From Kaiaua where fish and chips had replenished our energy, it was a short drive down the road to Ray’s Rest. Years ago we used to drive past here looking at all the motorhomes and wonder what the attraction of the place was and why would you stay where so many others are already staying.… Read More Returning to Ray’s Rest
After leaving Tapapakanga we planned on exploring another of the Auckland regional parks, Waharau which is only really just down the road a few km’s but rather than being on the coastal side is part of the Hunua Ranges and as such the park is set into the bush. The drive between the two parks… Read More Kaiaua and Fish and Chips 😀
A lot of you will have looked at that title and thought where?🤔 Actually, it’s one of the most visited of the Auckland regional parks on the south end of the city, sitting just down the coast from Orere Point and about 60 minutes drive from Auckland central. It’s a place we have visited a… Read More Camping Auckland – Tapapakanga
When I retired in 2017, I figured that would be the end of my working career, but after spending 4 months in the South Island in early 2018, I returned home to find myself at something of a loss as to what to do. I looked back at what I had done over the previous… Read More Downtime – Keeping Busy
Or perhaps I should have called this blog Mr Blobby’s last stand. For those who haven’t read any of the previous blogs, Mr Blobby is our 21-year-old cat who has only recently started his travels having been a house cat for the proceeding 20 years. Sadly as this year has progressed, he is really starting… Read More Wonderful Waikato – Little Waipa
Leaving Waipu, we decided to take the coast road and avoid SH1 this would also give us the chance to explore a part of NZ that we haven’t had the pleasure of seeing for many a long year. It’s hard to know where Waipu stops, and Waipu Beach starts as there isn’t really any break… Read More Mangawhai – Squashed like Sardines
Each time we have parked at Manganese Point, we have looked to the other side of the harbour and asked that age-old question “what is over there?” so we thought we would find out. Due to meet our friends at the Waipu Golf Club a little later that day we decided to explore the area… Read More On The Other Side Of The Water
I was thinking 🤔 about the number of times that I must have driven North to Whangarei in my lifetime and realised that it would be quite a large number. Never, however, when visiting or when I lived there in the early 1980’s, have I driven any other way than over the Brynderwyn hills. This… Read More Manganese Point – Park with a View
Having moved on from the camping area at Pahi. Choosing not to visit the Kauri Museum at Matakohe, we decided to take advantage of the deal the NZMCA has put together with a number of camping grounds and spend the night at Tinopai. One of only two Camp Saver campgrounds in Northland with the other… Read More Tinopai $20 Well Spent
We have been home for the last few weeks sorting out some things for my mother, who sadly has had to move into the care facility at the retirement village after suffering a small stroke. It’s been quite the effort moving stuff out of the old apartment and adding it to our ever-growing pile of… Read More Pahi – Camp on the Waters Edge