 |
| Gisborne - Bill riding the railway line (naughty Boy) |
We crossed mid November to the North Island – after a two and a half hour Ferry delay to the start of our
trip, we finally made it into Wellington. Although we were staying with Shannon and AC, we thought the Bus was safer at the Marina with our bikes etc. The Freedom Camping Section of the Marina would normally have been pretty busy at that time of the night but with Auckland in lock down and lack of overseas tourists, it was pretty quiet. We loaded an over night bag up and headed up to S&A's.
 |
| My Hero 💕(not that he was a happy hero!) |
 |
| Sarah & John with their new friends 🥚 |
Friday was a work day for most, so Bill and I decided to ride around the Mirimar Peninsular – but within the first km I got a puncture! We had a spare luckily (or so we thought) but it had a leak around the valve and went flat pretty quick. I walked my bike back to the Bus while Bill headed off to
visit the local bike shop for another tube. Once repaired we decided we should still get a spare, so both of us headed off to the bike shop which thankfully was reasonably close. The Guy thought (much to our resident bike mechanics disbelief) the problem was not enough air in my tyres, even though they felt hard. He blew them up so hard Bill stood well clear. I thought it would blow out on the
trip. I have had a run of punctures so I'm hoping this will fix the issue as the tubes may have been slipping on the rim. Fingers crossed.🤞
 |
| Beautiful countryside with a snowy Mt Ruapehu in the background |
It was a beautiful day in Wellington again luckily for us, and we had a lovely lunch
at Scorch O’Rama around the far side of the Peninsula. It was a very pleasant ride without any further drama,
 |
| The Old Coach Trail |
We caught an Italian film the next day with a friend of Shannon’s from
her Uni days – lovely catching up with Jemma. The film was pretty good too after the disappointment of our last Italian Film in the Nelson Film Festival. We had a nice relaxed Sunday morning with S&A before heading on northward to Ohau.
 |
| Beautiful rural country in The National Park |
Friends John & Sarah have moved from Wellington city to their new property where they are living a life like
“The Good Life” – a life of simplicity and self-sufficiency but unfortunately
for now, John is still commuting into the City three days a week. But I'm sure they will sort that little issue out and continue to enjoy the change. Certainly plenty of garden to keep them out of trouble,
We also caught up
with my cousin Sandra at her home in Otaki for lunch before going onto Waitarere
Beach for a night to sort a few jobs on the Bus. With the Bus being left
out at my old yard, it was in much need of a bit of a clean-up.
 |
Bill in his happy place - bbqing in a paddock
Whakaipo Bay - Taupo
|
We called
into the Sheepskin shop just north of Foxton to buy a couple of sheepskins to cover our seats as the fabric has started to disintegrate but unfortunately they weren’t quite wide
enough to fit, so we left them with the Owner to enlarge and we would pick them up on the way back.
 |
Beautiful display of Rododendrons on the
Ueretara Estuary - Katikati |
 |
The Estuary would look better with a bit of water
- it's all about the timing! |
 |
| Barry & I keeping safe at Katikati |
Onto Bulls for lunch where we met up with Don (from Fielding - everywhere is close around that area) on the way
through to Raetihi, Not a lot of snow around at this time of year but still quite picturesque with everywhere so green and lush,
We planned our bike ride the next morning on the Old
Coach Road from Ohakune Railway Station through to Horopito and return – 32km, It took 6 hrs! It's a great ride except for the cobble stones, of which there were many. Certainly slows the ride down both directions. Parking up at the Station Café in National Park where we had before was quite different this time as they have created a large carpark
for all the traffic they had expected pre Covid with the visitors wanting to
walk the Tongariro Crossing. As you can imagine, it was looking pretty vacant while we were there.
 |
| One of the many rail bridges on the Old Coach Trail |
They are running a KiwiCamp in the car park too. These KiwiCamps are starting to pop up around the country and are a facility block that provides all the basic needs for travellers on a user pays system. It's all pretty cheap and offers showers / laundry/ power etc. The toilets are open to the public. These particular facilities were pretty new and of a high standard, Hope the model works and more of them appear around the country. Great for people travelling around in their cars.
