Cruising into a Crisis; Part 1

Real-time

It's very hard to comprehend how much the world, our world, has changed since this photo was taken just one month ago. As we usually do on our way to and from Napier, we called into one of favourite campsites for a couple of nights before continuing on to say cheerio to Mum & Dad in Napier.

Night Sky- Glenfalls

Glenfalls DOC camp is beside the Mohaka River and not too far off the Napier-Taupo Road. We'd wanted to stop for one last camp at Glenfalls before we returned to the South Island. It could be 18 months or so before we'll be back in the North Island. We'd also been having some exceptionally hot days (35c+) and the thought of cooling off in the river was very enticing.

We'd spent the previous few weeks in Tauranga after making a dash up the country in mid January from Lake Benmore in the Mackenzie District where we'd be having a lovely time waiting for the summer heat to kick in. We needed to sort our gear out which we'd had in storage for the last 8 years, we'd gone unconditional on a property we bought in Twizel, with settlement in mid-April.

We were going to whittle down our gear and only take essential items & furniture to Twizel. As it turned out we decided to ship it all to Twizel and sort it there; finding somewhere to sort it in Tauranga, the triple handling, disposing of furniture we didn't want and even the extremely hot days, all worked against us. Crown Furniture Removals came and filled two containers; yes, we did have a lot of gear! The containers were then shipped off to Christchurch where they will be held until we take over the property.

Sunrise- Matata Lagoon

Happy to have that all sorted we spent the rest of the time catching up with family & friends, staying at the Mount Holiday Park and the Matata DOC Camp to escape the sweltering heat and visiting friends in Kawerau before heading off to Napier.

Grandchildren, Maddie & Joel enjoying a Sunday paddle at Sulphur Point, Tauranga

Towards the end of our first week in Napier, I started to feel a little anxious about getting back to the South Island. New Zealand's first case of Covid-19 virus was about two weeks old and new cases were still in single figures. All of them had been traced back to overseas travel and there were no cases of community transmission. Yet.

I just had a niggling feeling of wanting to be across the Strait and in the South Island should anything happen. What? I had no idea. Like most people, never in my wildest dreams (David's favourite saying) did I think a lockdown would happen. Heck, I don't even think we knew what a lockdown was or what it would entail a week ago.

Ferry Landing Reserve, Ballance Bridge & the Manawatu River- Woodville

When WHO (World Health Organisation) declared an official pandemic on Wednesday, March 11th, I felt it was time for us to make a plan. I booked our crossing with Bluebridge for Thursday, March 19th and this time, for the very first time, I also booked a cabin. I have no idea why, it wasn't because of the virus, that didn't seem such a threat then. I just felt it would give us a place to rest after an early start. And as it turned out, it was very fortuitous. 

From March 14th, many large gatherings and events were cancelled and all people entering New Zealand had to self-isolate for 14 days. But there are still only 8 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country. 

Titahi Bay Boatsheds, Wellington- South Side

We still weren't in any rush though, we said our goodbyes to Mum & Dad and headed out of Napier on Monday 16th. We stopped overnight in the freedom camping area at Ferry Landing Reserve near Woodville and then travelled onto the Plimmerton NZMCA Park for the next two nights. We'd leave for the ferry from there. I even had time to photograph the Titahi Bay Boat Sheds, something I'd been wanting to do everytime we passed through Wellington but had never had the chance.

Titahi Bay Boatsheds, Wellington- North Side

Thursday, March 19th. There were now twenty eight Covid-19 cases confirmed and over 7000 people self-isolating (or meant to be, with reports coming in of people arriving in the country and still sightseeing). That cabin earnt it's weight in gold as we self-isolated away from other passengers.

Canada Geese & Onepoto Road Boat Sheds, Porirua Harbour

I was still a little anxious about the crossing and whether I'd chosen a good day to sail. I don't usually book until 2-3 days out just in case there's a major weather event or a southerly blowing. Luckily we had a very smooth crossing and I felt a great sense of relief when we pulled into Picton, not only because of the good weather but we'd also made it back to the otherside. 

