This time we thought we’d camp at Five Mile Beach rather than the NZMCA camp near the airport. On arrival we noticed one caravan perched on a rise overlooking the lake, and as we are too long to fit into a normal parking spot right beside the lake this seemed an excellent option. We had a lovely view of the lake minimally obscured by a campervan below us.

That first evening there was a wonderful cloud formation with many others to follow on subsequent days. Penny loved meeting all the other dogs on their twilight strolls.

 Lake Taupo is a popular spot for para-sailing as well as all sorts of other water sports. Parachuting is also avilable at the nearby airport.  While we were shopping in town the next day a small plane full of would-be parachutists crashed into the lake not too far from the camp; the pilot and all passengers jumped to safety and were rescued – and we missed it all.

Penny’s ball fell into the lake so Dave simply stripped and went in too … that was on a weekeday, the following weekend the whole “beach’ was thronged with swimmers right into the late evening.

We spent a lovely few days catching up with Dave’s old friends and some newer ones who with a little encouragement (after all it was quite a narrow strip of hilly land)  parked their caravan right behind us. We tried out some local hot springs but the Lake’s coolness also beckoned. Dave retrieved a huge piece of natural pumice stone floating past him.

We went to watch the Aratiatia Rapids which carry water from Lake Aratiatia towards the Waikato river. There is a power station at the end of the lake and at set times every day the spill gates are open for a short time. This creates a fantastic display of foaming water. We watched from an excellent viewing point fromt which we could just see the dam and the people standing on top of it waiting for the spill gates to open. Dave says it was quite an audible display, first the warning sirens then the water tumbling out through the gates and coming roaring down the gorge. Here’s a series of photos which I hope will  convey some of the excitement.

Spill gates just opening…

It only lasted about 15 minutes then the water began to go down again.

We’d heard about a new NZMCA camp in Rotorua so having obtained details via the web headed off for the steamy town. The camp turned out to be high on a hill in the northern suburb of Ngongataha, the site of the old stockyards we were told, with imposing brand new wooden entrance gates leading to what seemed acres of concrete in reasonable condition surrounded by newly-landscaped grassy areas.

It also sported a brand new very accessible grey and black water dump site, water and a row of rubbish bins, not exactly beautiful but to travellers like us a welcome sight. I dislike having to put all our recyclables etc in the same bin as genuine rubbish, and also having to seek out sometimes difficult-to-access dump sites when our tanks start to get a bit full. We can go for at least 6 days if we are careful with water use.

There are some curious old trees in the grounds, some have grown right round old fence posts. An old stump sports a large carving and an assortment of fungi. Blackberry canes adorn one side fence. From a little rise at the rear a glimpse of the main Lake can be seen.

Five minutes’ walk from the gates is the village of Ngongataha with a $3 laundromat, 2 small supermarkets, cafes, fish shops, etc. Nearby is a miniature train railway. So, a great spot to spend a few days especially if one has small children, although most NZMCA members are more in the grandparents category.

The windscreen of the ute had developed a large and ominous two-tailed crack so off to Smith & Smith next day for a full replacement. No problem ….

Dave caught up with an old friend from living-in-Rotorua-with-motorbikes days, who printed us some beautiful new “business” cards as the old ones had our old blog URL and were also a little hard to read. Not so the new cards. Thanks, Larry!

Having been to Rotorua more than once I was not so interested in seeing the thermal attractions, but a raptor park sounded different. The Wingspan Bird of Prey Centre was established in Rotorua in 2002 in a beautiful valley not far out of town.

Quoting from their website at http://www.wingspan.co.nz:

“At Wingspan’s core is a commitment to the conservation of the threatened ‘Karearea’ New Zealand falcon. Being part of New Zealand’s unique natural heritage, falcons are a taonga (treasured) species to tangata whenua (Māori, people of the land).

“Wingspan supports wild populations directly by releasing captive bred falcons and rehabilitating injured wild birds. Through research and advocacy, Wingspan also supports long-term sustainable conservation action by identifying the reasons for the decline in wild populations and promoting action to reverse this. “

There was an awesome ‘fly-by’ by two different falcons (“little spitfires”, a very apt description) accompanied by some very interesting talk. It was easy to see how the handlers loved their jobs and the birds; one of them (Debbie Stewart, in photo below) founded Wingspan as a grass roots project and has spent 30 years bringing conservation, people and raptors together. She received the NZ OM for her dedication.

The two falcons we saw flying free that day were either rehabilitated or bred from chicks. After their display spectators were invited to feed them morsels of meat. We were warned not to clap until the end of the first display as Ozzy the bird Ozzy knew that meant he could go back to his ‘home’ and have a proper, uninterrupted feed! He shot off like a low-flying jet.

There were other raptors too including a pair of cute little moreporks and surprisingly an Australian barn owl which huddled at the back of its hut so I could only get a ghostly photograph.

Also a small museum which included two bird skeletons with feathers. The latter are not normally shown with skeletons but really enhanced the display.

