Caravan Safari

 Robin and I are leading a Caravan Safari with our caravan club friends through coastal Wairarapa.  Taking them along roads not traveled, and places yet to be explored.   The drive took us through some pretty farmland, with plenty of cattle and sheep grazing contentedly.   Our first stop was Alfredton Domain which has overnight free parking.

Alfredton was formed in 1868 and was part of the Small Farms Association.  These days it is a tiny village with a school and a church.  The Domain is an attractive place with ewes and small lambs everywhere.  The calls of our beautiful native bird, the tui, were heard overhead in the large trees.   There is a plaque honouring the pioneers who laid the foundations of the district.

 Next stop was Pongaroa.  For such a small place, there are quite a lot of interesting things there.    In the middle of the village is a sculpture to commemorate a famous son, Maurice Wilkins, who was awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize together with his colleagues when they discovered the now familiar double helix of DNA.

Tribute to Maurice Wilkins

The local pub, the Pongaroa Hotel,  has an interesting history, starting life as a BNZ bank.  The bank closed in 1936 and was used as a private house for 12 years.  It was then converted into a hotel, then a tavern, then back to a hotel again.  There are many interesting historic photos inside the building including bullock teams hauling huge loads of native timber to the mills.  You know this is a rural area when you see the gum boots (Wellington boots) all lined up at the door.  We settled down in the dining room, checked out the menus and ordered our meals.    Generous country sized servings and very tasty indeed.

Pongaroa Hotel

We found out that our club member Helen grew up in Pongaroa so knows the area well.  When having a coffee in the local cafe, she mentioned that she worked in the building as an after school job when it was a country store.  I couldn't help myself and had to purchase a tea towel to mark our visit here, after all, you can never have too many tea towels, can you!

My new tea towel

The following day was clear but cold, and we packed a picnic lunch and the folding chairs, and headed off on an adventure.  Off we went to show our camping buddies the beautiful Waihi Falls, about a 45 minute drive from the camp.  The majority had not been there before.  The walk down to the falls was down a steep track, and I counted 105 steps.  Of course it was much easier going down than clambering back up.  We all walked at our own pace and the walking poles made us feel a little more secure.

Waihi Falls were a sight to behold, roaring with sound as the water thundered 25m over the edge, sending light spray around to land on our faces.  Such a magnificent sight, so doubt the recent rain fall had made the flow even stronger than usual.

Waihi Falls

Our safari trip is half over with even more adventures to come.  It is good to come exploring to visit places a bit off our usual itinerary, and even better introducing these places to folk who haven't traveled this way before.  

Believe it or not, I have taken three pairs of socks, at various stages, away with me.  But I've only knitted a few rows so far.  Never mind, the knitting projects are there for when I need them.

I've got three pair of socks on the go.

Whanganui and Back

 Last weekend we had a caravan trip away to Whanganui, stopping overnight on the way at Duddings Lake.  What a pretty, peaceful place this was.  We decided to camp off power so left the crowded motor camp behind and parked up around the lake on a large grassy area.  There were several caravans and campervans parked here, but plenty of room  between is all.

Our lakeside camping spot

The lake must be very healthy as we noticed plenty of bird life, and the frogs serenaded us in the evening.  How often do we hear frogs, we commented.  Their calls are quite soothing really, soft croak, croak, croaks.  Gemma enjoyed quite a happy time outside safely on her lead all afternoon.  There were ducks to watch, and then she rather liked settling down under the caravan, I imagine she feels safe and secure under there.  Then for a change, she likes nothing better than sitting in the caravan doorway, snoozing, or taking in the sights.

Gemma in the doorway

The following morning it was time to move on from Duddings Lake to Whanganui Racecourse for the Vintage Weekend, with two other vans joining us there as well.  Four of us walked the four blocks into town to view the vintage cars parked up on Victoria Avenue.  It was another very hot day, and we joined the crowds all admiring the various cars on display.  People were everywhere, some in 50s costumes, some with dogs and children, and plenty of vintage age people on sticks, all intent on checking out the cars.

