Easter Camper Van Weekend

It was with much excitement when I headed to the Top 10 Holiday Park to pick up our camper van for the weekend. Even more hilarity and rush, rush, rush when I found out we could have it the night before – Yippee!

Threw gear in the back and was ready to go by 2130hrs, off to the Coromandel…

There was a goal in mind, sleep at the cannon like gorge half way up SH1, but could the gorge be reached before sleep was required? No, around 2330hrs my bed was beckoning. After a 30mins detour to find a Reserve to park up in for the night sleep was eventually found on the side of what was thought was a very quiet back road.

Little was it known that the local farmers would be up early and passing down this quiet road with their dogs barking before the sun was up

Change of plans… too far to drive for such a short time frame.

An extremely picturesque trip over the Gentle Annie’s to pass through Napier on the way to Waipatiki Beach. I recommend going over this gravel road as it is stunning country side with very dramatic hills. A brief stop for a snack at SpringVale swing-bridge and a few pictures was fun. Further along lunch was had at a DOC camping site in the Kaweka Forest Park by a stunning river and bush setting. I would camp there another time or tramp the hills and stay in the DOC huts.

We decided to stay in the Camp site at Waipatiki Beach, $15 pp, as you were prohibited from camping by the beach. It was worth it to have a hot shower and connect to mains power and get rid of rubbish. (Would stay there again – a nice surf beach and shore dive at high tide)

I was surprised in how much rubbish we had each day while tripping around and it definitely showed how much water we use in everyday activities, as the tank held 85L and we went through a tank a day.

A nice day at the beach with mum swimming most of the day and then off to Kairakau Beach where there was a free camper van area near the end of the beach, opposite end to the Camping Park, with fantastic views. Went to sleep with a full moon shining over the ocean and woke to the sound of crashing waves in the high tide and a beautiful sunrise.

We spent the whole day walking the beach or paddling for me and swimming for the crazy ones; the water was freezing! We sat on a picnic table for a couple of hours watching the numerous fishing boats sprint the gauntlet of crashing waves on their way back into the beach where they were plucked out of the sea to safety by tractors. It was the end of an annual Gallagher’s fishing tournament. This was entertaining with nearly two capsizes, a face plant into the water while getting out of a boat and a motor scrapping on the rocks as the driver had forgotten to lift the motor up – ouch!

We stayed two nights in this camp spot as it was nice.

The next day saw us up and away in a light drizzle to Pourerere Beach, a typical batch community (there is camping here – you do need a permit which can be obtained from the Hastings Council, $35 for 14 days); Aramoana where a farm has been sub divided into stunning holiday homes and also the start of the Te Angiangi Marine Reserve. (No camping here) Then onto Blackhead beach, the south end of the marine reserve and another quaint little fishing community. A camp site at one end and a weird private community at the other end – they are looking for a sheriff.

If you plan on diving in the marine reserve you need to have a four wheel drive vehicle to take on the beach as the best diving is in between both beaches with no road access.

We called in to Porangahau beach for lunch and filled up with town supply water – yeah! Contemplated the nice Country Club golf course but decided on a leisurely walk along the beach.

We trucked along further looking for a spot for the night and did the tourist thing at the hill with the longest place name in the world, Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu (trying saying that with one breath)

Came across a long wide sandy beach at Herbertville perfect for parking the van up for the night. Further back at the community of baches they had a little golf course with sheep grazing.

Last night in the van…

Decided to take the back roads home to Wellington and ended up at dried up Waihi Falls Reserve for a mid morning snack. Some miss map and sign post reading find ourselves lost on the way out of the reserve – we had gone over the Waewaepa Ranges instead of along side of them – oops! So back on to State Highway 2 at Pahiatua and over the Rimatuka’s to Wellington.

Just in time to empty the toilet – hmm…

Commander William (Bill) Smith, DSO, OBE, RNZN (Rtd)

I was privileged enough last week to be seated next to Commander Bill Smith at a Golf Club dinner.  My first thought was, oh no why am I being seated next to this old timer?!

But it was the most interesting night – Bill was one of the HMNZS Endeavour crew with Sir Ed Hillary on the original Trans Antarctic Expedition that crossed the Ross Sea in Summer 1955/56 to find the location for Scott Base. 

Having just got back from my Antarctic trip we obviously had lots of comparisons to make as Bill has not be back since his last visit, Summer of 1956/57.  Bill even asked about the pancake ice which is still there in abundance.

Bill told me lots of stories of his time during World War II where he was a midget submarine Commander and used the original diving equipment of an external lung.  And how the divers would swim out to the nets  surrounding the enemy ships and cut holes in them big enough for their subs to fit through. The divers would then put bombs on the bottom of the enemy ships to blow them up.  The number of Privates that were killed using this type of early dive equipment was large – well before compressed air was introduced. 

To train the Privates would hang on to a weight and free dive down 100ft drop the weight and kick like crazy back to the surface.

In Auckland the Navy base has a building named after Bill.