Innholdsfortegnelse for No 55 i RV Travel Lifestyle

Spring has kicked in and we’re getting some really lovely sunny days - it’s a nice 21 degrees in Martinborough today as I write this. The vines are starting to glow green with the new leaves coming through, so we’re in a period now when the vineyards will be worrying about frosts. As the first of the blossom starts to set into tiny fruit, a frost can easily burn and destroy them in their first delicate days. At times we’ll wake up in the middle of the night in the next few weeks and hear helicopters going, sometimes from midnight to 5am, depending on when the temperature drops. Other vineyards have fixed windmills installed, which switch on when the air chills to half a degree. The idea is the blades…

It is well known that you should not connect solar panels directly to your house battery, solar panels of any reasonable size are quite capable of overcharging and killing your valuable house battery. Preventing overcharging is a core function of a solar controller, but there is so much more a modern controller can do. MPPT solar controller technology is well established these days. Compared to earlier style controllers known as PWM controllers, MPPT controllers have been shown to produce 35% more battery charge power from the same solar panels in winter conditions, and 10% more in summer (Auckland regional tests). While MPPT is generally more expensive than PWM, the power increase makes it very worthwhile, but traditionally as a result of the extra cost the built in meter was not…

CENTRAL OTAGO If you’re on the road over the next month or so and spot a fur-lined hat or a big shiny bell in a fellow traveller’s back window, go say hello and be prepared to be entertained. Visiting New Zealand at present are some of the world’s most talented town criers, who are here to compete in the Central Otago World Town Criers Championships. The event brought together 18 exuberant, outgoing, theatrical and - in some cases - very funny men and women. When the flamboyant entrants were all assembled in one room at competition time, the feast of colour and energy was a lot to take in. And as each stepped on stage to deliver their brief ‘cry’ for the judges, audiences never knew what was coming at…

FIORDLAND - MILFORD SOUND FACT FILE The Lake Marian Track is accessed from Hollyford Road around 1km below the junction with Milford Road, State Highway 94. The junction is called Marian Corner and is 87km from Te Anau. The track has two options; a 10 minute walk to the Marian Rapids platforms or a 1½ hour climb to Lake Marian. The nearest accommodation is at Gunn’s Camp 6km further down Hollyford Road, which comprises private cabins with communal facilities. The camp museum has fascinating relics of the pioneer days when Davey Gunn ran cattle down the valley at Martins Bay. After enjoying the scenic wonders of Milford Sound many travellers tend to head straight back to Te Anau, missing hidden gems in the Hollyford and Eglinton valleys. One of my…

PIOPIO, WAITOMO, TE KUITI I knew limestone was used in architecture and for sculptures, but I wasn’t aware of the many uses for cosmetics, toothpaste and in pharmaceutical products. I suppose I should have really because I’m one of those oldfashioned aficionados of talcum powder. I just never made the link. Limestone basically is composed of tiny little fossils of seashells. Some base ingredients for soap are essential oils and lye coming from a powdered product. I find out this stuff when I meet with Colleen Coleman whose soap boutique in Te Kuiti is one of my stops on the King Country by appointment tour. Colleen uses the powder from the local Omya quarry which produces some of the world’s best quality limestone products. She patented her formula for Waitomo…

Australian-based Redarc Electronics is releasing the next generation of its award-winning electronic brake controller Tow-Pro. The new Tow-Pro Elite incorporates a number of new features that will result in smoother braking for motorists towing heavy trailers and caravans. It also features ‘Active Calibration’ which means that once fitted to the customer’s vehicle, the Tow-Pro Elite will calibrate itself, even without a trailer attached. Redarc’s Managing Director, Anthony Kittel, said Tow-Pro Elite had undergone extensive quality control and product development at Redarc’s Lonsdale headquarters. “We continue to set the industry benchmark for innovation in electronic technology,” he said. “Since its launch in June, 2014, Tow-Pro has become one of our most popular products, being used by people who tow caravans and camper trailers, horse floats, boats and the like. It remains…

