Mother England”?  I’m sure the answer is, “just for the fun of it”. 

Haven’t we met here before?

It was a case of “déjà vue” when we parked up again at our friend’s Geoff and Eileen’s rural property in Otaki on Thursday afternoon.  We were over-nighting here before continuing on to the Motor Home Guy Fawkes Rally at Levin.

Haven’t we been here recently?

Already on site were friends Derek and Dot with their motor home Gypsy Rover, proudly showing off the brand new signage on the front.

Gypsy Rover

There was a hive of activity going on at the adjoining property.  The large paddock had been ploughed and prepared and was being  planted out in rhubarb.  That’s going to be a whole heap of rhubarb when it’s done!   The workers were away in the distance planting all the corms.

Rhubarb!!

Wandering back we saw this garden sculpture in another property.  Looks like the Spot the dog is digging right through to China. 

What’s under here?

Next stop is Levin and the Guy Fawkes Rally.  Incidentally, Guy Fawkes day is our wedding anniversary, making it easy for Robin to remember this most important day in our lives.

Not for the faint hearted - Rimutaka Hill

The Rimutaka Hill – that windy narrow road which crawls up and over the Rimutaka ranges strikes fear into some travellers hearts.  It is the only road route over the Rimutaka Ranges, travelling from the Hutt Valley side of the ranges  to the Wairarapa Plains.  At the summit the road is 555m above sea level, and in winter the road can often be shrouded in mist, and can be closed due to snow fall and gale force winds.  Warnings are often issued to those travelling on motorbikes, or high sided vehicles.  For caravan owners like us, towing a caravan in high wind conditions can be both dangerous and frightening.  But for those locals used to the vagaries of the Rimutaka Hill, on a good day, with the sun shining, and little wind to contend with, it can be quite a pleasant trip “over the hill”.  There was plenty of action to see and large earthmoving machines to photograph on our recent road trip.  (Wonder why it is Jenny who loves to see these big machines and not Robin?)

Playing in the dirt

We stopped at the summit to look back at the road works already done on the Hutt side of the hill road.  Corners have been cut back from the hill side and the spoil used to build new parts of the road.  The expected 3 year project is coming along well,  realigning  the notorious Muldoon's Corner and taking out a few other kinks. 

Views from the top of the hill

An unassuming monument from the New Zealand Historic Places Trust is placed at the summit.  It tells of an intrepid journey back in 1841 when a party of settlers led by two Maori guides made the first European crossing  of the Rimutaka Range into the Wairarapa.  In those early days the ranges were densely covered by huge towering native trees, making travel very slow and arduous.

Monument at the summit

Travellers in the early 1850s came across the Rimutakas on a narrow and dangerous track.

Photo courtesy of Alexander Turnbull Library

These days the trip over the hill takes about half an hour, nothing like the arduous trek of yesteryear by foot, horseback, and as the track gradually widened, by slow, creaking bullock cart.  We tend to take the car and modern roads for granted now, don’t we.

Twin Lakes

Locals know them as the Twin Lakes, but the official name is Stuart McCaskill Lakes, and these are the water storage lakes in Upper Hutt.  Drinking water is collected from the Hutt River in Kaitoke, goes through the Water Treatment Plant, and then provides water to the Hutt Valley, Porirua and Wellington.  We joined a few other interested car loads of people at the lookout on the side of State Highway Two.

This way to the lookout

The view from the top looks out over the storage lakes.  This seemed a good place for a photo opportunity, using the magic of the delayed shutter on Robin’s camera.  Mist hovered over the hill tops in this water catchment area.

We look like tourists

This lake is full to the brim

The other lake has been emptied and plans are to extend it to increase the storage capacity and add extra earthquake strengthening around the sides.  The aim is to provide high quality water (150 million litres each day) at a reasonable cost, with minimal impact on the environment.

Empty and awaiting maintenance

We took a drive down by the lakes, and the surrounding area is open for recreational users.  A car full of keen young men in wetsuits had just climbed out of the river after a turbulent ride on rubber inner tubes.  There are plenty of picnic spots available for those who just want to enjoy the surroundings. 

Old valves on display

The Millennium Totara Grove was planted as part of its Arbor Day 2000 celebrations.  It marks not only Arbor Day, but also the twentieth anniversary of the Wellington Regional Council and the new Millennium.  Before settlers arrived and cleared the land,  totara and other native species covered large areas of this region.  

Young totara trees and mature specimens

This is an area we had not explored before and were intrigued by what was available. As well as the picnic spots there is access to a number of walking tracks but you are not permitted to use the lakes not even the ducks.  Sadly no camping in this area of the park (Water Treatment Area), this is only allowed at the other end of the park at Waterworks Road (Kaitoke Regional Park).