Innholdsfortegnelse for September - October 2023 i RV Travel Lifestyle

It has been cold and sometimes wet for us in Martinborough over winter, with a few Remutaka hill road closures due to snow. Lots of overnight frosts and stunning days though. They say spring starts on September 1 but we have been seeing baby lambs and calves since July, and a couple of my spring trees have been in flower since early August. Sunshine and babies help put a smile on the face though, don’t they? It won’t be many more days until I look out the window and see a haze of green around the now naked trees as they burst into life. Over the weekend of September 22 to 24 the Spring NZMCA Motorhome, Caravan and Leisure show will be on at Mystery Creek, Hamilton. Last year was…

Locals in Hawke’s Bay will proudly tell you that the soils there can grow just about anything. Visit the legendary Hawke’s Bay Farmers Market on a Sunday morning and you’ll hear the phrase “You can put a stick in the ground, and it’ll grow”, touted over and over again. And when it comes to the region’s wine production, they’re not wrong. Hawke’s Bay produces 38 varieties of wine, making it the most diverse wine-growing region in New Zealand. It is also the country’s oldest and second largest, and the leading producer of premium red wine and Chardonnay. It should come as no surprise then that Hawke’s Bay was recently named a Great Wine Capital of the World, joining 11 other exceptional wine growing regions – including Bordeaux, Verona, Napa Valley…

I have understood the undersold nature of Oamaru and the North Otago/Waitaki hinterland for a long time. Before I came to live here, from Auckland, 12 years ago I wondered how a small area could contain so many treasures and not really either be aware of them, or disinterested in doing anything with, or about them. But now, we have a ‘lightbulb that goes off ’ overhead moment, we’ve done something with some of these treasures and it’s called a Geopark! I would be telling porkies if I said my hometown of Ōamaru was fizzing with excitement over the fact that our region (Waitaki) is being given Geopark status by UNESCO. In fact life goes on quite unremarkably. But while there wasn’t dancing in the streets and balloons, those who…

New Zealand subantarctic Islands The New Zealand subantarctic Islands consist of five island groups (the Snares, Bounty Islands, Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands and Campbell Island) in the Southern Ocean south-east of New Zealand. The islands, lying between the Antarctic and Subtropical Convergences and the seas, have a high level of productivity, biodiversity, wildlife population densities and endemism among birds, plants and invertebrates. They are particularly notable for the large number and diversity of pelagic seabirds and penguins that nest there. There are 126 bird species in total, including 40 seabirds of which eight breed nowhere else in the world. Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand 1998 The landscape in this park, situated in southwest New Zealand, has been shaped by successive glaciations into fjords, rocky coasts, towering cliffs, lakes…

COOK BOOK TO BE WON Images and text from Summer Favourites by Vanya Insull, photography by Melanie Jenkins (Flash Studios), published by Allen & Unwin, RRP $39.99 Scan QR code below or email Subject line Road Kai to: subs@rvmagazine.co.nz Give us your full contact details and which recipe shown here you will try first. Entries close 31 Oct 2023 to enter online VOL 22 ROAD KAI A TABLE AT TANGLEBY II SHONA JEFFREY PLIMMERTON Herby Chicken Dippers Ready in 40 minutes × Makes 24 medium dippers You won’t believe how much flavour is packed into these chicken dippers. It’s the perfect recipe to make in summer when zucchini is in season. Serve with a fresh green salad for dinner or make smaller dippers to share as nibbles at a party…

ON THE ROAD AGAIN. A friend has a one-man furniture moving business and while normally he’s on the road between the two islands, recently he moved someone from Ōamaru to Reefton. At the mention of Reefton, Audrey’s mother and I exchanged glances and you could instantly read ‘feel like a trip to Reefton?’ in that glance. I like Reefton and in another life gave about five seconds thought to buying Wilson’s Hotel on the main street and moving there from Auckland. But sanity returned very quickly. We knew we were heading into ‘cold’ country so Audrey’s mother brought winceyette sheets and duvet covers; we filled the Sprinter up with diesel and off we went. As usual, we had no firm plan, but night one was spent in a remarkable public…