Onto
Whakaipo Bay the next day at the top of Lake Taupo for a couple of nights staying at the lovely Doc
camp we have stayed in a few times on our way through. Always a lovely spot to just
relax.
 |
| The inside of Finer Wines |
Caught up
with friends Jenny & Murray in their recently renovated home in Taupo ( they sold
their lovely Queenstown home which had the WOW factor with the scenery etc– but the Taupo property was still up there). They are quite happy to be out of Auckland in these Covid times although hard emotionally with Murray's mother's passing. Funerals are very hard on Family gatherings with the Auckland lockdown.
Moving onto
Whakamaru Reserve on the Waikato River with the River Trail running along
the side of it – we walked some of it the next day. The weather had certainly warmed up but not enough to appeal to hop into the river.
 |
Bill enjoying a story with Claire -
and his Cider tasting paddle |
The NZMCA
Rotorua site was our next spot to park up – the grounds had been sealed since we last
called in there. The property is an old cattle sales yard, which the NZMCA have made good use of and Rotorua is a handy central base usually quite full but with Aucklander's unable to travel it was fairly quiet. We did get to see the first Motorhome of the NZMCA organisation - The REO - which was built in 1928 and used in NZ as a transport Bus for different companies till Andy Anderson (the founding member of the club) bought it in 1956 and converted it into a motorhome for his family holidays. It has been beautifully restored. It even had a little back room (accessed outside) for the toilet - well ahead of his time.
 |
Graeme keeping safe while playing with Bill
at the Te Puna Cidery |
Waihi Beach was our destination for my middle brother's 70th birthday bash. We called into nephew Paull & Marta in Tauranga on our way past for a lovely lunch and saw Oscar & Bailey after school. I love to see my great nephews and nieces but they are all getting taller than me these days - just a reminder time is moving along (not that I am short!)
 |
Wendy's Dog Starla loves singing
Happy Birthday 🎂 |
My brother Graeme's actual birthday was on the 1st December but he had organised a party for the weekend to have a catch up with Family and Friends. But then along came more Covid, Auckland into lock down (family couldn't come down), family in Aussie unable to make it over, so a downsized get together was organised - I had to represent all the family of course with no other siblings or his children able to make it.
On the day of G's birthday - a bike ride with a few friends was organised and we rode around the Uretara Estuary at Katikati. A lovely trail, probably even better when the tide is in. Ending with a delicious lunch at the Talisman Hotel in Katikati. Afterwards Bill & I wandered around Katikati as we had been through here many times but never had the time to stop and check out the shops. We were in one particular Op shop when G rang and told us we must go into the local Wine shop (Finer Wines). It would be a real experience. As we were only next door, we called in. Well! What a shop! You had to negotiate all the boxes and bottles of different wines and spirits from locally produced to all over the world, We had no intention of buying anything until the owner Jim mentioned a pink gin from Belgium. Perfect Christmas present for Shannon, So we had to try it, And then bought a bottle, of course. But it was an experience going in there, equally as entertaining as visiting the Haddad Brothers in Otorohanga.
 |
Ready for Christmas at Sam & Pauline's
in Hahei with lots of grandchildren 💕 |
While staying at Waihi Beach we caught up with fellow motorhomer and good friend Wendy who has bought a new motorhome since we last caught up. She also had a few wee jobs for Bill to do at her home which kept Bill busy while G & I rode our bikes looking around Waihi Beach while poor Claire was away working - lots of redevelopment of old baches, or often being pulled down to build new.
New Zealand's new Traffic Light system began while we were at Waihi Beach and the day we rode Omokoroa to Te Puna Cidery for lunch, we were required to show our Covid Vaccination passports for the first time. Conveniently we did all have one and it went very smoothly checking in for lunch. Thankfully, as it was a good ride and as we were in dire need of sustenance before we had to ride back.🍻
Saturday we celebrated G's 70th with a much downsized party but a lovely mix of people. We went to bed before it got messy - but I'm not going to say much here except thankfully one of Claire's daughters is a Doctor and was staying overnight so could advise her mother. Thankfully he survived the night, and was up making breakfast and coffees for anyone who wanted one and...... take note: always keep some superglue for an emergency.