Then we were off again, heading south via Taupo where we intended to spend several days.

After a lovely restful Christmas and an uneventful ferry trip back to Halfmoon Bay we returned to T5 at Ardmore, staying there one more day in order to enjoy a long catch-up with Asti who I’ve known since sailing days in Bowen Queensland. I resolved to hunt up several other friends from those days, it is much easier now thanks to Facebook and the on-line white pages.

Then it was off to Arapuni in the Waikato, SE of Cambridge, to spend New Years’ Eve with caravanning friends Graeme and Barbara and his daughter Jackie, who must have found her front yard a little cramped with two large caravans parked there! From the house there are wonderful views of the valley with the river just out of sight.

Arapuni power station is close nearby so on NYE we all went for a walk to the swing bridge which straddles the gorge with the power station almost directly underneath. it was an unusual experience standing on the pitch dark bridge with the floodlit power station and roaring water directly underneath us, and some unnoticed gentle rain to add a finishing touch. Dave’s photos:

We explored the power station area in more detail in daytime. Near the entrance there are 4 large trees with small plaques underneath bearing the names of employees who fought in the second world war.

Later we went back to the swing bridge and took some day time photos. This is the widest swing bridge we’ve encountered on our travels, Penny had no trouble tripping over the wooden surface. She certainly does not seem to fear heights!

It seems the powerhousewas camouflaged during WW2….

The Waikato area is a fitness addict’s playground, offering many newly-developed cycle and walking trails, rowing and water-skiing, horse riding etc. The Waikato River Trails is a fairly new project. The sign below is typical of each section. Safety is given special consideration.

Here are some parts of the trail visible from the road, other parts however are well away from the road amongst bush.

Dave: Graeme and Barbara are keen cyclists so Graeme borrowed one of Jacqui’s bikes for me to ride and and took me off onto the cycle trail beside Lake Karapiro. Having not ridden for at least two years my fitness level was not high so when Graeme took off down some steep hills I was hoping that he would find alternative (i.e. flatter!!) tracks to return on. No such luck so after an interesting cycle of 6 km each way I ended up pushing the bike up the last 100 metres or so of the track.

Lake Karapiro, now a world champion rowing venue, is a man-made lake used for many other water sports too including water skiing, boating and canoeing. The Waikato river was first dammed in 1910 to create the Horahora Power Station to supply power to the Martha Gold mine at Waihi. It was for a time the largest generating plant in the country. By 1919 it was supplying power to Cambridge, Hamilton and surrounds; by 1916 with an upgrade it was supplying the Bay of Plenty and Auckland.

In 1940 work began on the Karapiro Dam and power station, which was finally completed in 1947, development being delayed by WW2. The old Horahora Power Station and Horahora village were flooded to create Lake Karapiro. When the station was flooded it was more or less in perfect working order, and one of the generators was unable to be shut down which rise to the legend that Horahora refused to die.

There is a one-way lane twisting along the top of Karapiro Dam, controlled by traffic lights. The main rowing venue is close by.

Nearby Cambridge – that’s Cambridge in NZ not UK – is a breeding ground for Olympian equestrians, rowers and cycllists. And horses – it has its own Equine Stars Walk of Fame. There must be something in the water.

• For example:
• Equestrian – Mark Todd (2 Olympic golds); Katie McVean.
• Equine – 2 champion sires Sir Tristram and Zabeel, Sir Patrick Hogan; 3 Melbourne Cup winners; Sheila Laxon the first woman to train a Melbourne cup winner in 2001 (Ethereal – who also won the Caulfield Cup). Show jumper Charisma.
• Rowing – the Evers-Swindell twins; Matt Drysdale and many others.
• Cycling – Sarah Ulmer.

When mentioned this on Facebook my Macloskey third cousin Brenda W chipped in with “There are some really awesome people that come from Cambridge LOL. Need to go back and get some more of that water.” I did not know at the time that her father was once a NZ rowing champion and Brenda herself was a cox occasionally, one of the very few girls to do so in the early days on Karapiro. (Photo reproduced with permission). 

There are so many thoroughbred studs that organised tours are available. A beautiful equine statue graces the square in front of the original town library.

We also visited another Macloskey third cousin in nearby Putaruru and admired their beautiful roses and lawn, which we saw just being developed last winter. Since becoming addicted to genealogy I have certainly discovered a great many third and fourth cousins all over the world!

The Waikato is beautiful country. Wildflowers were everywhere, and vistas of rolling green hills or water at every bend in the road.

One prominent mountain in the distance is an extinct volcano called Maungatautari, dating back 1.5 million years.

It has been fenced around its 47 kilometre perimeter to keep out mammalian pests such as rats, possums and stoats and thus been turned into an inland ‘island’ which is virtually pest free. Many rare species that have been eradicated by pests and predators over the past few humdred years have been introduced into this island and are thriving. In particular the kakapo “an enormous parrot with a voice that makes your hair s tand on end” and is critically endangered, is to be introduced very soon.

