Good Time Golf Girls

I mean.....Good Bye Golf Girls!

I love my golf and especially being a member of the Womens 9 Hole at Tauranga Golf Club. We have the largest 9 hole membership in NZ with over 140 ladies and over the last eight years I have made many friends. Sadly there will be no more Tuesday club days for me, no more competitions, no more mystery bus trips, no more entertaining fundraising evenings, no more haggles, no more driving range balls or giving Jack, in the Pro Shop, stick. I knew from the beginning of this journey that giving up golf at Tauranga was going to be another hard thing to do & I was right. I felt rather sad when I couldn't access the booking forms the other day or print out a card with my name on it, number 400-4369 no longer exists, I've been moved on. I guess that means my carpark will be free too! :)

I'd like to say a big thankyou to all the lovely ladies I've had the pleasure of getting to know over the years, thanks for the fun times & the laughs, I'll miss you all.

And today I played my last Thursday morning game of golf with my regular duo of happy ladies, Kerry & Jane. Unfortunately Chris who has recently joined us & usually makes up our four was unable to make it. I took along a bottle of bubbly which we opened on the 4th (I figured that was as good a hole as any to have some added help, Tauranga members will know what I mean) and we'd finished it by the 8th! We had a quite a few laughs & the golf wasn't that bad either. I did take some nibbles to slow down the bubble effect but we were definitely looking forward to a coffee by the time we walked the 10th back to the cars. Thanks for the company & happy putting girls, you've definitely had my last $2

Tauranga Golf Clubhouse                                                                Who is that under the tree?                

I'm not giving up golf, just the club for now. And I will come & play as a guest when we're back in town so Tauranga  hasn't seen the last of me yet. I'm now (along with David) a fully paid up member of the Mt Nessing Golf Club. "Mt Nessing? Where on earth is that?" I hear you ask. McKenzie Country, inland from Timaru & not far from Fairlie in the South Island. They have a 9 hole course that is open once lambing is finished; from February through to September. Owned by a local farmer & run entirely by volunteers I think their membership is a little over 100.

The attraction is the $110 membership fee which allows us to be affiliate members so we can play at any of the hundreds of golf clubs around the country. It also allows me to keep my NZ handicap running. And it's not like we won't know anybody either if Mt Nessing decide to have a shindig for their members, friends from the Mount (hi Trish & Len) who are also touring NZ at the moment in their bus, joined Mt Nessing last year. I would have loved to continue with Tauranga but the affiliate fee was just a wee bit too steep and I'd also have to pay for each round over and above the fee.



A marks the spot

"Out There"

That's the name of our fifth-wheeler & last night we had a BBQ & drinks for friends & family to 'launch' the van, reveal it's name and say thanks & farewell (for now) to them all. We also took the opportunity to have our new neighbours over, our little right-of-way has had a few changes in the last six months, with 3 of the 6 houses recently selling. It was a great night and we're sorry some couldn't make it due to prior commitments.

When it came to naming the van we were a little unsure whether we wanted to or not, our boats have had names but then that is usually expected, most people refer to their boat by name, there are by-laws & regulations in some areas & with some marinas requiring a name for identification, it helps with safety at sea & also when using your marine radio.

 

It's a different story on the road, your vehicles registration number is the all important identification. The decision was made when I was sorting some old photos & came across one of our first yacht taken 15 years ago. It was our pride & joy and a new direction for us back then. I had forgotten about the name until I saw the photo and it seemed fitting to pass it on to the van as we take another new direction 'Out There' doing it! And besides, Invisible Touch & Quantum didn't quite seem to fit.





Ross 650- 1998



Glenfalls, Mohaka

Before leaving Napier we had one more "first" to do; empty the black & grey water tanks at a dump station. There are numerous dump stations located in every city & town around NZ. RVing(recreational vehicle) is a very popular pastime with Kiwis & tourists alike, it pays to be self contained & have the certification to back it up. A "green" sticker allows you to camp both in official sites including council & NZMCA owned parks along with DOC(Dept. of Conservation) reserves amongst others and in some cases freedom camp anywhere within reason, as long as that province or council allows it. Sadly a few people have ruined it for many in some of the most popular holiday spots, leaving behind their rubbish & human waste to pollute the environment and causing councils to ban freedom camping for all.