Crossword by David Cass Clues across: 7. For golf addicts, Queenstown offers one of NZ’s most scenic courses at ------Heights (6) 8. Hauraki Plains township, noted for a classic NZ drink and also for fine antique and secondhand shops (6) 10. Small van in Toyota’s commercial range, first introduced in 1970 and occasionally used as a base vehicle for compact 2-berth weekender vans (4,3) 11. Umbrella organisation, founded in 1956, for NZ’s camping and vanning community, (1,1,1,1,1) 12. South and east of Rotorua airport is a large 3D maze at Te ----Park - a recommended stop as a diversion for bored youngsters (4) 13. Lovely village off SH1 a few km south of Warkworth; its pioneer founders were settlers from Bohemia in 1863 (5) 17. Fine Auckland museum, featuring an…

In 1862 immigrants from Britain arrived at Port Albert on the Kaipara Harbour and settled in the district, including at nearby Matakohe and Paparoa. Known as Albertlanders, they cleared the land for farming or worked in the kauri logging and gum industries. The Kauri Museum was established in 1962 to celebrate the centenary of their arrival and today it pays tribute to those early pioneers as well as documenting and preserving the history of the kauri industry. The museum website claims it is the largest covered attraction in Northland and there is certainly plenty to see. Redevelopment over the past two years has just been completed, and the museum now boasts a new entrance, complete with an internal ‘forest walkway’, a Research Centre, and refurbished café. The museum is divided…

Sir Edmund Hillary Archive The Sir Edmund Hillary Archive is a unique and substantial collection of personal papers, photographs, audio-visual material and documents collected and largely written by Sir Edmund. Correspondence, diaries, drafts of books, lists of expedition supplies, scrapbooks, lecture notes and original photographs give a first-hand account of his adventures and reveal the details and impact of his humanitarian and environmental work in India, Nepal, Antarctica and beyond. The Archive spans the second half of the 20th century through to the early 21st century. The Treaty of Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi is the founding document of the nation of New Zealand. It was signed in the Bay of Islands on 6 February 1840 by Captain William Hobson, several English residents and approximately 45 Maori chiefs. The document…

UNESCO City of Design Whanganui Whanganui has been named as New Zealand’s only UNESCO City of Design, recognising the city’s historic and contemporary contributions to art and creativity. The designation earns Whanganui a place in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network of 246 cities which put creativity at the heart of their development plans. Whanganui was the fourth city in New Zealand to be recognised as a Creative City. UNESCO City of Literature Dunedin Dunedin became New Zealand’s first UNESCO Creative City when it was awarded ‘City of Literature’ status in 2014. The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) is designed to develop international cooperation among cities and encourages partnerships that deliver on UNESCO’s global priorities of culture and development, and sustainable development. There are seven different Creative City themes in the…

Colour the Stars: Taea Ngā Whetu Dawn McMillan  RRP $19.99 Scholastic How do you describe colour to someone who is blind? Isaac and Luke are friends. Luke is blind and believes that he doesn’t need colours in his life. Isaac can’t imagine a world without colours and decides to teach his friend about them. Cracking the Happiness Code Dr Pamela Stoodley RRP $30 Cracking the Happiness Code is a simple guide that deals with causes and solutions for maintaining blissfulness. Part A of the book lists common foundational causes that could be responsible for the ‘why do I struggle with happiness’ and once understood, while Part B explains ‘how can I change my situation’. Whiskey Lima Golf Darin Dance RRP $29.99 Bach Doctor Press The plot revolves around Tom Yelich,…

When I get home, it will only be a week until my annual trip to the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf, Germany. There are always lots of new and interesting things to see there, and I hope to see what progress there is with electric-powered motorhomes and any camper conversions of the all-electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has already released images of a California Concept camper – the next generation of its hugely successful California. The new version is based on a Multivan, VW’s latest people carrier. The new vehicle will have a tablet-sized touchscreen to control and monitor various functions, such as the electrically-operated pop-up roof. The California of tomorrow will be “unique in its class” according to VW. It will still be built in Hanover, Germany (like…

A phone call in August from Paul Cook at RnRV, saw us calling into their sales yard in Silverdale while in Auckland recently. Their latest arrival, the Rapido 8096dF A-Class motorhome with its huge king-size island bed, was prepped and ready for pickup by the new owners, and we wanted to have a look before it left the yard. There is a lot to love about French-built motorhomes: luxury finishes and thoughtful European designs certainly offer the wow factor when you step into this motorhome for the first time. The Rapido company has remained in family ownership throughout its history, and today the company’s Managing Director is Nicolas Rousseau, the grandson of the founder Constant Rousseau who, with his background as a craftsman and cabinetmaker, started the company in 1961…

