Innholdsfortegnelse for No 56 i RV Travel Lifestyle

It is hard to fathom really but 2015 is nearly over. I swear it seems like only a couple of months ago we were celebrating Waitangi Day and looking forward to Easter, now - whamo - it’s all over range rover. This is a bumper read for Christmas, plenty of reviews and profiles of the latest motorhomes and caravans available around the country to drool over, be inspired by, or put on your short list. Fifth-wheelers are a unit offering big space, a home on wheels with multiple slideouts on some models - we check out these big rigs. Dethleffs caravans have landed and are available to view at Central RV in Taupō, Benimar motorhomes have arrived at TrailLite, Winnebago models can be viewed at the Deluxe Group in Blenheim…

SHEARINGS BIG DAY OUT WHEN: January 4 2016 WHERE: Waitara Station, 469 Brooks Rd, RD 2, Napier Waitara Station owner Lloyd Holloway has 5000 sheep to be shorn at the Station woolshed, with proceeds from various ‘commercial opportunities’ associated with a typical day’s shearing being donated to the Cancer Society. All motorhomes and caravans must be self-contained, there’ll be lots to do during the day and it’s a lovely spot. WHANGANUI VINTAGE WEEKEND WHEN: January 22-25 2016 WHERE: Whanganui City Victoria Avenue and River Front W: vintageweekend.co.nz It’s going to be stunning in Whanganui over Anniversary Weekend with an outstanding array of events at the Whanganui Vintage Weekend. ASB AUCKLAND SEAFOOD FESTIVAL WHEN: January 29-Feb 1 WHERE: Halsey Wharf, Wynyard Quarter W: aucklandseafoodfestival.co.nz Join us for a celebration of seafood,…

We’ve had Aussie visitors lately. You’ll see in these pages an update from one of them - Maree Burns - who with her husband Neil purchased a fifth-wheeler back in 2013, which they use to travel around New Zealand when they come over each year on holiday. That got me thinking again about how much space is on offer in this style of RV. Not everyone’s cup of tea admittedly, and likely you wouldn’t choose one if you just pop here and there for the odd weekend. But for anyone that lives in an RV or heads away frequently for long periods at a time, I don’t think you can go past what a fifth-wheel mobile home offers in terms of size, space and liveability. Typically your average fifth-wheeler is…

So if you’re passionate about swimming, fishing, diving, walking, ornithology or geology, add Tauranga Bay to your bucket list. We were enchanted: delighted by their bright little eyes, their scurry-stop movement and the discovery that New Zealand dotterels were at Tauranga Bay in the far north at all. It was reassuring to find that locals are looking out for these little fellas, and have surrounded their sand dune breeding site with a tape fence and warning signage. We think, from the variance in their red breeding plumage, that there were at least five different birds and we fervently hope that community care and responsible behaviour will continue to protect this endangered species. A number of variable oystercatchers were seen as well, and we were dismayed to learn that these were…

Who knows what counts as New Zealand’s most remote camping area, but DOC’s Whitikau Forks is surely a contender. The tranquil riverside site is 40km from Opotiki in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Half that distance is on the spectacular, twisting Motu Road – the highlight of the popular Motu Trails cycleway – while another 11km is on the backcountry Takaputahi road. With 30km of hilly gravel road, the trip to Whitikau Forks is not recommended for motorhomes, but if you’ve an alternative way to travel and you’re keen on discovering a magic spot that is handy to adventure bike riding, hiking and river fishing, it’s well worth the journey. At Whitikau Forks you’re at one of the gateways to the Raukumara Forest Park, which is ‘one of the least…

SOUTHERN WEST COAST I first visited Lake Matheson as an aspiring amateur photographer seeking to understand the nuances of light and shade and the wonderful inversion effects of water reflections. More recently, the promise of a blue-sky day induced me to repeat the experiment in the digital medium. A clear sky in glacier country means early morning frosts. I emerge from my Fox Glacier accommodation into a crisp, cool dawn with mist hanging in the still air like a shroud over the land. The forest clings on to the blackness of night, allowing only thin fingers of sunlight to creep stealthily between the kahikatea and rimu trees onto the narrow pathway. When the forest canopy opens up to reveal the full extent of the lake, it appears as a mirror-smooth…