The empty went better than expected & was really quite simple thankfully...as long as you held your breath for a few seconds on the initial connection.

A dump station with a view on a prime beach front site!


Once emptied  we were back on the road heading to Glenfalls about an hour north of Napier on the Napier-Taupo Road. Glenfalls is a DOC camping ground and very popular over the summer months as it sits beside the mighty Mohaka, a great trout fishing & rafting river. Except it wasn't so mighty due to the drought, it was more of a shallow trickle. Never mind, school holidays were finished and there were only 3 other vans parked up.

 

We had the pick of sites & after a quick walk around settled on the river bank just a few strides from the water. Perfect!

 

Once levelled & set up David arranged his 24hr fishing license on line(by driving back up the road to a high point :) ), got his gear organised & was off to catch the evening rise. It was another very hot afternoon and with no breeze in the valley the river looked very inviting. After a leisurely swim to cool off I too crossed the river with my camera and followed the narrow sheep tracks around the point to where David was fishing. With the river being so shallow & clear David did well to catch 6 trout in total, all small or very small & all sent on their way. As any fly fisherman will tell you the thrill is in the hunt, catching dinner is of little significance and not a necessary outcome.

 

 

I left my fisherman happily casting away & working on his strategy(in fact I don't think he even noticed I had gone) and climbed to the top of the brow to take some photos of the valley.

As I climbed further up the hill I came across a flock of wild geese (these were of the domesticated type that have obviously moved on from a farm pond), they weren't too keen to see me and took off on foot for the hills, it was rather strange to see them filing up the steep hill one after the other like sheep. Bringing up the rear were two canada geese, one limping badly & his mate helpfully nudging him along. Going by the mess & feathers on the shingle flats, they all must come down to the river at night to roost. Each morning two or three V formations of canada geese flew low up the river past the camp site obviously on their way to a grain field or some such somewhere & then back again in the evening.

Even though it was a scorcher of a day I was determined to carry on to the top of the hill, again following the narrow sheep tracks, so I could take some photos looking down over the camping ground. It was a great view once up there but with quite a steep descent I had to carefully watch my footing on the way down.

 

 

Later the next day we took a drive further down the road to check out a another two DOC camp sites, located on the edge of the river too. The road turned to gravel just past Glenfalls & was very badly rutted due to the dozens of logging trucks using it at the moment, there are quite a few large pine plantations inland that are getting felled. David wasn't too pleased with the constant rattling and juddering not to mention the dust that was coating the ute.

 

 

At the turn off onto a dirt road that took us down to the camp sites is a large cleared area with a lookout over the river. An amazing view awaited us, the river has formed a perfect horseshoe (called an oxbow) and is overlooked by the remarkable 'Organs', a rocky outcrop sculpted by the elements into what look like a giant set of organ pipes.

The Organs, Mohaka River

Both Everett camp sites were deserted although we could see from the trampled grass and dead patches that both sites had had a busy Christmas/New Year too. There were also signs that hunters frequent the area, using anything handy along with stolen road signs as target practice. After a bit of fun with one of the signs we returned it back up the road to where it belonged.

We decided that we actually liked Glenfalls better, not that we would have been able to tow the fifth-wheeler into the lower Everetts site due to the climb out of the ford & a washout further on.

Back on the "main" road we drove further on, I was hoping to get to Boundary Stream, a "Mainland Island", a bird sanctuary which is protected by a predator free fence. But after driving a further 10 kms or so on the dusty & bone rattling road we decided to turn around and head home. We could tackle Boundary Stream later when we are exploring the East Coast, come in from Tutira which is the more common route. We stopped before turning around so I could take some photos of the farmland which, because of the drought, is tinder dry.

If you would like to see more of Glenfalls & the surrounding area please click here;
 Glenfalls, Mohaka River

After our first trip away we've decided we quite like this lifestyle which is just as well considering all that we've done to get to this point, and after a day at home we're both keen to get back on the road. That will have to wait for a couple of weeks as we still have a few things to sort in Tauranga but already the van is reloaded and waiting.

