Innholdsfortegnelse for May - June 2024 i RV Travel Lifestyle

This year is flying by way too fast – it doesn’t need any autumnal winds to push it along. I can’t believe we are in May already as January still seems like just a few weeks ago. The temperature change is welcome as is the rain here in the southern Wairarapa. The vineyards are looking stunning with yellows and reds on the vines, but the cracks in the ground in our backyard are still open and visible. We have had a busy few months, with the Covi SuperShow in March and travelling up and down the North Island before settling back home in Martinborough to work on this issue. At the show, I managed to get around to check out if there was anything new and exciting. There was plenty…

North of New Plymouth, on a bend in the highway where the road leaves the west coast and heads inland, is the small settlement of Awakino. It is nestled beneath the hills on the bank of the Awakino River, where the river turns a right angle and runs parallel to the ocean due to barrier of sand dunes that forms a narrow spit leading to the river mouth. The tidal estuary created by the sandbar provides the ideal habitat for water birds such as spoonbills, pied shags and oystercatchers. Awakino was once an overnight stop for drovers moving cattle or travellers heading along the coast, and it still has a good old-fashioned Kiwi country pub with accommodation, an old general store now called the Awakino River Lodge, and the Awakino…

The name Herrick Creek may conjure up images of a marshy, lush forest floor, but no, it’s a small-batch distillery located on the eastern side of Christchurch. Tom Finn, a Canadian by birth, is at the helm and brings his little piece of home to New Zealand through his whisky. He explains the origin of the name Herrick Creek to me. “At the start of the twentieth century, the New Zealand government sent a request to the Canadian government asking for large game such as moose. The intention was to create a new wildlife reserve for hunting,” says Tom. “While animals were sent, none seemed to survive beyond 1952. There’s a photo taken that year of a moose at the edge of Seaforth River, but nothing’s been seen of them…

KELSO PART 2 I was intrigued by Sheryl Bainbridge’s story about her connections with Kelso last issue of NZTODAY. West Otago is an under-visited corner of New Zealand as it’s bypassed by the main State Highways into Central Otago and Southland, leaving this large, lush, roughly triangular chunk of countryside that is prime farming land where a gorse bush dare not show its yellow bloom. The railway once served the area via a branch line from Waipahi, taking goods and passengers to towns like Edievale, Heriot, Tapanui – and Kelso. Edievale closed down many years ago; Heriot’s not the thriving little town it once was; Tapanui is almost booming – and then we have Kelso. Kelso was never a major metropolis. At its height, it was a town of 300…

Chugga Tugga Tugboat Sally Sutton, Sarah Wilkins RRP $21 Puffin What a lot of jobs a tugboat has to do in a busy city port! Will it ever get some time off? Spend the day at the port with a very busy tugboat in this colourful picture book, perfect for pre-schoolers fascinated with boats and ships. Not Alone: Walking Te Araroa Trail through New Zealand Tim Voors RRP $45.99 Bateman A stunning illustrated memoir of one man’s journey across New Zealand’s stunning yet challenging Te Araroa Trail. This book documents Voors’ adventurous hike across New Zealand’s popular Te Araroa Trail. First he is alone, but soon meets two women who become his travelling companions and the three of them become a trail family. Together they endure storms and dangerous river…

At the Covi Supershow in March, Levin RV Centre revealed an exciting range of Australian-built Suncamper motorhomes. Adding the Suncamper 4x4 Motorhomes and Suncamper 2WD IVECO/Mercedes-Benz based models to the range of RVs available from their site in Levin is a new distributor deal for Levin RV Centre owners Brian and Varee Anderson. At the show I had a short time to check out the range on display and met Michael Spencer from the Suncamper Australia sales team. He gave us a tour of the fully optioned Suncamper Sherwood Conqueror 2024 model. Based on the Ford Ranger 4x4 cab chassis and packed with all sorts of extras for the off-road traveller: an integrated ‘bullbar’ and ‘brush bar’ set up, the snorkel set up for minor water crossings, and an impressive…

The RV Supercentre hall was busy over the Covi show weekend, and the manufacturing arm of thl was there showcasing the latest prototype from Action Manufacturing’s development of the electric EV here in New Zealand. Back in 2019, we featured an article by Allan Dick when he picked up one of the ‘first generation’ Britz EV electric motorhomes, built by Action Manufacturing in limited numbers as a trial in the rental market. That particular model was based on the LDV V80 chassis, 100kW, 320Nm permanent magnet synchronous motor, 56kWh lithium iron phosphate battery system capable of a range of 120km in campervan format, with a charging time of two hours. Allan discovered the actual range depends on wind, hills and windy terrain. Mix those into your travels as he did…