WIN A FULL SWITCH JACKET VALUED AT $249.99 WORD LADDERS Instructions These word puzzles were first presented back in 1879 by Lewis Carroll – yes, the Alice in Wonderland man – he called them ‘doublets’. The idea is to change one letter at a time, each intervening word a valid one, to move from one word to the other. Puzzle 1 Change: FORDS to a ROLLS -would anyone want to these days? Do it in seven steps, six intervening words Puzzle 1 Change: BOATS to SHIPS in five steps, four intervening words Puzzle 2 Change: POINT to CLICK in five steps, four intervening words WIN A FULL SWITCH JACKET VALUED AT $249.99 ANSWER: FORDS forms firms films fills tills tolls ROLLS ANSWER: BOATS coats chats chaps chips SHIPS ANSWER: POINT…

CCNZ SURGE IN MEMBERSHIP Caravanning Camping NZ supports independent campers and clubs in New Zealand. Being the parent body of the clubs, we treat them as our family. The organisation works to make this pastime as safe, pleasurable and affordable as possible. Members with tents, motorhomes or caravans are welcome and with each club being autonomous, rallies are personal and friendly. The resurgence of interest in camping is fantastic and 2016 is looking to be a great growth year for the organisation. Club rallies are usually held monthly and January 18 will see the Central Region rally being held at Coley Street School, Foxton. Members attending the rally will receive a free entry to win a week holiday at Taupō Ika Nui. For more information check out www.caravanningcampingnzinc.com or email…

The last few weeks have been busy as we lead into Christmas, and I’ve been as busy as a flea in a fit, getting three magazines to the printers on time before Christmas. I can’t believe how the year has flown by, almost in the blink of an eye - it feels like just last month we were hosting our Vans and Vines event here in Martinborough, but alas no - the Christmas tree is up, the sparkly lights are twinkling and we’re making plans for the last day of the year already! This is not pretty stuff people - another year bites the dust. We’ve managed to get out and about in these last few frantic weeks as well though. Earlier this year, we had planned a few days…

Perhaps it’s the romance of the name, Gentle Annie, or perhaps it’s the remoteness of the route, zigzagging alone across the map that caught my imagination. If there’s any truth in the story that modern roads follow old moa trails, surely the Taihape–Napier road does as it traces an old moa-hunter route. Many of the local names include ‘moa’ like Moawhango, and moa bones and ancient tools have been found in the area. Remote as it is now and only recently fully sealed, this was once the main route for farms in Inland Patea (around modern Taihape) for which Napier was town and port. Supplies and mail came in and wool went out first by packhorse, then, when the road was cut, by dray. However, when the railway reached Taihape…

Steampunk began as science fiction fantasy using the English Victorian age and American Wild West as a base. Imagine a world without oil or a world where reality hadn’t veered into cyberspace. Analogue instead of digital. Steam instead of oil. Steampunk instead of cyberpunk. ‘Tomorrow as it might have been’ could be a good description. Thames, the tiny town on the Coromandel Peninsula has taken Steampunk to its heart, and that’s probably because of the Thames Coromandel District Council (TCDC). “We have one of the most innovative councils in the country,” said Deb MacDonald Brown, a Steampunk the Thames initiator. “They’re a council that is embracing arts in the community and they’re willing to work in collaboration with us.” Another reason is the historic nature of Thames. Deb had been…

SUSHI SALAD When I think of sushi, I think of neat little rolls (or other shapes), but in this delicious salad I literally just jumbled everything up! It contains all of my favourite sushi ingredients, but is even easier to prepare than conventional sushi, because instead of being neatly rolled or shaped, they’re just tossed together. (If you have your own favourite ingredients that aren’t here, why not try adding them to your customised version?) The rice and dressing may be prepared in advance then refrigerated until required, but the salad itself is best assembled shortly before serving. For 2–3 main course servings: • 1 cup medium-grain rice • 2 cups boiling water Dressing: • 2 tablespoons sherry • 2 tablespoons canola oil • 1 tablespoon Kikkoman soy sauce •…