Napier, Art Deco Capital of the World

One of the reasons for visiting Napier, other than catching up with family, was to attend the 25th annual Napier Art Deco Weekend. Napier celebrates its iconic Art Deco style with a weekend of festivities and fun which now attracts tens of thousands of people from around the world. Over 65% of visitors & locals dress in the Art Deco style of the 1930s. Boas, braces & boaters are de rigueur, in fact if you're not dressed up you feel very much out of place. There are over 200 different events that you can attend during the week leading up to and including the weekend, a lot of them are free; it's one big street party.

Strolling the Promenade

"Far from the world's great population centres and from the European and American cities where 20th Century design evolved lays a small city that is unique. Napier, was rebuilt in the early 1930s following a massive Richter 7.8 Earthquake. Subsequent fires destroyed most of its commercial heart. By the end of the decade, Napier was the newest city on the globe.

Nowhere else can you see such a variety of buildings in the styles of the 1930s - Stripped Classical, Spanish Mission, and above all Art Deco, the style of the 20th Century - in such a concentrated area. Napier's Art Deco is unique, with Maori motifs and the buildings of Louis Hay, admirer of the great Frank Lloyd Wright.

Enhanced by palms and the angular Norfolk Island pines which are its trademark, and surrounded by fertile fruit and grape growing plains, dramatic hills and the shores of the South Pacific, beautiful Napier is the centre of the Hawke's Bay region. In Napier, you can enjoy the legacy of its brave rebuilding and savour the spirit of the optimistic Art Deco era."

One of the main events to start the weekend is the Automobilia Vintage Car Parade, this year led by a stunning display of Bentleys from around the world. Over 300 fabulous vehicles all polished until they shined with most of the drivers & passengers in costume from the era wound their way up Napier's Emerson Street which was lined five deep with people.

After the cars came the motorbikes & cycles.

 

 

The parade finished on Marine Parade at the Soundshell where the vehicles were lined up for inspection, what an incredible sight it was.

If you'd like to view more of the vintage cars click on the link below to see my full Flickr set;

Art Deco Vintage Car Parade

David & I headed to town on Saturday evening to watch the street dancing and the catch the entertainment at the Sound Shell. We arrived at Memorial Square just in time to see the "guests' arrive for their Depression Dinner at "Tin Town", they had walked the length of the main street after visiting the "soup kitchen" set up on Marine Parade. Dressed in rags & hand-me-downs, rattling tin cans, some even begging, they played their parts really well.



Lined up for the Depression Dinner

Sunday morning I headed out early, there were two events I wanted to photograph; the Soap Box Derby & the Gatsby Picnic. Both are very popular events and it was great to see fathers helping their sons & daughters prepare their trolleys. This was serious business, they were all walking the course & talking tactics.



 

The Gatsby Picnic is one of the most popular events of the whole weekend. The long lawns, both top & bottom that stretch along Marine Parade from the Sound Shell to the Floral Clock are a sea of colourful canvas, parasols, sun umbrellas & gazebos. Families & friends, young & old dress up in 1930s style, elegant & stylish, they bring their best china, furniture & knick-knacks from the Art Deco era, set it all up and have a picnic lunch or high tea. There are many fabulous displays and some people go to a whole heap of trouble to have everything looking just right. It's a visual treat wandering amongst the parties going on.

Families, couples and teens walked the promenade along the beach front, slowing to have their photos taken, catching up with friends or checking out other gazebos.

It was another stunning summers day, children played on the pebble beach over looking Cape Kidnappers, a few sat in the shade of their parasols watching the boats & yachts race off shore.

In the shade of the Veronica Sun Bay, people watched the navy band play and couples dance.

And as the hot afternoon wore on eyes turned skyward to watch "Those Magnificent Men"; flying displays by  RNZAF Red Checkers, the Warbirds Display Team & others.

We love you too Napier!

It was another fantastic Art Deco Weekend & it just seems to get better & better with each year.  And even though I left my home town 20 plus years ago I'm still very proud to call Napier home.

If you would like to see more of the Art Deco Weekend click on the links below;

Art Deco; Out & About Saturday

Art Deco; Sunday- Gatsby Picnic & Soap Box Derby



"Glamping"

That's short for glamour camping; parked up in suburbia with access to a shower & lovely home cooked meals.