We visited the information centre but as dogs were not permitted and it was a very hot day which meant we could not leave Penny in the ute, decided to leave it for another time. We could however see parts of the fence, plus a row of cows on the skyline heading off to the milking shed.

We discovered the site of the Battle of Orakau Battle where in 1864 in an unfinished pa about 300 maoris kept at bay 1500 British and colonial troops. Little is to be seen now apart from a monument and some inquisitive cows.

Not too far away in Kihikihi is the Rewi Maniapoto monument. Quite a contrast to the battle site both visually and in content, and what’s more two months prior to the battle Kihikihi was occupied by the British forces.

We decided we needed some coffee sustenance but as it was a pubic holiday all the little towns we passed through seemed to be dead. Then we spotted a sign with the magic word Cafe and also Blueberries and followed it for a long way, almost giving up twice, before discovering “Irresistiblue” set in acres of blueberry fields. Everything on the cafe menu featured blueberries and Dave had demolished his blueberry tart before i could even take a sip of my coffee. A sign nearby asked people not to smoke even on the outside decks…. 7 metres of peat! Much of the Waikato was originally a swamp.

After several days enjoying Jackie’s hospitality and especially some really great showers, it was time to move on. Next stop Rotorua where Dave once lived and hopes to catch up with some old friends.

We’ve been having a lovely restful Christmas on Waiheke island with Dave’s brother and his family, enjoying wonderful food and wine every day, often on the deck with its beautiful view.

What’s keeping Dave from the view? His present from Penny:

For those who don’t know about it the island is only about 35 minutes from Auckland on the pedestrian ferry or 45 minutes to 1 hr from Halfmoon Bay on the vehicular ferry.  (Driving from Auckland city to Halfmoon Bay takes longer!) At this time of year the pohutukawa trees are blooming everywhere. Although not quite the orange-red of the Queensland flame tree, the colour is spectacular especially when in full sun.The sea sparkles and all the little bays and beaches flaunt suntanned people having fun.

The island is very hilly, with narrow twisty streets in the more inhabited areas and even more narrow and exceedingly steep driveways disappearing up or down into the bush yielding only occasional glimpses of houses. Then suddenly one might find an open space and a vision of a distant headland, often with a palatial multi-million dollar home perched on top. Many of the gentler slopes are covered with vineyards.

Jacqui joined us for Christmas day, that’s her walking from the ferry with Dave. 

Boxing Day we took the ferry across Auckland harbour to Devonport (the name always makes me think of Tasmania) for the Auckland Gibb family Christmas dinner, held at one of the 4 sons’ homes in rotation. All sons, their wives and children were there, plus Uncle Dave and Aunt Nancy and of course Penny. SHE had a wonderful day playing ball with all the younger boys.

Another day Dave and I investigated the little Waiheke island museum. One exhibit attracted my attention, as shown in the photos. I’m awed by the thought of that first Constable, his area was really huge and his transport was not exactly fast. What did he do in stormy weather?

A short drive away we found a vantage point from which to watch the vehicular ferry approaching. Below is a photo of the neighbouring bay. At low tide it is just a sea of muddy sand with all the boats sitting on their keels. 

Dave’s other sister Bev and husband Bruce have joined us for our last full day here; we leave late this afternoon. I or rather my computer will miss the full-time internet connection and power supply. But we will miss so many other things too. It has been a lovely break from the caravanning lifestyle.

All best wishes for a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We are currently on beautiful Waiheke Island enjoying the hospitality of Dave’s brother and his family. For someone of No Fixed Abode for the last 14 months, this is heaven – no cooking, unlimited showers, no worries about emptying the grey and black water tanks!

Looking back over 2014 most of which was spent in the north island of NZ, the highlights have been numerous but the most important was our trip to Australia for the wedding of Nicole to Mick Dunbar on their Queensland country property.

We braved the heat and the flies and as Mother Of The Bride I was entitled to wear a huge extravagant hat. It was a gorgeous unusual horseback wedding. made even better by Nic’s two cousins coming all the way from America “just for the day.”

We did have one or rather two other breaks from the caravan. Over winter we homesat a lifestyle property at Otakiri near Whatakane with a huge friendly labrador, cat and about 20 bantams for 6 weeks;

…then shifted to a beautiful home in Tauranga and a feisty Jack Russell dog for another 7 weeks. Winter passed in no time at all and we were back on the road heading north. I have been awed by the sheer beauty and diversity of this country and am still eager to see more. We also hope to start a similar tour of Australia within a year.

I have been dissatisfied with my previous blog website for some time, so I’m taking the opportunity while staying with family over Christmas to create a whole new Blog on a different platform at wordpress.com. It’s long been my desire to have my own website where I can post other stories too, so I’ve created <nancyvada.me>. It will take time to get the stories up, and dependent on internet access, so for now do not expect to find anything except the blog. Subscribing by email is much easier now.