Rumours were swirling around on various motorhoming social media pages that the Cook Strait might close, many people had started to worry that the ferries would stop running and they'd not get home. Others also said that the Government would never close Cook Strait. Hmmm....I wasn't so sure.

Lake Grassmere Salt Ponds

Obviously others thought the same as me, there were many motorhomers lined up at the Picton ferry terminals and parked up in town waiting to cross back to the North Island.

February & March are the height of the holiday season for many retired motorhomers; the Christmas and New Year rush is over, children are back at school and families have returned to their home bases, the weather is usually much more settled and the South Island is a premium destination to visit at this time of the year.

Harvesting salt at Lake Grassmere Salt Works

Adding to the usual influx of motorhomers to the South Island, the NZMCA National Rally & AGM was held in Oamaru in early March, with the occupants of a several hundred extra motorhomes attending the rally and then continuing on to Warbirds Over Wanaka, the Bluff Oyster Festival and Arrowtown Autumn Festival just to mention a few.  All of these events had been cancelled in the previous few days due to restrictions around the gatherings of large crowds.

Marfells Beach DOC Camp, Marlborough

We called into the Blenheim Racecourse as we had a couple of errands to do in town and thought we'd stay the night there but when we saw how full the park was we decided to carry on south and stay at the DOC camp at Marfells Beach. We'd do the errands when we reached Christchurch.

We had a late lunch parked on the side of the racecourse drive, all the while motorhomes just kept on arriving. And we sensed a quiet urgency in the orderly stream of 40-50 RVs heading north on State Highway 1 during our 32km trip south to the Marfells Beach turnoff. We waved as they streamed past, waving extra hard as we spotted friends & on-the-road acquaintances heading in the opposite direction.

I started to relax a little once we were parked up on our usual site at the end of the Marfell's camp. We then heard that the government had closed our borders to all but New Zealand citizens and permanent residents, things were starting to ramp up. But still we had no idea what was to come.

Wild spinach would have provided campers with plenty of greens
 if the camp had been open during lock-down.

We thought we'll be fine now that we're in the South Island, we even decided to spend a couple of days at Marfells; it was lovely, warm and sunny and there was no hurry to get to Twizel. Settlement was still three weeks away.

But nature decided otherwise and we woke to a howling gale and the rig being sandblasted so we made the decision to pull out and head to Kaikoura.

To be continued....Part 2

Bluebridge- Crossing Cook Strait

Real-time

I've had quite a number of queries in the last few days with regards to our Cook Strait crossing so I thought I'd do a blog on our recent trip with Bluebridge Ferries. We crossed from Wellington to Picton on the 8am sailing last Thursday, 19 March.

We're making our way south again for winter, this time we'll be basing ourselves in Twizel in the Mackenzie District. We stayed at a very busy Plimmerton NZMCA Park for two nights while waiting for our sailing. Plimmerton is a good base to leave from, it's a 26km, 30 minute drive along the motorway (non-rush hour) to the ferry terminal.

NZMCA Members parked in the centre overnight

The NZMCA park is large and there's plenty of space for all the comings and goings as people travel up and down the country. If the parking spaces are taken up around the perimeter, you can park in the centre as long as you keep the gate and dump station clear.

Sunrise over the capitol

Our check-in was at 7am and in usual Evan's style we departed well in advance at 5:45am giving us some 'just in case' time. The 'just in case' went against us this time. As we were cruising along the near empty motorway we received a text from Bluebridge advising us that there was a 2 hour delay in departure which we later found out was due to weather conditions affecting previous sailings.

Of course this isn't a problem for those of us that have our homes on our back. We can make a hot drink, read the daily news, have breakfast (or lunch or dinner) while we wait in line.  We weren't the first in line but once we'd checked in, and being a bigger rig than most, we were directed to park at the start of Lane 1. All the other early birds and new arrivals were directed to the other side of the terminal to wait in line (see photo above).