 

We arrived in Napier to a typically hot summer's day that Hawkes Bay is famous for. With all the measurements done well before we arrived, we knew we'd be able to squeeze the van in down the side of Mum & Dads' house. We easily removed the carport canopy & steel poles on the side which Dad had allowed for when he orginally laid the concrete pad. The van fitted like a glove with the rear comfortably overhanging the vege garden without doing any damage.

 

We even had our own little flower garden out to the side and could pick Dad's runner beans out the side window.


Dad fancied his car could pull the van. Not likely!

Mum & Dad held a BBQ in honour of our new lifestyle; mainly for extended family & friends who have been following the news and updates since we made the decision to "hit the road" A lot of these families also camp out in various modes of accommodation; caravans, tents & motorhomes, and they were of course very keen to check out the towing vehicle & the interior of the van only having seen brochures up to this point.

 

They were also all very keen to offer all manner of helpful information & tips. It's great to get "inside information" as it can take years to gain this sort of experience. Not only information about living in the van but great tips on camping sites, fishing, walks, where to see what & what to buy where. Although we're not entirely "greenhorns", having spent many years boating and living for a few weeks at a time on the boat. Many of same principles apply; weight is critical, use minimal water, dump stations for waste water, no power(in most cases), gas cooking, fishing, etc, etc. It was great to catch up with everybody & we gave the van a makeover just to look the part (you can see by the presentation we used to sell boats; photo shoots for magazines were the norm)



Dining & Lounge

Forward Cabin- And in case you're wondering; we have a base board insert & zip-together matteresses for
 when we want to get cosy :)
The toilet cubicle is to my left and the shower to my right.
And yes, there is plenty of headroom.

This is with the "slide-out" out, a nice sized area. The slide-out contains the dining area & sofa.
 It's also possible to walk down the aisle to the sink if the slide-out is in.

The Galley- plenty of cupboard space & a nice big fridge.

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

A Son's Son

We welcomed our fourth grandchild & the main reason why we are still parked up at home, into this world at 9am this morning. Baby Joel Evans arrived 2 weeks early weighing in at a hefty 8lb 3oz. Mother & baby are doing well.



Joel Evans

Big sister Maddie was keen to meet her baby brother but would have liked him him to move a bit more or at least make a sound. I'm sure she will be wanting him to be quiet before too long. Poppa David thinks he's the bee's knees and is proud as punch as is Joel's Daddy.

"Hello Baby"

And finally the ute has arrived

One Ford Ranger XLT 4x4 Super Cab 3.2l Utility with our name on it has finally arrived on the Ford Dealership's yard after six months of waiting.  Due to the popularity of the automatic gearbox NZ only get a few vehicles in each shipment; one of the negatives about being a small consumer country.

We were keen to see the super cab configuration as we'd only been able to look at the double cab when we placed the order. Our ute has the "suicide" doors; no door pillar which is great for access to the back, and with a bigger well side for the hitch and also with enough room to have a lockable storage box across the back behind the cab. As we won't be carrying passengers that often we felt we didn't need the comfort & room of the double cab seats in the back. We may remove the small "dicky" seats and build a solid floor in so we can store more gear behind the front seats.

The colour is " Sparkling Gold" and while we know it's not quite the same as the van we're hoping it will tone in nicely.

 

 

 

The ute is now having the hitch & electirical wiring fitted before it will be deliver to us late next week.

 

The Ford Ranger is so popular & in short supply (it was the best selling vehicle in the Ford range, even ahead of cars, for a number of months last year) that our dealer has already been approached  to see if we'd be prepared to wait so others could jump the queue. Not likely!!

World Famous in Greenmeadows

A small(or should I say rather large) spanner was thrown in the works last Friday.

Initially there were two major negative issues that I had to come to terms with when we made the decision to go travelling. One was selling my dream home & while it took a while eventually I could see that we really needed to do that to fufil our dream. So the house was sold & we've moved on & it wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be. I think because I had 3 months before settlement to get used to the idea I was prepared for it.

