Innholdsfortegnelse for May - June 2021 i RV Travel Lifestyle

The weather has changed, the leaves have turned and the leafy mess has begun. Luckily autumn leaves are beautiful, and when they are dry and crispy under your feet it’s a bit of fun to kick them in the air during crisp morning or evening walks, a waft of smoke from a fire inside staining the morning air. We have had a busy couple of months with a fair bit of travel up and down the country. The Covi Motorhome Caravan and Outdoor show was on in March, and the NZMCA AGM rally was held over Easter weekend. We profile a few new models that caught our eye at the show. The exhibitor numbers were down this year, but for those who did attend, it just meant bigger sales. The…

In the sunshine, the city is quite a delight. Some cities have repurposed their buildings and modernised their downtowns, but Whanganui has retained its old-town charm with heritage buildings looking fresh and spruce down the main street, Whanganui services a population of just over 40 000 people, The Whanganui River is still the centrepiece and focus of the city. At 290km it’s New Zealand’s third-longest river (after the Waikato at 425km, and the Clutha at 322km). It has a special status for the region’s Māori people and is one of only two natural resources worldwide to have the status of a legal person. (Te Urewera is the other.) We took a ride on the Waimarie, a genuine coal-fired paddle steamer dating from 1899. The ship sank accidentally in 1952 but…

As I write, Waikouaiti and Karitane are in the news for all the wrong reasons with the tap water having been found to contain much more than the acceptable levels of lead. An angry and apprehensive community is demanding answers from authorities who are scrambling to find a solution while the government is keeping a watchful eye on how things unfold. However, there was no suggestion of any problem at the time of our visit. Travelling from Dunedin and intending to look around Middlemarch and other Otago locations, we’d detoured off the main road and were impressed by the beauty of the bay from a nearby lookout point. Although the small Otago town of Waikouaiti seemed somewhat unprepossessing as we drove along the state highway, we found some adequate accommodation,…

To enter email the book title as subject to: subs@rvmagazine.co.nz or post to: NZTRV Vol 10 Books, PO Box 220, Martinborough 5711 with your full details, and go in the draw to win. Closes 28 June 2021 Landmarks Owen Marshall, Grahame Sydney, Brian Turner RRP $75 Penguin The complementary work of artist Grahame Sydney, fiction writer Owen Marshall and poet Brian Turner was first brought together in the hugely successful Timeless Land in 1995. Its pages showed their shared, deep connection to Central Otago, to its vast skies, its wide plains punctuated by jagged ranges, its unique colours and its dwarfing effect on the people who pass through it. Twenty-five years later, this lavish new volume from these three long-time friends showcases a rich selection of their subsequent work, including…

SCAN QR TO WATCH THE VIDEO OR CLICK IN DIGITAL EDITION Youtube channel: NZTODAY RV Lifestyle Just landed and cleared in time for the March Covi Motorhome show was the latest release from the coachbuilt Mobilvetta Kea P range from Italy. We were first introduced to the Mobilvetta Tekno Line A-Class motorhomes back in 2017 when Country RV first imported the sleek and sexy Mobilvetta K-Yacht 79 model with its luxury-yacht finishes and sleek Italian styling. Today, in 2021, the Mobilvetta brand is under the TrailLite umbrella of imported quality motorhomes that complement the company’s New Zealand-manufactured bespoke luxury motorhomes produced at its Pukekohe factory in Auckland. We stopped in after the show and picked up the new Mobilvetta Kea P65 four-berth model with two single beds, and took it…

Infinity Caravans & accessories Infinity Caravans is one of the largest retailers of UK touring caravans in the South Island. They have developed a reputation as one of Canterbury’s leading suppliers, offering a range of new Swift Celebration touring caravans, a dealer ‘Special Edition’ and accessories at some of the most affordable prices in NZ. Infinity Caravans pride themselves in giving their clients a great level of personal service and advice in the products they drive away with. Explore NZ with the assurance of a reliable caravan that provides comfortable and enjoyable holiday experiences to create memories with your loved ones, Infinity Caravans help their clients live the dream. Call in soon – or visit their website at www.infinitycaravans.co.nz – to claim your key to a brand new life Daniel…