SKY SHOW FIREWORKS WHEN: November 7 WHERE: Wellington Harbour They’re lighting up Wellington’s sky with a Saturday night fireworks display over the harbour. V8 SUPERCARS ITM 500 WHEN: November 6-8 WHERE: Pukekohe Raceway W: pukekoheshowgrounds.co.nz Excitement is set to erupt at Pukekohe as V8 Supercars brings the ultimate sporting rivalry to the racetrack. Australia and New Zealand’s top racing drivers will go head-to head in an action-filled battle. HIGHLANDS 101 WHEN: November 13-15 WHERE: Highlands Motorsport Park, Cromwell W: highlands.co.nz A weekend of full-on high adrenaline action with big-name drivers in high performance racecars, all converging on New Zealand’s most sensational international-standard race facility. THE MANGAWHAI GARDEN RAMBLE WHEN: November 14-15 WHERE: Mangawhai W: mangawhai.co.nz Planners already have 20 garden locations planned for 2015 - there’s something old, something new,…

I called in on a friend this morning - she’s just back from Sri Lanka, having visited with a colleague who was heading home for a festival. But she wasn’t happy – she usually treks the tourist trail, admiring colourful locals and locales, and taking lots and lots and lots of photos. But this time she was handed from relative to relative, joining their everyday life, taking in a couple of religious festivals among the worshippers, and generally doing what they did. They didn’t stop every time she wanted a photo and their house was quite western in flavour - she was disappointed. I was a bit stumped, to be honest. I can see that traditional images were what she’d expected, but few get to see what life is really…

MARLBOROUGH Enormous placid horses with feathery fetlocks always attract me and I suspect many others who wouldn’t otherwise consider themselves ‘horsey’. Watching ploughing may not be many peoples’ idea of fun but there’s something satisfying seeing those wonderful straight - and occasionally not-so-straight - lines of newly-turned sod appearing before one’s eyes. It’s the same watching magnificent Clydesdale horses producing them, a task they’ve done virtually unchanged for many hundreds of years. I’m sure mine weren’t the only anxious eyes scanning the rainy Blenheim skies during the week preceding the annual Marlborough Ploughing Championships in early spring. Thankfully the skies cleared, although gumboots remained the only sensible footwear for the occasion. The sight of four teams of horses pulling vintage ploughs and about ten vintage tractors doing their thing in…

MACKENZIE REGION SOUTH ISLAND In early autumn we camped beside the Ahuriri River near Omarama and each day set off to explore the surrounding countryside. Lakes Benmore and Aviemore, the dams, the canals - then one morning we decided to visit the nearby Clay Cliffs. As we were leaving the camping area we stopped to speak to a DOC worker who told us about another area just opened up further down the track from the Cliffs. So we went there first, and were so glad we did. Quailburn Historic Site in the Ahuriri Conservation Park turned out to be a fascinating area, with an old woolshed half in ruins sitting in a lovely sheltered valley near the start of the Quailburn Track. Approached via a good gravel road, DOC has…

HAURAKI GULF, GREAT BARRIER ISLAND WEBSITES sealink.co.nz doc.govt.nz greatbarrierisland.co.nz thebarrier.co.nz greatbarriertourism.co.nz Sealink operates a daily ferry in summer, which departs from Wynyard Wharf in Auckland’s Viaduct Precinct at 8am (two minutes from the RV car park near the tank farm) and cruises into Tryphena’s beach-lined bay at about 1pm. En route there’s an onboard movie theatre, lounges and snack bar. If you’re lucky, you’ll have dolphins at play in the bow wave, orca on the prowl or Bryde’s whales lolling by. Prices start at the NZMCA special: $625 return for your RV and up to four adults free during the summer months (Oct 1 – March 30). Winter rates are $595 for the RV. For non-members, vehicle fares remain the same but passengers are $100 each ($95 in winter). The…

I have to be honest: it’s been a bit of a dog’s life for me recently, which I’m not used to. I know they reckon that dogs have owners and cats have staff, but I think I must have been spoilt, because I always thought I was the number one priority for Ma Robyn and Pa Brucie. Yet, because of the cold wintertime here at home, I was left behind on any trips away….sniff, whimper. I do have some good news though - the last few weeks I’ve been away in the motorhome lots of times. Must be because it’s warmer and sunnier now. Yippee. I have one thing I need to preface my enthusiasm with however. Because of all these trips, I had to have a horrible injection from…

