Just a little Road Trip

It’s been all go since we arrived back from our holiday last Thursday – we quickly packed the caravan and left on Sunday, will be away about a week.  We are heading up to Hamilton to get the back window of our caravan repaired, then we will be attending the annual Motorhome, Caravan and Leisure Show. 

We stopped in Ohakune one night, home to the Big Carrot.   At 7.5m tall, the carrot was built for a TV commercial for ANZ Bank, and then donated to the town.   Visitors love the Big Carrot and often stop and have their photos taken here.   Carrots were first grown in the area during the 1920s by Chinese settlers, and Ohakune now grows two-thirds of the North Island's total crop. 

Ohakune, where the carrots grow

And no stop at Ohakune is complete without a visit to the much loved “world famous in Ohakune” Chocolate Éclair Shop.  In fact, some people go out of their way to stop off here on their winter travels.  This establishment only opens during the ski season, and the huge chocolate éclairs are legendary!  There was a car park right outside the shop just waiting for us to call in.

Chocolate Éclair shop

Gemma has got over the trauma of being locked away in the cattery, and settled down quite comfortably on my lap as we drove along.  Sometimes she likes to curl up on the back seat too.

Passing through the little village of Owhango we spotted a sign we hadn’t seen before. We were now at Latitude 39 degrees South.  This line passes through Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Argentina, the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, Tasman Sea and Bass Strait.

While we have been away these last few days I’ve spent a little time hand quilting this Christmas project – it had been tucked away and forgotten for a while.  This stitchery will eventually become a cushion, I’ve decided.

Christmas stitchery

I’ve also been doing some knitting, using cotton and big needles.    Any guesses what will this end up as?

Knitting project