 |
| Cathedral Cove (before I got wet feet 😏) |
After all the excitement we headed up to Hahei for a couple of nights catching up with friends Sam & Pauline. As we were into December, Pauline had all the Christmas decorations out which I just love. We got out for a couple walks and Bill &Sam had a bike ride with the locals while Pauline & I walked out to Cathedral Cove. Another tourist spot in NZ that has been hit by Covid. We only passed one other, a local, on the track. It was very quiet. A lovely catch up as always,
 |
| Bill sorting a little problem with the Stereo 😂 |
From Hahei we headed down to Opotiki along the East Coast to the new NZMCA site. We drove through Whakatane, where we hadn't been for years. The scenery is beautiful along this coast especially at this time of year with the Pohutukawa in bloom. After lunch we drove onto Opotiki where we were to meet up with G&C and friends to ride the Motu Dune Trail in the morning. Another stunning day showed this coast and trail off at it's best. The Dune Trail is exactly that - plenty of sand dunes along a beautiful coast.
We drove back to Ohopi after a delicious picnic hamper G had made for lunch. Thankfully we had the fridge with the cold beer. Ohopi had more options for an evening meal and accommodation for those that didn't have a motorhome. Wendy and ourselves parked up at one end of Ohopi and the others stayed at the other end. We met for a lovely dinner in the middle. In the morning we did another bike ride, this time around Ohope - lots of stunning holiday homes here. And quite a lot of people are retired here too.
 |
| Beautiful Whakatane |
After saying good bye to our fellow cyclists and family G&C, we headed off to Gisborne through the Waioeka Gorge. Bill and I last travelled through here when we were in our early 20's so it had been a wee while. Lots of history and old bridges, so there was plenty of signage to stop and read on the way. Goodness they were a hardy bunch that lived back in those times when they put the road through.
 |
| Lovely evening at Ohopi |
It was another beautiful day for a bike ride around Gisborne township and out to Wainui Beach - a 5 km ride on a newish cycle way. It was a nice easy ride there and back and then a lovely coffee (me) beer (Bill) back around the waterfront before heading back to the Bus.
 |
| Where's Wally? (Or William) |
We had made earlier arrangements to call in to Napier and stay with my cousin Kevin & Deb, but a few days prior to our arrival we learned from Kevin that he was having health issues and would be in hospital when we came through. What a way to get out of having to entertain us Kevin! Poor Deb - at least we were able to help Deb put up the Christmas Tree now that you suddenly found you were going to be home for Christmas. Hopefully Bill and Deb did a good job bottling your home brew under your guidance over the phone. Hope all goes well Kevin.
 |
| The start of the Dune's Trail |
 |
The Pohutukawa's were stunning up the
East Coast |
Onto Norsewood from Napier but it was a very wet day, so not a lot of sight seeing along the way. We didn't really get out of the Bus till the next morning when Bill went to pay the donation. There was a Couple who had opened the Pottery workshop. After a wee while Bill returned with two warm waffles with jam and cream on them. They were delicious. Bill had quite a chat with them and how they had moved to NZ from Norway on a whim. After travelling through NZ and finding Norsewood, they put in a ridiculous offer on a property and got it. They then emigrated. We visited the Norsewear Factory in the morning and the local Smithie who had recently opened a gallery. Bill could have talked to him all day but we did have to move on. We had a ferry to catch in a few days.
 |
Bill giving Deb a hand
to put up the
Christmas Tree 🎄 |
We called in to pick up our sheepskins once again - but they still didn't quite fit so we would have to come back in the morning, Thankfully John & Sarah weren't too far up the road, After another lovely evening with J&S, we returned and picked up the sheepskins, still not perfect but would make do. Then onto Shannon & AC's for another couple of lovely evenings before crossing back to the mainland.
 |
After a big day at work, Shannon relaxed
with us for a drink at the end of the day 🍹🍹 |
Our first night back with S&A I mucked up doing dinner - we were all waiting on the other to get up and cook dinner. I thought Shannon was very relaxed and she thought the same of me till she finally asked when I was going to do dinner. Thank goodness for Indian takeaways. I tried to make up for my oversight by making lasagne and muffins the next day.
We had a very smooth crossing back over and good run through to Nelson.
Once again we are back into Renos and also preparing for Christmas.🎅