Bubble Gum is a True Delight! Meeting ‘Bubblegum’, a 1972 Zephyr caravan, was a true inspiration! Helen and Kevin Ngakai from Raglan have been coming to Beach Hop since the first caravan show and told us that “there were only eight caravans on display down by the wharf back then. The following year there were 27 caravans, and since then, wow, hasn’t it grown!” “Bubblegum wasn’t too bad when we got her,” said Helen. “Not much was needed really. I wallpapered the interior, and last Christmas learnt crocheting to make the bunting for our caravan then made the curtains and duvet covers. Kevin stripped all the paint off the outside.” Sitting there in the true landscape of the caravan world, the pair totally looked the part, with matching pants and…

Mōkau has all the essential elements to make it a worthy road trip destination. Remote, mysterious, a dramatic land and seascape, full of great stories. In every epic adventure yarn, our hero must traverse a portal of big-time danger to reach a new place of very different dimensions and prospects, and so progress to the stirring denouement of the tale. Lara has to do it in Tomb Raider. Princess Leia in Star Wars, many times. Alan Quartermain and Co, too, in King Solomon’s Mines. Indiana Jones in just about every canyon he encounters. And so it is with visiting the Mōkau River, which debouches on the wild west coast of Te Ika a Māui and defines the border between the Waikato and Taranaki. It’s the second-longest river in the North…

Nestled on the rugged shores of South Island’s Banks Peninsula lies the picturesque town of Akaroa. Known primarily for its stunning harbour and French-inspired charm, it’s also a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, thanks to its array of walking tracks. I decided to take a trip along the roads less travelled and enjoy a weekend exploring the walking tracks of Akaroa. The Rod Donald Banks Peninsula Trust Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū does a fantastic job of providing resources and walking guides to inform visitors’ travels. I armed myself with their booklets, opened up the Banks Peninsula Walks website and sat down for a coffee in the delightful The Common café to start planning. First up, a shorter excursion to refamiliarise myself with the village itself. I walked through the village and…

WILD WOMEN’S WEEKEND When: May 17–19 Where: Edisons, 708 Port Road, Whangamatā www.wildwomensweekend.co.nz Now in its seventh year, Wild Women’s Weekend is a wild mix of music, exercise, food and fun. This year, as well as our regular events, Elvis enters the building. Go take a look at the website and choose what you would like to do. REVAMP VINTAGE AUTUMN MARKET When: May 19 Where: Air Force Museum of NZ, Wigram, Chch www.revampvintage.co.nz The weather might be cooler but it’s always warm at the Air Force Museum! We are excited to be back, with a fabulous array of antiques, collectibles, upcycled furniture, clothing, books, china, silver, the curious and the eclectic all in an aircraft hangar with historic planes. WHITIANGA RUN FEST 2024 When: May 25 Where: Buffalo Beach…

The kitchen workbench top was cut from oak-veneered 26mm plywood and then edged with pine. Even though it was a lot of extra work I made a cutlery and mug drawer for under the workbench. I also made five doors – one for under the sink, and two pairs of doors for the upper and lower wardrobe units – all from 12mm ply surrounded by mitred 18mm pine. Buying a new small stainless steel sink seemed expensive, so for $10 I acquired a used double sink with drainer and simply cut out the smaller bowl with a thin disc cutter. This was mounted underneath the sink workbench with silicon and screws in each corner. The old mains electrical input was a metal socket of the type no longer allowed or…

TrailLite has a long history and the brand is well known around the country for its luxury motorhomes, designed by Kiwis for Kiwis to travel our roads and head off the beaten track for long periods. However, the manufacturer’s roots can be found in their production of the humble caravan; from 1954 TrailLite started producing caravans and grew to be a dominant force in the market. By the 1970s the company had honed its skills within a crowded manufacturing market to concentrate on quality over quantity, solidifying its position at the top of the local caravan manufacturer’s ladder. A change in ownership to the Newman family during the 1980s heralded another growth spurt over the following 10 years, and both motorhomes and caravans were produced. This change in the 2000s…