The second & bigger issue that I had to come to terms with was about what we were going to do with my two "babies", my 10 year old British Shorthair cats who I'd had from kittens and were very much a part of our family. I know people say they're "just cats" & you can't let pets rule your life but this was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. I would have loved to have taken them with us travelling & we probably could have but it would have been no life for them on the road & we would have found it very restrictive in places we may visit or things we might want to do.

My parents who live in Napier, a 4 hour drive away, had indicated that they might be able to take them both in but sadly well before the house sold & decisions had to be made, my beloved boy Clay picked up a fatal viral infection and passed away within 2 months.

Clay- short for Cassius Clay

This then just left Lily.  Mum & Dad have also recently lost their lovely old dog Tess and after talking to them again now that things were moving along, they decided they could take Lily in. I knew she would be going to best home possible & that they'd end up loving her as much as we did. Even with her quirky personality traits, she would get under their skin just as much as she had with us.


Lily

We took Lily to Napier over Christmas & stayed two weeks to settle her in. She is not a good traveller & meowed for the whole 4 hour drive but once there settled in quickly within a couple of days. Every day though, I wanted to bundle her back into her cage & take her home, but I managed to resist the urge knowing that this was the right thing to do. It was a sad goodbye when it was time for us to return home.

Which brings me back to that "spanner" After a week by herself with Mum & Dad & with positive reports of how she was settling in she decided to go "walkabout" one night. Lily can't climb & is scared of heights(she damaged a leg when she was kitten) but she managed to squeeze out under a gate and then didn't come home. She's a timid cat & wouldn't come to just anybody. Mum & Dad were frantic and after 6 hours of searching called to give me the bad news.

We were hoping she had just tucked herself up somewhere cool(it's been 30-35c) nearly every day & would find her way home in the early evening. But no, still no sign of her Saturday evening. By then I had already thrown a few things in the car and headed off to Napier, again. I got there around 10pm and hit the streets calling & searching. Back at the house I also made up a couple of missing ads for two internet sites and a flyer that we could deliver in the morning. We all didn't have much sleep that night.

I was up again at 5am out calling & searching in the quite of the morning. I did "find" plenty of other cats & Dad searching as well but no Lily. We then delivered over 400 flyers around the immediate neighbourhood hence the "World Famous in Greenmeadows" tag. It was very hot I got sunburnt & have blisters on my feet. All the time we were delivering we were calling her, checking under bushes & asking anybody we saw if they'd seen her. We also stuck flyers on the notice boards at the local supermarket & shops. I phoned the local Vets, radio stations, SPCA & sent texts to the local paper; still no sign of her. We were all getting tired & desperate. Where could she be! As Sunday afternoon drew on it got hotter & hotter & we decided to give it a break until the early evening.

A large creek and native planting runs along the road across from the house & while we had walked it many times during our search I thought I'd do it once again but on the otherside of the creek. I had to park the car down the other end of the street to get access around a fence to then be able to walk up the length & back along the far side of it. I parked my car about 5 houses from the end under a tree and away from the corner.

I did the walk up & back, about 2kms with no luck but as I was diagonally crossing the road back to my car I happened to glance up a narrow back path behind the house next door to where I was parked. And that was when I spotted my "baby" in the gloom of dusk. She was just sitting there looking all around as if she didn't know quite what to do. I called her & she was a bit nervous even though she knew my voice. She wouldn't come to me so I had to quickly climb the fence & walked down to where she was. I grabbed her & held her tight until I got her inside the car then I can honestly say the emotions took over & tears of joy came, what an incredible feeling of relief. I was so relived as were Mum & Dad when I got home. I don't think they quite believed me at first, we had very nearly given up hope.

We'll never know what she got up to or where she went but I think she just walked off down the road exploring and got too far away to know her way back home. She ate quite a bit and drank heaps but didn't seem too worse for wear after being missing for 48 hours but she certainly slept a heck of a lot. She now wears her collar & name tag at all times & has a microchip. And I'm now back home after a very stressful 3 days.



Lily sleeping off her ordeal

We should have been here...

for New Year, although after looking at the access track I don't think we would have made it over quite a dip in the gravel track at the entrance to the river.

This is the Tuki Tuki River in Hawkes Bay, a great trout fishing river although the water is very low over summer. This is classic Kiwi camping and what we're looking forward to with a few more mod-cons than the family has! All good fun.