Waioeka Gorge

We packed up in the rain at Waikanae Beach Camp, and departed from Gisborne – which is known as the Chardonnay Capital.  Gisborne is one of New Zealand's biggest grape growing regions, and has 2000 hectares of vineyards, much of them planted in the chardonnay grape.  We must have seen quite a number of them as we drove past vineyard after vineyard on the way out of town.

Following SH2 our journey took us through the Waioeka Gorge.  The road wound through steep sided hills, covered in low tendrils of mist, while the rain continued to fall.   Swish, swish went the wipers, as we drove around the never ending corners.  Trapped as we were behind a heavily loaded stock truck, we breathed a sigh of relief when the driver finally came across  somewhere to pull off the road.  As did all the cars following us, no doubt – hope they realised it wasn’t the caravan who was holding all the traffic up. 

Our group had decided to stop somewhere in the gorge for lunch, and there were two possibilities.  Unfortunately, we didn’t confirm which one we would stop at and that caused a little hiccough in our lunch plans.  Our two caravans pulled into the Manganuku DOC (Department of Conservation) camp and ate our lunches, expecting D & D to join us.  Manganuku means “shifting stream” and the Maori story was explained on one of the information boards.  “Long ago the Omaukora and Manganuku streams flowed in the same valley.  After a time of flooding in to each other, quarrels and arguments started, and then fights.  Manganuku had enough and decided to leave, and shifted to it’s present site”.

Lunch stop at the Manganuku DOC car park

Walking down to the campsite we saw the historic Manganuku Bridge.  It is one of the few “Howe Truss” hardwood bridges remaining in New Zealand and was originally part of the Waioeka Gorge road.  The Danger sign warned us not to walk under the bridge due to structural damage.

Howe Truss bridge at Manganuku

When Derek and Dot failed to join us for lunch, we realised that they must have travelled ahead of us through the gorge, and stopped at the number two option.  (There was no cell-phone coverage in the gorge).  And sure enough – there they were, just a few kms along the road at the site of a memorial plaque which was unveiled in December 1962 when the Waioeka Gorge Highway was officially opened.  It was sad to see the monument defaced with bright pink nail polish.

In 1959 work began in converting the original gravel road to a sealed two lane highway.  Several camps were built for the workers at points along the gorge and the dangerous work of rock blasting and working on the steep and unstable land began.  Rock falls were common and the three men who lost their lives while building the roads were commemorated at this site.  The official opening in 1962 drew a crowd of 400 and the local newspaper reported - “The occasion marked the end of one of the most rugged road reconstructions jobs done in New Zealand.  Carving a full width highway through the 25 miles of unstable, near vertical gorge which follows the tortuous path of the Waioeka River”.

Cars driving along the narrow one way road before the reconstruction began

Official Opening of Waioeka Scenic Highway

After we continued on our trip after lunch, we came across a notice declaring the half way point through the gorge.  It certainly was a slow trip and could not be taken lightly, negotiating one corner after another, while all the time marvelling at the ruggedly beautiful scenery.   Rock falls still happen, and we saw many instances where this has happened leaving scars on the hillside.   Motorists driving through  the gorge these days would probably not give a thought to the years of hard work and perseverance in constructing the road.

Once out of the gorge, we soon reached Opotiki, stopping for the night at a POP on the outskirts of town.

Staying in rural Opotiki for the night

On to Gisborne

Leaving our overnight freedom camping spot at Blue Bay, Opoutama, we back tracked to Nuhaka and rejoined SH2 to take us on to Gisborne.  The hills were covered in “50 shades of green” as the landscape changed from radiata pine forests, to native trees and ferns.  Once again the road was hilly, full of ups and downs and we met plenty of timber trucks fully laden with cut logs going the other way.

We stopped for lunch at a rest area at the top of Wharerata Hill.  There is a plaque here which commemorates the completion of major reconstruction of the Wharerata section of State Highway 2 in 1966.  The view from this spot is magnificent, looking down on to Poverty Bay and Young Nick's Head.  The headland was named after a lad in Captain Cook’s crew, Nicholas Young, who made the first sighting of land, earning himself a gallon of rum and a place in the history book.  Captain James Cook and his crew first set foot on New Zealand soil at Kaiti Beach, Gisborne, on 9th October 1769.