While enjoying time away in your RV, camper or caravan, the last thing you need is a battery problem that results in a frustrating and costly trip to a garage, or worse yet, leaves you stranded in the middle of nowhere. CTEK’s range of battery chargers makes it easy to properly charge and maintain all types of lead acid batteries. CTEK chargers are the world’s smartest chargers, helping to prevent unexpected battery failures, extend battery life and protect the substantial investment you have in your batteries. During the charging process, CTEK Smart Chargers go through a series of stages to de-sulphate, recharge and revive batteries to ensure they’re charged properly each and every time. CTEK chargers also analyse the battery to determine if it can receive and retain a charge.…

Experience freedom and adventure at the Camper Care NZ Motorhome, Caravan & Leisure Show, over three action-filled days from Friday November 6 to Sunday November 8. Your favourite motorhome, caravan and outdoor specialists all in one place at Horncastle Arena in Christchurch with super show prices available. You’ll see all the latest products, talk to the experts, be in to win fantastic prizes and get some unbeatable deals over the three days. The show specialises in providing you with a complete experience – showcasing industry leaders, a huge array of accessory products and a great selection of everything to make your outdoor lifestyle complete. BE INSPIRED Get up to speed with all the latest innovations at the free TrailLite Seminar Series, where experts will educate you on a variety of…

Changeable weather at the Great Outdoor & Leisure show at Bay Park in Mt Maunganui in September gave me the opportunity to get outside and check out the RVs on display. It only took a few minutes for BOP RV White Water Retro Caravans to take my attention, and pretty much hold it for some time. I had a quick chat with Nick Blair, who owns the Katikati -based business with his wife and parents. The Blair family has been importing and selling fifth-wheeler RVs, manufactured by Keystone RV Company in the USA, for many years. They offer a lot of experience to those looking for this type of home on wheels. So it was surprising to see these totally gorgeous classic retro 1960s-styled caravans on display, one blue one…

WHANGAREI, NORTHLAND Large-scale artworks are a feature on the city side of the walkway, with plans to increase their number over coming years Once there was only one bridge across Whangarei’s Hatea River, enabling those from Onerahi and the small communities at Whangarei Heads to access the city. In time, the explosion of housing subdivisions and the desire for lifestyle blocks meant a population increase that caused congestion at the eastern entrance to Whangarei, so a second bridge was built. Time went by, traffic numbers increased and finally a third bridge - an opening bridge that allowed tall boats to pass through - was constructed. This bridge, the award-winning Kotuitui Whitianga with its graceful hook-shaped design known as Te Matua a Pohe, was completed in 2013. The bridge’s completion provided…

CANTERBURY / WESTLAND “The real voyage of discovery,” wrote French author Marcel Proust “consists not in seeking new landscapes, but having new eyes.” With Proust’s words ringing in my ears, my thoughts turn towards State Highway 73, the main road between Christchurch and the West Coast. As a keen tramper and mountain climber, I’ve driven this highway more times than I care to count. I’ve driven it in sunshine and in snow, in the early morning and late at night. But every time, the road has simply been a means to an end. It’s high time I took a fresh look at a familiar route. With a total distance of only 231 kilometres, the entire highway can be driven in a little less than four hours. But for travellers with…

WAIOEKA GORGE SCENIC RESERVE, SH2 BETWEEN OPOTIKI AND GISBORNE. “Before long,” enthused The New Zealand Motor World in September 1960, “the Ministry of Works will have brought about a transformation for the man in the driver’s seat and Waioeka will come into its own as one of the loveliest drives anywhere, its hazards forgotten.’ Fifty-five years on from those words, State Highway 2 through the Waioeka Gorge is indeed one of the loveliest drives, a serpentine, bush-clad journey above the Waioeka River, which runs swiftly to Opotiki in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Driving hazards aren’t altogether forgotten — the bends are tight and rock falls are commonplace — but compare that to the original Waioeka road that opened in the late-1920s. “This road was only about 12 feet wide,…