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There is nothing like a cycle ride through the countryside to get in touch with the environment, as experiencing the smells, sights and sounds of an area creates a lasting impression. The Twin Coast Cycle Trail Pou Herenga Tai in Northland offers this experience as it weaves from the Māngungu Mission House perched on a hill above the Hokianga Harbour in the west, across rolling farmland, bush-covered valleys, through several Northland country towns to Ōpua in the Bay of Islands in the east. The trail completed in January 2017 is the northernmost of the 22 Great Rides that make up the New Zealand Cycle Trail. The ambitious project to create a cycleway across a narrow stretch of Northland has generated business for Kaikohe in the centre of the ride, and…

From the dramatic seashore of Kaikōura, for many, the ‘home’ of kai moana, the Hurunui Heartland Cycle Trail route starts by following the Inland Road (previously SH70) through dramatic landscapes of the inland Kaikōura mountains. The Heartland ride has been designed as a quieter, safer alternative to the busy State Highway One. On its 260km journey, the route traverses a diverse range of landscapes – from the rocky Pacific Coast, through mountain ranges, tussock lands, pastoral farms and the vineyards of North Canterbury – before ending at Christchurch’s Cathedral Square. Along the way are a range of historic sites, inland Canterbury towns and the Waipara wine country. If gravel roads are more your style, two other Heartland Cycle Ride routes will lead you into the Hurunui from Marlborough – the…

WIN THIS COOK BOOK 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 30 June 2024 Braised beef short ribs This is Ree’s recipe, and it’s an absolute winner. I have made it many times since she shared it, always with great success. It’s easy to bring together, it tastes wonderful and is a main dish of substance – a great thing to take to any gathering. Prep time 20 mins, plus marinating Cook time 4–6 hours Serves 6–8 1.2 kg (2 lb 12 oz) beef short ribs2 handfuls green beans, trimmed Marinade 3 Tbsp olive oil1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves2 garlic cloves, crushed1 Tbsp smoked paprika½ tsp cayenne…

Many Happy Returns! 1964 has a lot to answer for, as it was the year two UK caravan manufacturers, Swift and Elddis, officially started production. Coincidentally, it’s also the year I was born but, unlike Swift and Elddis, I’m in denial about turning 60 this summer! Did you know that Swift was founded by Ken Smith, and that his son Peter is still the Chairman of the company today, or that Elddis was founded by Siddle Cook – and the Elddis brand name is Siddle backwards? You do now. Those aren’t the only special anniversaries in the caravan industry this year, as this month (April) it is 75 years since Alde heating systems was founded by Alde Rask, while in a few months’ time, on October 27, Truma (which now…

In the last few years, a big inflatable ‘Snowy River’ entrance has pulled show visitors into the stand for Vanari Caravans, and owners Mike and Samantha Bratty have proudly shown off the Australian Snowy River brand (based in Melbourne) that the couple have held the New Zealand distributor rights for since 2019. This year I spent time with Mike as he showed me the interior of the 2024 Regent Cruiser caravan, built in the same factory as Snowy River but essentially an alternative range to offer customers. The Regent caravan started as a small family business and has been produced for over 30 years, until 2012 when the larger Caravans Australia company added it to their stable of RV brands. In 2015 the New Gonow Group (based in China and…

In response to the evolving landscape of Self-Containment Systems, B2B RV Limited in Christchurch has taken proactive steps to meet the changing needs of RV owners. Recognizing both the challenges and opportunities presented by recent system updates, Peter, the proprietor, identified an avenue for expansion within his business. In December 2023, B2B RV Limited applied to the PGDB to become an independent Issuing Authority for the new Green Scheme. After a diligent review process, approval was granted in March of this year, marking a significant milestone for the company. With the green light received, the team swiftly moved into action to establish the necessary infrastructure. Today, B2B RV Limited proudly announces the commencement of its comprehensive Self-Containment service. From initial inspection to the issuance of certificates, all aspects of the…

Woof-woof, friends! It’s been quite the woof-tastic journey these past few months; filled with toothy troubles, Easter escapades and some exciting encounters along the way. Let me bark you through it! Well, arf-arf it was a tiresome tooth time – my head has been sore and I have been up a lot during the night, moving from spot to spot trying to get comfortable, but I couldn’t tell Mama and Papa I had a problem. A regular vet check-up for vaccine shots on my birthday in early March had the vet looking inside my mouth – instead of my butt glands which have often been a problem for me arf-arf!. I knew something had happened in my mouth, and I have had my teeth cleaned at the vet’s before (when…