View from the rest area

Called “Gizzy” by the locals, this is a very busy place.  Gisborne certainly embraces the Captain Cook connection and there are several replicas of the Endeavour on high poles throughout the town.

The Endeavour

And right in the middle of the main street is the famous clock tower, where several of us sang and danced away 1999 on New Year's Eve as we waited for the year 2000 to arrive.  Gisborne was deemed to be the first place in New Zealand to see the new Millennium and we just had to be here for this momentous occasion.  After midnight we wandered down to the beach, well rugged up to await the new dawn and the celebrations which unfolded on the beach.  Then it was back to our van for a Champagne Breakfast.  We were camped in the local High School which opened it’s grounds for caravans, and spent a very enjoyable week here, all that time ago.

Ah - the memories, the Gisborne Clock tower

Captain Cook is honoured with a statue on Waikanae Beach, as is “Young Nick”.  Captain Cook and his crew came ashore seeking fresh food and water, and Captain Cook and Maori chief Toka a-Taiau greeted one another.  The traditional Maori challenge was made, and unfortunately misunderstood by the English.  Shots  were fired, killing some Maori men and the ship hurriedly sailed away without the badly needed provisions, and Poverty Bay received it’s name.   From here the Endeavour circumnavigated New Zealand, and Captain Cook plotted the first map of this country.

Memorial to Captain Cook on Waikanae Beach

Young Nick spots land

We are camped at the Waikanae Beach Top 10 Holiday Park, just across from the beautiful sweep of Waikanae Beach – the only complaint is that the sites are rather small for a large caravan plus tow car.  School holidays are in full swing and the camp has many families camping, as well as plenty of tourists staying.  After five days at Putorino without power we are making full use of the facilities and the laundry has been well used, and we have been doing other necessary jobs, like restocking supplies at the supermarket.  Robin took his flat tyre in to get repaired – it is now back where it belongs and  the spare is once again secured on the back of the caravan.  And he has purchased a new bottle jack to replace his old one which leaked hydraulic fluid everywhere.

The beautiful safe Waikanae beach is just over the fence, and we can hear the the waves breaking on the beach from out site, as well as the hum of the busy port close by as men, machines and ships go about their business.

Waikanae Beach

Wairoa and Blue Bay

It was goodbye Putorino and hello to roads less travelled as we left the National Rally and drove up SH2 towards Wairoa.  The trip was not rushed as the windy road snaked up and down  one hill after another and we noticed more goats grazing in the paddocks than we had seen for some time.  Most goats in New Zealand seem to be feral and hide away from hunters in inaccessible places,  but these appeared to farmed goats. Bee hives were in abundance too, we saw them all over the place, the colourfully painted wooden beehives dotted here and there in paddocks.    I was warned to get my camera ready as we approached  the Mohaka Viaduct. 

Mohaka Viaduct

Three of us are travelling together for the next couple of weeks, and our first stop was Wairoa for lunch and to use the Dump Station.  But it was a matter of “oh bother” when Robin noticed one of the caravan tyres was flat.

Stopping at Wairoa

Things didn’t go smoothly as the bottle jack leaked hydraulic fluid and wouldn’t hold the caravan up without the jack being continually pumped up.  It was “puckerood” said Robin, and will be replaced ASAP.    Derek lent a hand, and the pair of them worked together, undoing bolts, lifting the flattie off and replacing it with the spare, and putting everything back together again.

Derek and Robin changing the tyre

Geoff and I had walked over the bridge to the “world famous in Wairoa” Oslers Bakery for some hot pies.  It was obvious that this shop is the place to go to as we had to wait in line at the back of the queue while the locals stocked up on pies and pastries for their lunches.  There were so many customers in line ahead of us that we were worried they would sell out of pies before we reached the counter.   We remember stopping at the bakery many years ago on our last visit to Wairoa, so it is good to see this family business still going strong.