I’m always full of ideas at column time, and as I recently sorted through photos of luscious classic and hot-rod cars, I yet again mulled over what to write about. Scientists say we could reduce our eco footprint quicker not by taking the bus, putting a sweater on instead of lighting the fire or better insulating our houses, but by becoming vegetarians. Yes! No. No pics. Beating commuter traffic by taking the bike? I dropped my neighbour off at the top of the hill and left him putting his cycle helmet on, drove 20 minutes to a meeting and before I’d got out, he’d cycled past … I’d stopped for fuel, but he needed none. Yuss! Er, no photos. Squinting at another chromed motor nestling in a glossily painted engine…

BOP RV is a family-run business based in Katikati, with Nick Blair at the helm supported by parents John and Joan and wife Faith, who also wrangles their two children, Aliya and Lochlan. They set up the business in mid-2013 after Joan and John had been on a trip to the USA touring in a fifth-wheeler and on returning to New Zealand decided there was room in the market for the vehicles here. They searched out manufacturers and brands, and now distribute the American Keystone brand Cougar fifth-wheelers. Nick tells us Keystone is the number one manufacturer of RVs in North America and is the largest manufacturer of towable RVs. The family did some homework and formed the opinion that Keystone has a time-built reputation of dependability and trust in…

We’ve regularly featured within these pages the German Dethleffs motorhomes, imported by Jonas Ng from Acacia motorhomes. Jonas let us know earlier this year that he was expanding his range to now include caravans from this manufacturer, and they would be distributed through North and South Island dealers. We heard from Brent Thurlow at Central RV in Taupō saying that his first caravan models had arrived and did we have time to come up and check them out. We didn’t have time, but hey, a trip to Taupō sounded good so we headed up for an overnighter, as we do nowadays – quick trips away to keep us sane! Central RV is the official North Island agent for these new caravans, and Deluxe Group in Blenheim are looking after the…

“The bigger the waves, the better the buzz,” declares the self-assured skipper of the big, bright catamaran crowded with eager passengers waiting for a thrilling ride. He deftly guides the pulsating monster towards the famous Hole in the Rock in Northland’s premier attraction, the beautiful Bay of Islands. I’m far less optimistic about our prospects of ‘threading the needle’. The sleek, fast cat is rising and falling on the crest of huge Pacific swells. Very disturbed waves are sloshing around the Hole in the Rock and a backwash is threatening to push us off course. By my reckoning the jagged natural opening in Piercy Island is a very small target for a ‘hole in one.’ The passage through the gap won’t be smooth and there’s no second chance. The engines…

After nearly four years on the road we had reinstalled ourselves in our Hutt Valley home and took a break from full time living in our six-metre motorhome. Not that that kerbed us for very long. Earlier this year we were off for a two-month jaunt that resulted in our stories for this magazine on the Forgotten World Highway’ Golf Carts on the railway line, and our visit to White Island. That and the COVI Motorhome Show and the Whangamata Beach Hop event made for a real good time. This time we were heading to Rotorua mainly for a catch up visit to the Wingspan National Birds of Prey Centre in Ngongotaha Valley (falcons, owls, hawks, etc). Over the past several years Kath has sponsored one of the falcons at…

TARRAS, CENTRAL OTAGO The horse, formerly called Sampson, is a rebel who now has a cause and the pair are leaving a ripple of good vibes in their wake as they pass through rural and urban areas meeting local people. There’ve been a few bumps in the road involving Rasaraj’s rebellious antics (don’t mention llamas around this horse) but the hospitality received has been ‘uplifting’, John says. John – also known as Yasoda – joined the Hare Krishna movement 31 years ago and has been pioneering it in this country for half his life. As a young man he worked in search and rescue and various other roles with the national parks service throughout Otago’s high country. He divides his time between here and India, where his wife and two…