To watch videos of Caspar’s adventures visit his Facebook page or watch on YouTube Caspar’s capers Woof woof readers Well, I don’t have much to yip-yip-yap about this time. It has been brrr-cold outside at home but my hair was long for a while so I was okay, but then a visit to Lola and Mama had my tummy and legs clipped short while my back was left a bit longer. It was not fun, and I had a bit of a tussle with Lola for the first time coz I still had lots of sores on me and was a bit sensitive. I’m all better now thanks to the allergy pills, and I’m pretty sure some other sort of pill was stuck in that yummy creamy pâté stuff I…

When we head Welly-wards we usually base ourselves at Raumati Beach, which isn’t wild at all. It’s an easy drive, or train trip, of about 53km from the capital, and a place where our beachfront accommodation gives easy access to miles of beachside walking tracks, overlooks Kāpiti Island and in clear weather has wide views to the South Island. As well as great eateries and boutique shops, Paraparaumu’s Coastland shopping centre and services are just a walk away. Further up the beachfront road there is plenty of room for parking (including RV parking), playgrounds and parks, and seats to enjoy the ocean view. And from her hilltop perch off Tongariro Street, the 14-metre statue of Our Lady of Lourdes keeps a benign eye on the goings-on below. Constructed in 1958,…

Pureora Forest Park straddles the Hauhungaroa and Rangitoto Ranges between Lake Taupō and Te Kuiti, and is accessible from State Highway 30 and State Highway 32. The park preserves the last remnants of the extensive native podocarp forests that once covered most of the central North Island. It has a logging history dating back to the 1940s, when Pureora Forest was one of the last native forests to be opened up for logging. There are several campsites in the park that are accessible by car, caravan and campervan: Kakaho Campsite, Ngaherenga Campsite and Piropiro Campsite. They are great bases for exploring the beautiful walking, tramping and biking tracks of Pureora. Please note, these campsites are open but may be damaged with slips or fallen trees from recent severe weather. Be…

UNESCO UNESCO stands for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. It is a specialised agency of the United Nations, aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, the sciences and culture. It was established after WWII on the belief that ‘political and economic arrangement will not produce lasting peace and the only certainty for world security is intellectual and moral solidarity’. What is the role of the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO? The National Commission for UNESCO was established to serve as a first point of contact for UNESCO in New Zealand and to provide expert advice on UNESCO related issues. Funded by the Government and made up of a Secretariat, Chair, Commissioners with expertise in areas of education, natural science, social sciences,…

As we drive up the ‘valley of grapes’ after leaving Blenheim, there are vineyards on each side of the road for miles – their names read like a who’s who of the wine industry. Impressed with the health of New Zealand wine producers, I notice the landscape begins to change as we follow the Wairau River up into the hill country. The turn off for the Rainbow Ski Area in the St Arnaud Range marks the entrance to the high country and the boundary between the Marlborough and Tasman districts. The town of St Arnaud a short distance down the road is the entrance to Nelson Lakes National Park and the beautiful alpine lakes Rotoiti and Rotoroa. Steep hills rise from the lake on each side of Rotoiti and the…

I enjoy projects, and over the years, while camping in my various vans and now my extremely smart, well-kitted-out Nissan Civilian motorhome, I have seen all sorts of caravans. I first thought of buying a really old (maybe retro) caravan and stripping it and making it nice, but I realised that a pop-up camper was probably a slightly simpler challenge. I am not really planning to use such a camper myself but had a plan to resell it after the transformation. So from Trade Me I purchased a 1976 Sprite Hardtop as I prefer the layout of these with a side door, single bunk/seat on the left and a smallish double bed/seating on the right. Because of the distance from the seller and the rainy weather at the time, I…

A trip to Mount Maunganui recently saw us meet up with Co-owner Kelly Tutbury of Latitude 37 caravans. We have been following the hype and seeing customers picking up their brand-new Titanium caravans on Facebook, so wanted to see them up close and personal this visit. Check out the video with Kelly showing us the Titanium Hardcore ATX 20.6˝ caravan, on-site at the Latitude 37 sales yard located next to the RV Service Centre in Mount Maunganui; she talks us through her favourite features. The specs read rough and tough, and Kelly and business partner Clint Bastin certainly thought so after personally inspecting and testing the Titanium-built caravans to their own rigorous standards before taking on the New Zealand distribution for the genuinely Australian-built brand. Clint has over 20 years…