Slow Stitching on holiday

A little slow stitching is always an enjoyable thing to do while on a caravan holiday.  The weather was hot, hot, hot, so it was much more comfortable to be sitting outside under the shady awning, with a tiny breeze to cool us down.  I’ve been doing a little hand quilting on my Autumn stitchery.

After enjoying several days on our own in Taupo, we traveled up to meet the members of ICA (International Caravan Association) to join them in their Christmas/50th Birthday Rally.  Our site is a privately owned area on the banks of Lake Ohakuri, and the ICA group were fortunate indeed to have this site offered to the group.  What a magical place it was.

Lake Ohakuri

This was our first rally with this group and we were made very welcome indeed.  Although we were a bit of a rarity having the only caravan amongst a sea of motor homes, rather like the “lonely petunia in the onion patch”. There is good fishing here, we saw one of the members coming back from the lake side with a large trout.  It was wrapped in bacon and cooked on his Weber BBQ for lunch, sounds delicious.  Gemma was a real hit, with several cat lovers coming to visit.  One couple had previously owned Birman cats so they were particularly keen to see Gemma.

After two days at this idyllic spot we moved on, spending the following two nights at club member John’s farm in Putaruru. 

Rolling farmland

Everyone decorated their tables all ready for our Christmas Lunch – ladies from the local Girl Guides were doing the catering, and what a great job they did, feeding us all.  Cold cuts, salads, veggies and bread rolls, followed by a selection of desserts.  And then, goodness me, Santa and his helper arrived, carrying a couple of bags stuffed full of gifts, that was exciting!

Thank you Santa

Gemma dealt with the heat in her own way.  Settling down under the bushes in the garden worked quite well, and there were bugs and other little creatures to stalk in the undergrowth.

It’s cool under the bushes

Or then again, she liked to stretch out on her back on the bed, waiting for a breeze to waft in through the windows.

How cats cool off

We have had a great time at our first ICA Rally, meeting new people, and enjoying wonderful venues.  Now the rally is over, it’s time for us to head homewards.

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