Someone's pride and joy on display

There was plenty of entertainment too, to keep the crowds happy.  Some were dancing to the music, and we noticed that others had brought their folding chairs along, to sit in comfort and enjoy the music.  It was such a hot day that after lunch in one of the cafes we were pleased to return to camp for some rest and relaxation.

One of the several bands performing

On our last full day in Whanganui, we invited Maureen and Russell to join us for a drive to Pipiriki and a picnic lunch.  It was many years since we had driven this road, so long ago that in those days it was a gravel road, although it is now sealed.  Narrow and windy, it took us through tiny settlements with interesting names, rather like those associated with the Grand Overseas Tours taken by young men of the aristocracy in earlier years.  These interesting little places have now reverted to their Maori names.  Athens, now known as Atane, Corinth, now Koriniti, London, now Ranana, and Jerusalem, now Hiruharama.  We stopped at a lookout point along the way for a lovely view down the river.

Looking down at the Whanganui River

One of the places we were keen to revisit was the Kawana Mill, in fact, we wondered if in fact it was still there, after all these years.  This mill has not been operating for many years but the water wheel is still in place.  Luckily the building has been well cared for by the NZ Historic Places Trust.  This is the only remaining one of six mills  dotted along the river to mill corn and wheat grown by the Maori people back in the day.

Kawana Mill

From here we continued on to Pipiriki and found a nice shady spot in the picnic area to eat our lunch.  This little settlement is the hub for jet boat rides up the river.  We met up with friendly young German tourist who had arrived with her bike off the boat and was planning to cycle to Whanganui - wonder if she realised just how hilly the road was?  She kindly agreed to take our photo for us.  

Robin, Jenny, Russell and Maureen

On the way back we stopped to  admire the Raukawa Falls at the lookout.  It was a lovely day out, traveling on roads we had not driven for quite some time.  

Raukawa Falls

Whanganui is an area with a very strong connection to the river.  There is a saying here which sums it up.  "The great River flows from the mountains to the sea.  I am the River, the River is me,"

Since returning home I have been doing a little of this and that.  A little time working on a pair of socks, and a few hours sitting at the sewing machine doing some machine quilting on a donation quilt.    And today, once the heat of the sun had eased, I spent a little time working on my stitchery project.  But....... nothing completed so far.

Stitching on the patio this afternoon

So that's what I've been up to over the last week.  A weekend trip away in the caravan, and its always so nice to take some time to work on a project or two.

Another Trip Away

Pre Christmas is such a busy time, isn't it.  We had another caravan trip planned, about 8 days this time, to attend the ICA Christmas Rally, up at Te Aroha and Matamata, quite a drive away for us.  Most of the ICA members live much further north than us, so depending on where the rally is being held, we generally have the longest drive.  Our first stop was at Turangi, a well known fishing area.  There was a tap  on the door, and a lady asked us if we would be interested in a trout fillet.  My goodness, of course we would, and she didn't want any payment for it either.  (I have since found out from another fisherwoman that it is illegal to sell trout in New Zealand – I didn’t know that).  They had obviously had a good day out fishing as we saw her take fish to several other vans as well.  Our dinner that night was already underway, so I carefully wrapped it up and popped it in the freezer to enjoy another night.

Free fish at Turangi

We passed  through Tatuanui, and just had to stop here for a photo.  One of the small silos was masquerading as a can of Dairy Whip Cream outside the Tatua Dairy factory.  Very clever indeed.

Cream, anyone?

The next two nights were spent at Te Aroha (meaning love or affection) and we were one of two caravans amongst 20 or so motorhomes.  It was great to catch up with everyone again – this group only has 3-4 rallies each year.  We were parked up on a freedom camping area, and just about filled it all up with our group. 

Parked up at Te Aroha

We were parked next to a sports ground, used by many locals to exercise their dogs.  We made sure to keep Gemma safely inside away from all the dogs.

Any dogs out there?