Please send your feedback, letters and suggestions to editor@rvmagazine.co.nz and win a magazine subscription Hi Robyn Just wanted to congratulate you on that wonderful story you wrote on Rotorua it is brilliant. Actually, my late husband took me to Rotorua in the eighties and showed me lots of places, seeing I come from Dunedin (I now live in Wellington), I had never been before but ever since then we went there lots of times. But reading your story there is a lot more to see, it is a fascinating place, couldn’t put the mag down until I finished it. The other stories I always enjoy reading are those from Allan Dick – I went to King Edward Technical College with him. My family had a caravan and we always went…

To reach Whangaroa Harbour, the most direct route is via State Highway 10 through the small town of Kaeo. It would have been a convenient place for early European settlement as the Kaeo River runs into the harbour and water was the favoured mode of transport in those days. Several of the town’s buildings are relatively unchanged from the time they were built more than a century ago. Kaeo’s Whangaroa County Museum has a wealth of genealogical information, and it’s clear that the early missionaries took the edict ‘go forth and multiply’ fairly seriously, as during our own travels throughout the country we have met people from Invercargill north with a Kaeo connection. But for a longer and infinitely more scenic trip, turn right onto Matauri Bay Road before descending…

Under a star-studded sky the moon rises over Lake Tekapo, sending a shimmering path of silver light across the lake to the sandy beach where I am standing. A row of tall pine trees create black shapes against the bright lake. Behind me the campground is filled with visitors in campervans settling down for the night. A few dark shadows stand by the lake edge watching the moonrise and enjoying the peaceful evening. The smell of pines fills the chilly air. I zip up my jacket and attach my camera to the tripod as I strive to capture the mood of this stunning scene. Our tent sits on a small site overlooking the lake, in a non-powered area for tents. Rows of campervans line the sprawling hillside. I am surprised…

This was a story I never intending writing. The Waikaia Bush Road is no more a ‘road’ than the Stairway to Heaven made famous by the band Led Zeppelin. It’s a rough-as-guts 4WD track that strikes fear into the hearts of relatively novice solitary 4WDers and campers such as myself. It leads from Piano Flat in Southland to a number of locations in Central Otago, but the most common exit is onto SH8 between Roxburgh and Alexandra where a remarkably ordinary and benign-looking yellow and black sign points up what looks like a pretty standard New Zealand country gravel road, giving no hint of what lies just around the corner. At its highest point, the track reaches 1400 metres so it’s hardly Mount Everest territory, but along the tops the…

SLOW COOK Justine Schofield Photography by Rob Palmer RRP $39.99 Plum WE HAVE A COPY OF SLOW COOK TO BE WON! Scan QR code or Email Subject line Air Fryer Express to subs@rvmagazine.co.nz Give us your full contact details and which recipe shown here you will try first. Entries close 28 June 2021 to enter online WINNER ROAD KAI VOL 8 OTTOLENGHI FLAVOUR SALLY SHAW MANAPOURI Vegetable Lasagne Serves—6 30 g dried porcini mushrooms3 tablespoons olive oil1 onion, finely chopped1 red capsicum, deseeded and cut into 1 cm pieces2 garlic cloves, finely chopped2 eggplants, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes3 zucchini, cut into 1 cm cubessalt flakes and freshly ground black pepper80 ml (⅓ cup) white wine (such as chardonnay)2 × 400 g cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed3 basil…

The COVID-era has sparked renewed interest in caravanning holidays across New Zealand and Jayco are set to inspire Kiwis to hit the road with the signing of its first New Zealand Vanbassador, Bare Kiwi. Australasia’s leading RV manufacturer, Jayco are already seeing Kiwis benefit from the freedom and flexibility caravanning holidays bring. With a significant increase in sales across both new and used RVs, up 23 per cent year on year in New Zealand. Jayco National Sales Manager Scott Jones said “people are looking for new and safe ways to explore New Zealand and working with a Vanbassador is a great opportunity to showcase the kind of holidays that people can have in a caravan”. “We know Kiwis have always loved exploring their own backyards and the opportunity to hit…