It didn't seem too long before our ferry arrived into Wellington and the unloading began. We turned our gas bottle off (as everyone should when crossing the Strait), re-checked everything was ship-shape inside the van and then waited patiently inside the Ranger for the nod to move forward.

After the walk-on passengers had been escorted on board and several cars, smaller campervans & caravans had been loaded ahead of us, it was time for us to drive on following the excellent directions given to us by several high-viz Bluebridge crew along the way. Once in the hold everyone was turned around in the large turning bay at front of the ship and lined up facing the rear, for an easy drive off at the other end. Large stock and freight trucks had already been parked on the top deck. 

We had booked our crossing 10 days prior to sailing and had decided to book a private cabin this time which turned out to be fortuitous considering this fast changing world we're currently living in. And we were so pleased we did, at $40 a double with an ensuite toilet & shower, fresh towels and linen and free wi-fi, the cabin provided a nice little bolthole to retire to for the three and half hour journey. There are also single and family cabins available.

And as luck would have it we were in the most forward cabin, right in the centre of the ship. For me this was an excellent bonus because as a fair weather sailor, I like to see where we're going not we're we've been or even not see at all! It's just a pity there weren't little window wipers that you could turn on to wash away the salt from the previous sailings. 

Right on time (the new sailing time that is) we pulled away from Wellington and headed across the harbour. 

I left David relaxing in the cabin and checked out the facilities downstairs. Due to the recent travel restrictions there weren't too many people onboard although I suspect going by the number of motorhomes & caravans we saw later around the top of the South Island there would be a few more onboard crossing the other way, from Picton to Wellington.

Bluebridge have two ferries, the Strait Feronia which we were travelling on and the Straitsman which we pass just before we leave Wellington Harbour.

Once we are in Cook Strait I retired to our cabin, we'd had an early start and I thought I'd make the most of it and have a rest until we reach the other side. It was a relatively smooth crossing although the wind was quite strong. 

If you are at all worried about rough weather check the long range forecasts and select a day when there's either no wind (rare given that Wellington is known as the windy city) or there's a Northerly blowing, this flattens out the waves. If you are a fair weather sailor like me, then it's the Southerlies you need to watch out for. An early morning sailing can also be relatively smooth as you'll be well inside the Sounds or harbour before the afternoon sea breeze kicks in.

I moved to the front viewing area to watch as we approached the entrance to Tory Channel; East Head on Arapawa Island is on the right & West Head on the left (click to enlarge the photo & look for the small white lighthouse) is part of mainland Marlborough Sounds.

A few passengers; each group keeping a respectable distance from others- it certainly feels like there's an elephant in the room here- arrive to watch as we enter the Channel too. Arapawa Homestead is directly in front of us and I hear someone say there must be a road out here. No there are no roads, those are farm tracks, it's an island and the only way there is by boat.

I follow the signs and stairways up to the top viewing deck where there are fabulous views in front and down both sides of the Channel. 

There's even fewer people up on the top deck, it's breezy but warm in the sun.

The top deck overlooks the stern of the boat and the upper vehicle deck where there are very few trucks parked on this sailing. We leave the Channel entrance in our wake...

 ...as we cruise past several salmon and mussel farms...

...and numerous secluded houses and holiday homes tucked into calm little bays & coves along the way.

...and then we turn into Queen Charlotte Sound and head south up the Sound...

...passing Waikawa first- a small settlement with a large marina- just over the hill from Picton. Passengers near me ask if that is Picton. 'No' I tell them, that's around that lower green headland centre left.

We sail around the point and directly ahead of us is Picton (as predicted). Crewmen move out onto the bow to ready the boat for docking.

Picton is a small picturesque seaside town tucked in below the surrounding hillsides and nestled on the edge of Queen Charlotte Sound. It's also the arrival point for many visitors to the beautiful South Island.