I was delighted to discover a quilt shop in Te Aroha.  “Want to have a look?”, Robin inquired as he parked the car outside the shop.  What a silly question, of course I did.  Aroha Quilts was a lovely shop, with a wonderful supply of quilt goodies.  I wasn’t really after anything in particular, but after a good look around, I purchased some more  pink and green fabric for my daughter’s Big Birthday quilt.  This is yet to be started, but I have a good selection of fabrics now.  Also spotted was sock yarn, so two balls of variegated blue was purchased too.

Te Aroha Quilts, and my purchases

Back at the rally, we were sitting outside enjoying the sunshine when a man from one of the nearby houses approached us with a basket of goodies.  His wife makes jams and pickles so he wondered if our group of campers  would be interested.  Yes, I certainly was, I bought a jar of lemon honey and another of passionfruit spread. 

Yummy stuff indeed

Moving on the next day we stopped at Wairere Falls carpark, plenty of room for us to park for lunch.  There were plenty of cars parked up in the middle car park, full of keen walkers and trampers off the climb the tracks to see the Wairere Falls up close.  We took the easy way out and took a photo instead of these magnificent falls, they must be  even more beautiful after heavy rainfall in the ranges.

Wairere Falls in the distance

Even though we are on holiday, the laundry still needs doing.  I took my latest pair of socks (knitted flat on two needles is the way I do them) along to work on while waiting, and waiting….

At the laundromat

Our next stop was two nights at the Matamata Club.  The Maori name Matamata means “headland”.  This was the name of a new pa (village) established in 1830 by Te Waharoa on a ridge of high ground.  These days Matamata is a very wealthy horse breeding town, and is also well known as the area where Hobbiton is situated.  In fact, the Information Centre is a replica Hobbiton House, and is the most photographed info centre in the country.  Tours to Hobbiton are very popular, this is where the Hobbit’s Village was built for the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

Matamata Information Centre

The catered meal at the Matamata Club was the grand finale to our rally.  Father Christmas and his helpers welcomed us all into the dining room and gave us all a Christmas gift bag.

The meal was wonderful, hot ham, roast lamb, plenty of salads and veggies, plus a huge dish of prawns in a very tasty sauce, I really enjoyed them! A delicious selection of desserts too, with tea and coffee to follow.  But the meal wasn’t over yet, there was the Christmas cake to cut.  The cake was delicious, chock full of fruit, just how I like it.

Merry Christmas to us

It was a wonderful evening, the food was great, and we congratulated the chef and his staff when they popped out to see us all.

Cruising about

Something ticked off the Bucket List, and what an adventure we had.  We are currently in Te Anau (which means place of swirling waters) and recently enjoyed a Coach/Cruise/Underwater Observatory combo to Milford Sound and through the Homer Tunnel.  Our adventure started in Te Anau when we boarded the big red coach – with several photo stops along the way.  The scenery here is spectacular. The very pretty Mirror Lakes were just off the roadside, and it was a nice easy 5 minute  boardwalk there and back.  People everywhere, we certainly weren’t the only bus in the car park.

Us and the big red coach, and the Mirror Lakes

I was looking forward to going through Homer Tunnel.  It is 1.2 km (0.75 miles) long, and was  opened in 1953.   William Homer and George Barber discovered the Homer Saddle in 1889, and Homer suggested that a tunnel through the saddle would provide access to the Milford area.  But work didn’t start till 1935  The tunnel and the associated Milford Road were built by relief workers during the Depression.  The men had to live in tents in a mountainous area where there might be no direct sunlight for half of the year.   Progress was slow, with difficult conditions, and work was also interrupted by World War II and a avalanche.  These problems delayed the tunnel's completion and it was finally opened in 1953.   So there we were, waiting at the red traffic  signal to start our trip through the single lane  tunnel.  And out the other side where we drove under an avalanche shelter, certainly a danger on parts of this road.

Homer Tunnel

Here we went onboard The Lady Bowen  for the afternoon cruise.  Most people had rushed upstairs to sit on the outside deck, but we secured a table downstairs under cover.