ANZ Great Walk on a river, how is that even possible? This is my questioning thought when I first looked at the Great Walks list to develop the Great Hikes App. After a quick online search, it became obvious that I wouldn’t need divine ability to walk on water, just a boat in which to float downstream. A few months later, the day arrived to ride the river. After several weeks of long walks with a heavy pack full of GPS and camera equipment, the thought of giving my legs and blisters a rest and storing gear in a barrel seemed very appealing. How hard could a non-walk be, I thought. I was about to find out! My first decision was to take a mate on this journey. I was…

The township of Mangonui is built on a hill beside lovely Doubtless Bay. It is steep. And because of this there are magnificent views everywhere. Local opinion has it that Mangonui was planned in a London office in the 1880s and the clerk had no idea that he was dealing with a hill. Streets are laid out at right angles to the water and ascend at alarming gradients. You have to be fit to walk the heritage trail which includes lovely old buildings, views of local pā sites and enough panoramic vistas to fill a calendar. The town’s name comes from the traditional tale of a big shark (mangā nui) leading an ancestral waka into the bay a thousand years ago. Māori have been here ever since. During the 1880s…

mountains have always captured the imagination of explorers, climbers, artists and photographers. New Zealand’s tallest mountain Aoraki 3724 metres (12,218 feet) is considered the most sacred of ancestors by Ngāi Tahu, the main iwi (tribe) of the southern region. According to Māori legend, Aoraki and his three brothers were the sons of Rakinui the Sky Father. The boys left the heavens in a powerful waka to visit Papatūānuku (Earth Mother), voyaging in the dark empty southern oceans. While trying to return home, their waka overturned so they climbed on the topside to avoid drowning. They were stranded on the canoe unable to return home and in time turned to stone. The bodies of Aoraki and his brothers were eventually changed into mountains, forming the Southern Alps with Aoraki, the eldest…

What a difference a year makes. I am writing this at the end of a summer that was a bit of a mixed bag here in the south as far as the weather goes. It was rare to get a string of fine, warm days and Mother Nature seemed to have a pattern of winter one day, summer the next. But, here in the south we ended with a blaze of 10 or 12 straight days of real summer before we started to feel the first hint of autumn. Even so, I have managed to fit in a fair bit of travelling in the past year and it’s been nice to have our country back again. As an opinionated journalist I have been keen on pushing the case for international…

SCAN QR TO WATCH THE VIDEO OR CLICK IN DIGITAL EDITION Youtube channel: NZTODAY RV Lifestyle There was plenty of interest in the SmartRV stand at the Covi Motorhome Caravan & Outdoor show. We noticed the Carado T449 four-berth model attracting attention at the price point of $147,900 so we picked up a vehicle from SmartRV a few weeks later to get a closer look. Carado produces a motorhome range for the under $150K market, offering comfort and practicality for owners with different bed layouts available. This model we looked at features the popular rear island bed, separate shower and toilet area, a couple of extra forward-facing passenger seats in the dining area, and a spare bed hidden away in the ceiling – just pull it down if required. This…

To watch videos of Caspar’s adventures visit his facebook page or watch on YouTube Caspar’s capers SCAN QR TO WATCH THE VIDEO OR CLICK IN DIGITAL EDITION Youtube channel: NZTODAY RV Lifestyle Woof woof friends It has been a busy few months around here – there has been all sorts going on. We had a couple more trips to yip yip yap with doggie friends at the Viaduct while more of that boat racing went on. Don and Sally came up for a week, so we went walkies with them a few times around the boats. We have been to Martinborough twice. On the first trip we took a new road and stopped at a place called Kimbolton. Mama and papa talk about going on new roads and they get…