Maiden Voyage

Well finally the day has come, we are off on our first adventure. Just for a week and part of it will parked up beside Mum & Dads' house in Napier.

Our first night was spent at the NZMCA (NZ Motorhome & Caravan Association) Park in Taupo, just over half way to Napier. NZMCA Parks are properties set aside to provide inexpensive sites(usually $2 per person per night) for members to stay over on. Some parks provide basic facilities e.g. a dump station, fresh water, rubbish and recycling bins, while others simply provide a safe place to park overnight.



Winding down after a successful first journey

Sunrise on our first morning

We had an uneventful night & awoke to birdsong & the sound of a helicopter taking off. Very close. The park is right beside Taupo Airport, thankfully not that big. After a leisurely breakfast we de-camped and headed off to Napier, a short 90 minutes drive away. We are starting to like these short journeys.

Travelling across the Rangitaiki Plains was a dream, the ute hardly felt like it had the Fifth-Wheeler on behind & David had to keep the speed in check; it's 90kph for towing vehicles. It was the same once we moved into the hills, both vehicles handling really well. In due course the hills became ranges and we slowed up considerably although we still managed 65kph up the long hauls. Thank God for passing lanes as cars continued to whizz pass us. We encountered a couple of loaded logging trucks and were able to pull out and pass them which helped us keep momentum. All in all we were very impressed with the Ford's performance & very happy with our choice.

We stopped at the top of the the highest  point on the Taupo-Napier road, on the Turangakumu Range(910 metres) for a quick drink & stretch of legs. Still in the middle of a long hot & glorious summer, Hawkes Bay, like a lot of the North Island, is in the grips of a serious drought. This is the view out over the Mohaka Valley and onto the Titiokura Range.

The Big Dry