The Lady Bowen

First things first, we redeemed the ticket for our picnic lunch.  Wonder what was in them?  We were pleasantly surprised – sandwiches, two pieces of fruit, cheese and crackers, two Anzac biscuits, small bag of chippies and a chocolate bar.  There was plenty of help yourself tea and coffee available too.  We ate the sandwiches, cheese and crackers and a mandarin each, and took the rest back to the van for later.

Our picnic lunch each

Nothing says Milford Sound more than the iconic 1683m high Mitre Peak, named by Captain John  Stokes of HMS Acheron in 1851, who found it’s shape reminiscent of the headwear worn by Christian bishops.  Our Captain pointed out places of interest and wildlife  as we cruised along, as we gazed at awe at the shear granite cliffs, then taking us right out to the entrance of Tasman Sea. 

Views from the stern

There were several waterfalls tumbling down, and in the rains many more appear.  The Captain nosed into Stirling Falls, giving those on the bow quite a splashing.  Never mind, getting drenched is meant to make you look 10 years younger, we were told.

Stirling Falls

On the way back we stopped at Underwater Observatory, one of the highlights of the trip.  The Underwater Observatory was built in 1995. The construction project involved building the viewing chamber in 3 sections in Invercargill and assembling them in Bluff. This unique floating underwater observatory is the only one of it’s kind in New Zealand.   After an interesting talk about the facility and wildlife we descended the spiral staircase to 10m beneath the water – 50 steps down.  There were lots of viewing windows, and we all moved around, checking out the marine life.  And to see the black coral, which is actually white.  The fish swimming nearby are not fed, they are just going about their business, and no doubt looking in the windows at all these strange creatures looking out.

The Underwater Observatory

After climbing back up those 50 steps, it was time to climb aboard the boat, cruise back to the dock, where we all disembarked and made our way to the correct bus for the ride back to Te Anau.  Everyone was quiet, no doubt reflecting on our trip, and I’m sure several nodded off as we drove along.  And why not, it had certainly been a big day out, from 10.30am to 6.30pm with lots of lovely sights along the way.  It was a great trip indeed, we would certainly recommend it.

We booked another short cruise (two hour duration) a day or two later, to visit the Te Anau Glowworm Caves.  Way back in the mists of time (about 35 years ago) we did this same cruise after the completion of our four day Milford Track walk, we were much younger and fitter then, of course.

 

All Aboard

The trip took us for a 30 minute cruise to the western shores of Lake Te Anau.  On arrival we walked up to the Visitor’s Centre. There was a full contingent of 72 people, and we were split into groups of 12, and away we went into the cave for a guided tour.  No photos are allowed in the caves, and when in the boat, we must be silent, we were told, otherwise the glowworms take fright and their lights go out!

Photos from the brochure

Luckily there were handrails to help us walk through the cave, and in some parts we had to bend our head and shoulders to get under the low ceiling!  That was a bit tricky.  What I had forgotten was just how loud the rushing water was in the cave, it was so noisy the guide had to shout to get her messages across.  The rushing water exited the caves, and our boat ride thankfully took us across still waters deep inside the caves.  With just a torch to guide us as we clambered into the small boat and then we moved slowly along in silence and complete darkness.  And there they were, tiny dots of light on the roof of the cave, certainly a sight to behold.  The boats have no motors and our guide told us later that she moves the boat along, standing in the front and  pulling on a chain, all in complete darkness.   What a woman!

After our cave experience we walked back through the wet cave, drip, drip, drip, to return to the Visitors Centre where we helped ourselves to a hot cuppa and listened to a presentation on the life of a glowworm.

Back on the boat for our return trip to Te Anau, and we decided to take ourselves out for diner after our wonderful trip.  The meals were huge, neither of us could finish them.

Dinner for two, please

The weather here has been exceptionally hot, up to 30s some days.  Gemma found an ideal way to cool off.  After snoozing away  on the cool grass  under the caravan, safely on her lead, she came inside and we wondered where she was.  Believe it or not, she had curled up inside the hand basin in the bathroom, just her size and obviously nice and cool! 

Gemma put herself in the hand basin

My knitting is coming along slowly, a few rows here and there as I feel like it.  There is no rush for this, and it is slowly growing.