The best pies in town

Wairoa is a pretty little town set on the Wairoa River.  Surprisingly, this river town boasts a lighthouse slap bang in the middle of town, which is now  an icon of Wairoa.  The Portland Island Lighthouse was brought from Portland Island in 1961 where it was no longer needed when a fully automated light was installed.  

Portland Island Lighthouse

With  the tyre replaced, and our lunch consumed we continued on our way, driving the last 43km  turning off at Nuhaka to reach Opoutama and Blue Bay where we are staying for the night.  Many years ago Robin and I stayed here at the Blue Bay Motor Camp, set amongst pine trees and just a stone’s throw from the beautiful beach.  Sadly, the motor camp and pines are now gone, and we understand that the development of the land is under dispute, although roading, footpaths and street lighting have been installed.  It is sad to see an area which held such happy memories now looking so neglected and overgrown.  But we had a short walk along the beach which is just as lovely as we remembered.

Blue Bay, looking across at the Mahia peninsular

This is a good area for surfers and we met a young couple from Switzerland who are travelling around New Zealand with their baby daughter.  They took turns riding the waves while the other stayed in the camper-van looking after their young child.  Robin did wonder how people from land-locked Switzerland ever developed a taste for surfing.  Like us, they are staying in this lovely beach spot overnight. 

Surfer girl at Blue Bay

Freedom Camping is not usually for us, but this was such a pretty spot that we took our chances.  Several other vehicles pulled in during the late afternoon, and the Swiss couple decided to move their van closer to us.  Luckily nothing untoward happened during the night, and no hoons appeared to hassle us, thank goodness.

Freedom camping overnight at Blue Bay

We took another walk around the former camp ground in the morning.  Roads and footpath meander around the forgotten subdivision which is reverting to scrub and it all looks rather sad.  Circular Maori stone carvings and carved totem poles are dotted around, so quite a lot of thought has gone into the planning stage before it all went belly-up.

Sad and neglected

Carved poles are dotted around

We saw several sandstone carvings, all different

We went back to camp for a last cuppa before departing.   Honey and Muffy were both outside and carefully approached each other.  After a slight hiss, they then decided that they would pretend the other wasn’t there, and sat apart, studiously ignoring each other.

Honey and Muffy carefully touching noses

Cuppa over, it was time to move on – next stop, Gisborne.

Fire Trucks, Easter Bunnies and Pancakes at Putorino

There seemed to be quite a serious water problem over the weekend at the National Rally at Putorino.  What was happening to the water supply?  The water was disappearing from the tank at an alarming rate and there was no way we were using it all – there must be a leak under the tank.  We heard a beep-beep-beep as a tanker truck from Kotemaori Rural Fire Brigade backed up to the water tanks to top them up, arriving several times over the weekend to help us out.  Other wise it would have been a very dry long weekend indeed.  The water tanks obviously need to be thoroughly checked and repairs urgently made.  The overnight rain had not made any contribution to the water tanks at all.

Fire Truck to the rescue

The engine on the back of the truck was working hard as it pumped out 4000 litres of water into the aging concrete water tank.

The business end of the fire truck

A pair of Easter Bunnies came calling, and they knocked on each van door with a basket of chocolate eggs.  Just look at those happy smiles as they spread a bit of Easter cheer.

Judith and Anne with Easter Eggs to share

After all that excitement, we joined the crowds who were lining up to get their complimentary pancake breakfast.  Four cooks were hard at work cooking pancakes, bacon and bananas, which was served with a swirl of Maple Syrup.  It smelt delicious, and we really enjoyed our Sunday pancake breakfast.

Cooking pancakes and bacon

Our resident Pastor, Eric Sweeting took the traditional National Rally Easter church service in the hall, which was very well attended.  Then the afternoon activities, also in the hall, flowed from one to another, from the sales tables and book swaps, (swapped a couple myself), followed by afternoon tea, then Happy Hour.  After our evening meal it was back to hall again for an assortment of card and board games, or in our case, just groups of happy campers sitting together, telling yarns, and enjoying each other’s company.  The evening ended on a high note when Robin’s name was called out as one of the raffle winners.  Lots of interesting items plus the handy little wooden table too.

