Houston, We Have a Problem

While at Cascade Creek and just a few days before we were due to leave we had a relatively major issue with our “slide out” on the fifth-wheeler, which, had it happened close to a town, wouldn’t have been such a problem. Living full time on the road, the odds are stacked against us that at some stage during our travels we’re going to need specialist help for repairs to the van or the ute. We’ve already had a cracked windscreen on the ute which we managed to have replaced fairly quickly but then we weren’t too far from a large city.

This problem happened 90km from outside help & 75km from cell phone reception. We were unable to tow the fifth-wheeler back to Te Anau due to the problem so for a couple of days we had to do several 150km round trips so David could talk to the various people on the phone. We also did a return trip to Te Anau to check out the businesses that we had arranged to repair the problem.

David & I wanted to take this opportunity of thanking the people that helped us, their expertise & promptness helped us through a stressful few days and I would highly recommend all of them, should anybody need their services. Capable small town New Zealand & that famous “southern hospitality” are very much alive & kicking.

Selwyn- Manapouri Motorhome & Caravan Park- making friends & having contacts like Selwyn on your travels helps save valuable time in knowing who are the best local people to deal with. Selwyn was able to recommend Jeremy, at Te Anau Auto Electrical, as the person we initially needed to talk to.

Jeremy- Te Anau Auto Electrical- Jeremy went above & beyond the call of duty. Coincidentally he was visiting Milford Sound a couple of days after our contact and offered to call in to Cascade Creek on his way home to help us. With his skills and the extra manpower we were able to get the slide in, something David & I could not have managed on our own. Jeremy was also on hand to offer assistance once we had the fifth-wheeler back in Te Anau and he also recommended our next contact….

Russell- Metal Works- Nothing was too much trouble for Russell, he had our van in his workshop the moment we arrived and very quickly worked out what needed to be done. He had it repaired in record time which meant we weren’t off the road for very long at all. He even folded the old towels I had put down on the floor for mats & vacuumed the van once they had finished. And once again, another recommendation, this time where to stay while the van was getting repaired….

Kerri- Radfords Lakeview Motel- We had to spend a couple of nights in a motel while the van was being repaired & I can say that nothing was too much trouble for Kerri from the moment we arrived. It’s no surprise they won the  “NZ AA Supreme Host of the Year” award last year with such a charming lady behind the helm. The motel was beautifully appointed with lots of extra touches that made the stay even more enjoyable.

And last but not least;

Mal & Alisha- On The Way RV, Mt Maunganui. As our Ultima fifth-wheel supplier, once Mal heard we had a problem he was of amazing support and full of reassurance for David & I. Mal supplied unlimited information to David & Russell to help solve the problem and arranged additional personal backup advice from the Australian dealer. Also, replacement parts were arranged for express delivery from the States & arrived in Te Anau in record time. Again, nothing was too much trouble and we were very grateful for the personal service & incredible support we received from Mal & Alisha.

Relaxing in Manapouri

We’re back in the land of connections again after 12 wonderful days exploring the road to Milford Sound & the Sound itself, we’ve had some amazing experiences….ask David about the “fireworks” when you see him! So it’s back into catching up on a multitude of blog posts starting with Manapouri…..

Manapouri is a great little settlement & was an ideal spot for us to have a break after our time at Mavora Lakes & before continuing on to explore the Milford Road & Milford Sound. We initially only intended staying for two or three days to catch up on the backlog of chores that come with being off the grid for two weeks; washing; both clothes & vehicles, doing some minor maintenance, recharging the house batteries and most important of all, catching up on computer work including my blog posts for Mavora Lakes. It’s lovely to have a break from the computer when we’re out of internet range but it takes a fair bit to catch up on when we reconnect!

 

In the end, we were enjoying our time  at the Manapouri Motorhome & Caravan Park so much we ended up staying for ten days!  Those that have been following the blog religiously will know that I posted this blog on my surprise helicopter ride and the photos of the Park that I took for Selwyn & Gloria. That was a great experience and a highlight of the trip so far for me.

 

Manapouri put on some amazing weather for us while we were there, sunny blue skies most of the time with a hint of a frost on a number of days. I was worried that we were pushing our luck and the weather would break before we managed to do a few of the activities we had planned. I needn't have worried, we had a couple of overcast days with on & off light drizzle. Even when the North Island & Canterbury were battening down the hatches ahead of a cyclone warning, Manapouri stayed bright & sunny. It's not the first time I've thought about how the "rest" of  New Zealand seem to forget about the southern part of our country. The forecast for this area, when we get one, is hardly ever right.
 

 

 

Lake Manapouri is NZ’s second deepest lake and contains an amazing 33 islands. The lake has four arms, North, South, West and Hope, we were to sail into the West Arm later in the week when we visited Doubtful Sound. West Arm is also where the Manapouri Hydro Power Station is located.

 

Lake Manapouri & the Hunter Mountains

Who would have thought there was a sandy beach on the edge of the lake? It was a surprise to find it at the bottom of a gravel track just below the settlement. It was an even bigger surprise to see people sunbathing.

 

After my photography exploits in the helicopter, one of our neighbours came to tell me about a 14 point stag they’d seen on a deer farm not too far down the road  on the way to Riverton. We took a drive and managed to find him but he had hidden himself against a fence under some trees so I couldn’t get a good shot. But I did manage to get a clear shot of the Takitimu Mountain Range.