We head directly for Port Marlborough and the ferry terminal.

The Strait Feronia spins around and...

...we back in nicely along the wharf. The captain has obviously done this before. The call has been made to move to the vehicle decks and I have to quickly head down five flights of stairs...

...catching up with David on the last stairway before we make our way back to the rig.

And then without further ado, we're driving off, back onto familiar soil and our new home island. 

It's hard not to recommend Bluebridge, they run a slick operation with friendly and helpful staff and good systems in place which makes for a stress-free crossing. Thank you Bluebridge for another smooth sailing.

I know a few of my readers have asked about Bluebridge's pet policy. Pets are welcome on Bluebridge ferries, they can either be booked into one of the kennels or, as most travellers prefer, left in their vehicle. But please let Bluebridge know when you check in so that you can be given a 'Pets Onboard' mirror dangler. Please also read this information and the crew will park your vehicle in a well ventilated spot that is sheltered from the sun.

Bluebridge Key Facts-

• Pets are welcome on Bluebridge 
•  44 sailings a week
• Around 300,000 passengers cross the Cook Strait with Bluebridge every year.
• Ships have the capacity for around 400 passengers each (check this link for regular Covid-19 updates)
• Sail four times a day Wellington to Picton including a 2.30am overnight sailing- and three times a day from Picton to Wellington
• Free wi-fi, movies and kids packs on board

Hop, Skip & a Jump to Tauranga

Real-time

We arrived at the Bluebridge Ferry terminal well before the 7am check-in time; I'm not sure why we're always ahead of schedule, because we always get our very own personal lane. 

But this time we weren't first on as is usually the case (which means first off), we were last on which means...

An hour or so later we leave Tory Channel and the South Island behind us, and I breath a sigh of relief that it's relatively calm out in the Strait...

...so I can't blame the swell on my slip down the stairs! It's very cold and very slippery and thankfully I didn't drop my phone, but it helpfully took a photo for me.

It was a culture shock to see so many tall buildings in such a small space again, as we pulled into Wellington.

You do get used to the wide, open spaces down south even if some of the more popular spots are taken up with too many people. 

We pull alongside the Wellington Harbour tugs, and because we'll be last out of the hold, we take our time getting down to the bottom deck. Timing it just right, we're opening the ute doors as the cars in front are pulling out. Hmm...we cut that a little too fine.

We hit the road and have a clear run out of Wellington, onto the motorway and north along SH1, stopping for a quick lunch at Queen Elizabeth Park in Paekakariki. Before continuing on to our regular stopover when we're on a mission heading north, the NZMCA Park in Marton. The rain arrived about the same time as we did. 

Here's us (and quite a few others) at Marton on a previous visit. Generators are banned at Marton, due to the close neighbours, this could be a problem in winter if you haven't enough battery power and are staying for a few days. 

The next morning we're off again, the weather cleared a little and then closed back in as we crossed the Desert Road. There are three beautiful mountains under that cloud cover, where it looks like it could be snowing just in time for the school holidays.

Our next 'go-to' park on our journey north is the NZMCA Park beside the Taupo Airport. This one holds fond memories; it was our very first stop on our maiden voyage over 3 and a half years ago. We were such greenhorns then, and so wondrous of this life on the road. Many miles, photos and written words have passed under the bridge since then.

 

We arrived mid afternoon and at first parked on the concrete 'drive' strips where these two motorhomes are parked. The strips lead to a concrete pad which was the foundation for a small building at some stage. It's a popular spot to park when it's wet or you want a nice level site. 

We were fine there for a couple of hours and then the forecast wind got up...and up...and up. Hitting us square on to our side and rocking us about something shocking. We debated back and forth for about 30 minutes trying to decide if we should shift before darkness fell, we had stayed hitched so it was going to be relatively easy to move. In the end we moved behind some bushes and put our nose into the wind. A couple of hours later the wind dropped but we stayed put. The two motorhomes above, came in later and took the strips, they must have wondered why they were still free.