Robin with our raffle prize

After intermittent drizzle from the previous day, we awoke to find the vans surrounded by fog.  The hills had disappeared from view, and the early morning had quite ethereal look.

Surrounded by early morning fog

The National Rally drew to a close, and the banners were collected from the stand and paraded out of the hall.  Thanks were made, farewells said, and we enjoyed a last cuppa together before everyone went their separate ways.   It had been a great National Rally, not huge as they were so many years ago when we first started club caravanning, but fun and friendly.  Some were travelling straight home, but not us.  We are having a tiki tour north for a couple of weeks before heading home, stopping at places we have never visited before, as well as some old favourite haunts. 

If you want to know more about Club Caravanning click here.

First Days of the National Rally at Putorino

Putorino is one of those tiny places you whizz by on the way to somewhere much bigger.  It is situated on SH2 approximately half way between Napier and Wairoa, a tiny speck of a place, with a pub, a Sports Centre and not much else.  The Sports Centre was to be our base over Easter, with 35 vans and 1 tent in residence all parked up in rows on the playing fields.  There was a large grassy area fenced off beside the vans in case the emergency helicopter has to land for the community.  The distressed calls of cows just separated from their calves bellowed out from the adjacent farmland, with the calves frantically calling back.  You don’t hear much of that in suburbia – all we get is traffic noise.

Waikare Sports Centre at Putorino with vans parked behind

We’re in here sommewhere

Club flags were flying and Derek and Robin went to add our Heretaunga flag alongside the others.  With that job done, it was almost time for the official opening.

Robin and Derek with the club flag

A colourful parade of club banners were piped into the hall, stood up in the stand and the Official Opening was underway.  CCNZ President Alan Dale and  Rex Stewart, President of the Eastern Region said a few words, followed by former Mayor of Wairoa Les Probert who officially opened the 23rd National Rally.  Club photos were then taken, Robin set up his tripod and rushed back to get in line.  Luckily he didn’t trip himself up in his hurry.  

The Heretaunga contingent

Robin was Chief Auctioneer at the Friday afternoon Dutch Auction, with help from Karen and Graham.  Most bids started quite low and people eagerly raised the prices as they bid on the mystery newspaper wrapped items.  The cut off point of $5 kept prices reasonable and within reach of most pockets.  

There’s another bid over there

By the time the last item was offered up, the bidders agreed to an open ended auction.  Excitement was high and the bids went up in leaps and bounds.  It all came to an end at $15 and the victorious bidder showed off his prize, an ambulance ornament.

The winner of the last auction

“If you can walk, you can dance”, Glenys the dancing teacher told us on Friday night.  Some took up the challenge and followed instructions in dancing the Veleta and other sequence dances around the hall, while the not so nimble sat and enjoyed the antics..  There was even a bit of do-se-do-ing taking place too – that reminded us of those long ago days when the pair of us were keen square-dancers. 

Friday night dance class

The Saturday Sausage Lunchtime Sizzle was a great success with the cooks doing a marvellous job.  Goodness knows how many sausages were cooked on the BBQ, along with a whole heap of sliced onions.  The ladies in the kitchen were hard pressed to keep up with the orders, as the queue snaked almost out the door of the hall.  They valiantly buttered the bread,  placed a dollop of fried onions, a hot sausage with a squirt of tomatoe sauce on top, wrapped it in a paper serviette and handed the orders over to the hungry customers.

All waiting for lunch

Four of us walked up to the local Putorino Cafe and Pub for a coffee, but by the time we got there we decided that as it was such a hot day, an ice-cream was a much better idea.  We heard the roar of motor bikes as Harley after Harley pulled up in front of the pub and the riders dismounted – most seemed to be well dressed bikers sporting black clothing covered with the Harley Davidson logo.   It looked liked there was an Easter Road Rally taking place.  After stopping and chatting for a while, they mounted their bikes and roared off down the road to Napier.