And one of Mt Titiroa, a prominent landmark in the Te Anau Basin, quite clearly showing the white granite rock which gives its summit the appearance of lingering snow even through the summer months. I did hear from a boat skipper, that apparently in the 1980s, a hunter got lost and set fire to scrub to alert rescuers. The fire got out of control and destroyed a lot of the bush that covered the upper slopes making the granite much more visible.

Each morning & evening we had front row seats to some amazing sunrises & sunsets, the cloud & fog that often hung over the lake and around the mountain range turned to many shades of gold & pink.

We did a number of short trips in to Te Anau for supplies and to make a few appointments. We also called in at a few of the tourist spots along the way & in town. In Te Anau if you’re a Kiwi, you’re the odd man out. The town is full of tourists, tour buses, motorhomes, sleeper vans and monster packs attached to people. It's busy but not that bad considering it's a small town. The local supermarket does a roaring trade and the carpark is mostly full of motorhomes & other rentals. We have found that when driving our ute we're often thought of as locals and are constantly getting a wave from farmers & others as we pass by or getting let into queues. Obviously not when we're towing the 5th Wheeler of course.

We stopped at the Upper Waiau River Control Gates on Lake Te Anau. The gates regulate water flows between Lakes Te Anau and Manapouri for the West Arm hydroelectric power station and mark the beginning of the NZ famous “Great Walk”, the 60km, 3 day Kepler Track.

Looking across Lake Te Anau to Te Anau township

 

The boats at the Te Anau Marina have extra long mooring lines due to the high rise & fall of the lake from both the snow melt in winter & hydro power scheme.

This sign beside the supermarket in Te Anau amused David and at first glance I actually thought it did say the “Wrong Way”. I suspect that there would be many photos taken of this with tourists standing underneath.

We actually didn’t do too much while staying in Manapouri which was nice for a change. We did, as I said, visit Doubtful Sound & the Power Station, and we also walked part of the Kepler Track. Those posts will be coming up shortly.

Next stop Cascade Creek, Milford! On our last morning at the Park we had this beautiful rainbow see us off.

What a Ride!

My Mavora blogs have taken a break for a moment because I wanted to post this one before it becomes old news. As mentioned previously we are now parked up at the lovely Manapouri Motorhome & Caravan Park, at Lake Manapouri in Fiordland where we've been for a few days while we catch up on chores & take a break from day trips & exploring.

 

The Park is one of the best we have visited on our travels, Selwyn & Gloria run a great ship, everything is spic 'n span and the grounds are very well maintained; I'm sure Selwyn is glued to his ride on mower. Good sturdy wooden picnic tables are placed at regular intervals around the sites. There's plenty of space on the grass sites, or gravel if you prefer, and various options available depending on whether you're wanting power or not. The amenities block is fabulous, large lounge & kitchen, nicely appointed toilet & shower ensuites & near new washing machines & dryers. Everything is spacious, the clothes lines are fantastic and have their own large hedge enclosed lawn (who ever thought I'd be extolling the virtues of a clothes line, but when you're on the road these small things mean a lot) Water is available on most sites & the dump station is easily accessible from small to very large vehicles.

 

While David was chatting to Selwyn yesterday he mentioned (as he seems to do on a regular basis) how much I enjoyed photography. I think he must have played up my abilities because next minute they were both at the van door, Selwyn wondering whether I'd be prepared to take a flight in a helicopter and take some aerial shots of the park for their website & other promotional advertising. Well what could I say! I was thinking well he has to get a helicopter organised & then it might be a day or two & then the weather might have turned so I really didn't think it would come to fruition. And then I wondered whether I'd be able to manage to get good enough shots. I know how I've been when I had to do a couple of weddings, I get very stressed. It's ok when the photos are for myself  but when they're for somebody else it's a whole different story.

 

So it was a bit of a shock when Selwyn appeared at the door again an hour or so later to say "It's a go, 5:30pm tonight" He had a mate with a helicopter who was flying over after he had finished his work. In fact he was delayed by 45 minutes (enough time for the nerves to settle) and right on the dot while we were enjoying "happy hour" with a few couples (no wine for me) we heard the "whoop, whoop" of an approaching helicopter and across the paddocks came this small little Robinson R22 looking more like a tiny black mosquito than something I was about to take a flight in!

 

I was ready to go & with one last (nervous?) toilet stop I quickly made my way down to the back of the site where the pilot had dropped down onto the gravel pad beside Selwyn's workshop. With some quick instructions on what to do I climbed in and put the headphones & seat belt on. A seat belt I might add that was exactly like a car's, with the same free movement. Yikes! With no doors on you wouldn't want to lean out too far.

 

And so here are some of my photos, I was pretty pleased with the results, the sun was low so there were some long shadows & unfortunately the sun was setting over the lake so I couldn't get too many in that direction without sun strike on the lens but the ones I did manage look reasonable.

 

Lake Manapouri in the background

 

Paddock Hill in the foreground & Mt Titiroa behind with it's white granite rock peak.

 

Manapouri Motorhome & Caravan Park with our 5th-wheeler taking centre stage!

 

Looking east with the beautiful Takitimu mountain range on the horizon. This one is my favourite.

 

Heading back in to land, we had flown around the park twice, the second time a little lower. It was magic, perfect weather & a thrilling ride. Very cool when you're on the underside of a steep turn & the only time my tummy took a dive!  I'm only annoyed I didn't take in too much further afield,  I was concentrating on the job at hand too much!

The welcoming party back on terra-firma!

 

You just never know what the day is going to bring when you're on the road.