We weren't the only ones to shift, the guy in the front here did the same, sticking his nose into the wind as well. The back van arrived later, and the people in another van near us, who didn't shift, were worried that the pine tree beside them was about to come crashing down. As it was a large branch broke off and dozens of pine cones were bouncing off their roof for a few hours. In the morning, the road out of the airport was smothered in cones, needles and small branches. It sure was a good blow.

Most NZMCA Parks have a small garden of some sort; many with just a few herbs, the odd clump of silverbeet, perhaps a lemon tree or two, but Taupo must have one of the best I've seen.

Lots of young seedlings that are going to provide members with some lovely greens in the spring. A big thankyou to the wonderful people who look after the Taupo park.

Back on the road again, and we're heading to another NZMCA Park and one we haven't stayed at before. We usually leave Taupo and head straight through to Tauranga, keen to see the family. But this time the family have deserted us and gone to Taupo with friends for the first week of the school holidays. Which is fine by us as we have a number of appointments and things to do while we're back in our old home town. We'll catch up with them next week. 

So we decided we'd not rush through to Tauranga, we'd stop at the Rotorua NZMCA Park in Ngongotaha. And what a lovely park it is, once old stock yards, the site has been cleared and landscaped and is surrounded by wide open grass reserve, trees and shrubs. It sits up above the alternate route through to Tauranga via Pyes Pa and has views of Lake Rotorua in the distance. 

It's obviously a very popular park even in the winter, there were 15-20 vans in both nights we stayed.

We were going to stay just the one night but enjoyed the setting and the company so much we stayed an extra night. It was wonderful to see two lots of friends we've met on the road down south, pull into the site after we'd set up. Tracy & Mike had come to check out the Ultima at Momorangi when they were deciding what they were going to purchase for their life on the road. And we'd met Pat & Jim at Warbirds Over Wanaka two years ago. It was great to catch up with everyone again and have a few laughs. 

We also met Warwick and Gaynor (and their grandson Logan) who we pulled in beside. They had a battery charger failure and were just about to head back to Auckland and home. David helped out finding where the fault was and then plugged them into our generator for the next couple of days. They were then able to stay and make good all the promises they'd made to Logan about their visit to Rotovegas.

It was also a big surprise to see another Ultima arrive, not only the same colour Ultima, but the same colour ute! Same, same but different; the ute is a double-cab (ours is a super-cab) and Grant & Helens' Ultima has a different lay-out inside with their outside door towards the rear. We had a good chat with them comparing notes and exchanging ideas. 

We left Rotorua yesterday afternoon and at first thought about staying at a Rona's CAP (costs apply parking) at Pyes Pa. We pulled into check it out but it was rather full and although we could have squeezed ourselves in, we decided to carry on. We also checked out the NZMCA Park at Tauriko where there was only one van but decided that, like Pyes Pa, it was still a way out of town and we'd have to travel back and forward a few times over the next few days. We do usually stay at the Mount campground but have decided since the family aren't around, we'd wing it until the weekend when we'll shift to the Mount.

And that is how we found ourselves parked up in our old front yard!

We're in a freedom camping area at Sulphur Point, it's a large grass reserve by the boat ramps and just across the carpark from where we spent many years working our butts off. Our office (for our boat building business) was once in the building with the scaffolding; the large window on the bottom at the far end. We also spent a few hours drinking coffee and having business lunches in the cafe that used to be on the ground floor under that scaffolding. 

And this was the view we had every week day of every month for quite a number of years...so many memories....hmmm......I'm not so sure we shouldn't have gone straight to the Mount.

And no, I'm not getting melancholy, but I think it's safe to say we won't be checking out the freedom camping area at Kulim Park, or for that matter Ferguson Park either, both parks we've lived beside for many years. It's just feels weird camping on your old front door step.