Putorino Pub and Cafe

The evening ended with a pub type quiz Trivial Pursuit competition.  Teams of six listened intently to the questions, then our collective brains went into action.  There were six categories, ranging from entertainment and literature, people and places, geography, science and sports and history – the last being our best with only only one incorrect answer.  And…….if the team had listened to me, we would have scooped the pool with the history questions.  One question we didn’t know – what did Otto Titzling invent?  The answer – the bra.  Our score at the end of the night was a credible 65 out of 80.


If you want to know more about Club Caravanning click here.

Lake Tutira

Our group left Hastings and went their separate ways -  some went to replenish supplies, and some to the dump station.  But we all met up at pretty Lake Tutira for lunch.   The surrounding land of 20,000 acres was originally farmed as Tutira Station, and was leased from the Maori owners for some years before being purchased by Herbert Guthrie-Smith in 1882.  Herbert’s brother Harry came out from Scotland to manage the farm, leaving Herbert time to spend on his passion of bird watching and noting the behaviour of the birds which abounded in the Lake environment.  Herbert left the land in trust to be enjoyed by all and was one of those instrumental in the founding of the New Zealand Forest and Bird Society.  He was a man of great vision.

Birds and  small boat on the lake

One after another our friends trundled in to the lakeside.  Sandwiches were prepared, the kettles were boiled, and we enjoyed lunch in the sunshine.  This was our first visit here, and it is such a lovely spot.  Our group were not the only ones stopping here for a break, several other vans also pulled in for a stop on the way to the National Rally, just as we were.  And the weather so so nice and warm, I noticed several young ladies sun bathing in the bikinis down on the lake edge!

  Three vans so far, and a couple more expected

As well as day trippers like us, people can camp in this lovely area in the Department of Conservation (DOC) Camp further around the lake.  We drove around to check it out and found several people in residence.  Facilities were sparse – water was a available but needed to be boiled, and there were basic “long drop” toilets available.  One of the couples at the camp, we noticed,  were busy collecting walnuts from under a huge tree. 

Lunching at the lake

This is such a lovely tranquil setting, and there are plenty of walking tracks for those who want to see more than just the lake edge.    It is thanks to the foresight and vision of men like  Herbert Guthrie-Smith that we can all enjoy such beautiful areas such as this.

Last Day at the Apple Orchard

This is our last full day at the apple orchard, so there were several things to do before we depart tomorrow.  Number one was use the washing machine and hang the laundry out on the clothesline in the nice warm Hawkes Bay sunshine.  Next on the list was to go to the supermarket and top up the supplies to see us through Easter.  Yes, we did buy some Hot Cross Bun, but resisted the urge to take home any Easter Eggs.  And finally, top up the car with fuel for when we continue on our trip tomorrow.

The orchard is a busy place, and the fruit trees are laden with fruit.  Several different varieties of apples are the main crop, and the Orchard owner Dick told us he is one of the few growers who has quince trees – the trees are heavy with this yellow fruits.  This is not a fruit you often see in the shops these days, and  I can remember my Mother making quince jelly many years ago when I was a child.

Quince trees in the orchard

The plums have finished fruiting, and now pears are being picked – we noticed several boxes full waiting to be moved into the cool store.

Walking around the orchard we came across some cattle over in the next paddock.  They were not at all worried by our sudden appearance and one of then walked over to the fence to get his nose rubbed.

Cattle over the fence

More of our caravan club friends started arriving this afternoon, all of us are heading north to Putorino tomorrow to attend the National Caravan Rally.  We all gathered under our sun shade  for 4zzees.  

  No longer alone

Our host kindly brought around some apples, fresh off the tree, for our group, plus a supply of plastic bags.  I diligently counted them out into the bags and everyone really appreciated getting a bag of lovely tasty apples.  We always enjoy staying here, the facilities are great, and the owners always make us very welcome.

The Easter break at Putorino may well find us without any internet access for five days so we are not sure if we will be able to post any blogs or not. But they will arrive – possibly later rather than sooner.  You will just have to be patient to catch up with our news.