A trip to Wellington.

We decided to go to Wellington to see my Mum this week. We were going to leave on Sunday, but then we realized it was a long weekend, so we decided to leave on Monday instead. Our first plan was to stop somewhere on the way and arrive in Wellington on Monday and have 4 nights there. The best laid plans etc.

We had overheating problems in the truck as we were climbing up to Waioruru. So we turned around and went to the Ford dealer in Taupo. They put a new thermostat in, which we hoped fixed the problem. We spent the night at the motorcaravan association camping ground just out of Taupo. So we lost a night there.

While we were wandering around Taupo, Eddie spotted a friend’s caravan going past, so he gave them a ring. They are spending the night in Taupo too, so we were parked up together at the camping ground. We haven't seen them for ages, so it was nice to catch up.

We had a lunch stop above the Rangitaiki River, just after passing through Mangaweka. The photo below is the lovely view we had. This is the same river that comes out at the coast beside Thornton Beach.

The truck was good until we got to Transmission Gully. I don’t know if you have driven up it, but it is very steep and goes on for quite a long time. We were nearly at the top when it got hot again. 

Tomorrow we are having a new radiator put in. It’s turning out to be a very expensive time away. We are hoping it will be ok going back to Matamata on Friday. Fingers crossed.

Little tree, big apple

 I am not saying it has been hot, but on Friday, we saw a very hot blackbird. He was lying on his tummy with his wings spread out. He was beside the hedge and if he had moved back a few centimetres he would have been in the shade. Daft bird.

Our social life continues with lunches and morning or afternoon teas with friends from genealogy and tramping clubs.

On Sunday we went to Putaruru to see an old friend from trampiing club. They have planted a new apple tree. As you can see, the apple is almost as big as the tree. It did make me laugh.

The big tree that fell down in the storm has been cleaned up and taken away. Most of the town has been cleaned up and we are all tidy again.

Along the bike trail that goes to Te Aroha, someone has planted apple trees on the grass verge. Sadly no on is looking after them and they all have codlin moth. It seems such a waste as apple trees aren't cheap and need some tender loving care.

A busy week

 

A leak finally fixed and a tramp

I went with the tramping club on Sunday The first official tramp is up Mt Te Aroha which is a pretty full on climb, especially as you near the top. So to get some fitness levels up some of the group are doing walks pre tramping season. Next weekend they are planning to go to Wairongomai. I’ll see what we are doing before I decide to go or not.

It was a nice walk just from the Arapuni dam to Jones’s landing and back. About 6 km all up. Afterwards we went to the Rhubarb cafe in Arapuni village for a cuppa and a snack. I just had a cold drink and ate my lunch when I got home. It was good to get home before the heat really kicked in. I set my Strava app going and forgot to press start. Once I realized I got it going, but I thought I had done something wrong. When I looked at it at the end of the walk there was nothing recorded. The next morning I found it had recorded half the walk as well as the ride back to Matamata. It gave me a chuckle. I have no idea what I did or how to edit it, so I called the walk "Not True."

The leak under the couch kept on going after Eddie had thought he had fixed it. Yesterday, he found the problem. The new piece he had put in had 4 screws in it which weren’t tight. He thought that they would have been tightened in the factory, which just goes to show how wrong you can be.

Eddie has filled the holes around the toilet ready to paint. We are painting it the same as the cupboard doors in the bathroom. We took a piece in from the bit he cut down. The lady in Mitre 10 photographed the piece and the computer mixed the paint to match. So clever. She said it was her favourite toy. It is such a lovely match too. We are very pleased with it.

The photo is the new shelf Eddie added last week, before the area underneath was painted.

A new loo and a leak.

Happy New Year.

We didn't stay up to see the new year in. We watched a Bruce Willis movie that finished at 11, but we were ready for bed by then. 

We decided to change our toilet to a compost one. We had one in the 5th wheeler and liked the way it worked. There is less water usage, which is handy when you have a limited supoly. We have measured up the gap and it will go in very nicely. The agent is in Raglan, so we went over there on Monday and picked one up. It is very similar to the one we put into the 5th wheeler, but a bit more modern. It has an automatic turning handle that goes for 45 seconds and the poo bucket lifts out so we don’t have to take the whole toilet out to empty it as before. So it is easier for us getting older and not as strong. The urine goes into a bottle in the front and should last 3 or 4 days.

As you can see it is a very neat and tidy unit.

Last night Eddie noticed the carpet by his couch was damp, so he had a look underneath his couch and the pipe that brings water into the caravan was dripping. We put an ice cream container under the drip until this morning. It was about a 1/4 full when we looked this morning, so that would have made a lovely mess. It is all fixed now, but we have left the container underneath just in case. We will have to check it every now and then to make sure it is still ok. Just one of the joys of living in a caravan.

Christmas and the laundromat

 We had  lovely weather in Taupo for Christmas. We took warmer clothing with us and didn’t need it. We spent a couple of days with Eddie's sister and her husband.

We got to there on Christmas Eve, early afternoon. After a cuppa we went for a walk. They have a walking / biking track near them, so we did a loop. They were a bit disappointed to learn it was only 1.5 km long.  

On Christmas morning we slept in until 7: 30, which is very unusual for us. We woke up at the normal time and went back to sleep.

We had so much food for Christmas lunch. We had ham and leg of lamb; cooked chickens; A roast pork; venison sausages. There were lots of salads and new potatoes too. For dessert we had ambrosia, pavlova, strawberries, cherries, watermelon and trifle.

I did some washing at the laundromat just down the road from where we are camping. I put the powder and softener into the machine and then realized it was out of order. So annoying. Luckily there is a powder etc dispenser, so I bought some more. The softener didn’t come out, so that was annoying too. As it happened when I got back from the supermarket the man was cleaning the laundry. I told him of my lost softener and he gave me one. Then he tested the machine and it worked so I don’t know what I did. He gave me the one he got out too, so that was kind. When I put the washing into the dryer, the motor went but it didn’t spin. I was really glad he was still there. He used the company card and we put my washing into another dryer and off it went. He thought the belt had come off the first one. Just before he left he found a card with $8 on it that someone had left behind and he gave it to me, so all in all not a bad outing at the laundromat. Who knew that laundromats could be so entertaining!!

I am getting back into walking as I have been a bit slack over the last few weeks. I will have to get up earlier and go before it gets too hot. I tend to lay in bed and read. The chestnut trees along Tower Rd are out in flower. The photo is a bit blurry, but you can see what they are like. They weren't really what I was expecting when I had a closer look.

The chestnuts get collected by people every year when they fall in the autumn. I think they are lovely looking trees.

Opotiki to Matamata

We left Opotiki early as we thought it might have been busy coming through Whakatane, but we got through nice and easily. We arrived at Matamata at lunchtime and set up after we had eaten. It almost feels as if we have never been away.

On Friday we went and bought 2 presents for secret Santa at our family do at Eddie's sister's house in Taupo. We bought a soft toy kakariki that gives the call when it's tummy is pushed and a 365 day calender with a joke for each day.

We haven't seen family there for a while, so we are looking forward to catching up with everyone. Eddie's great nephew's partner is expecting a baby in March, so a new twig for the tree.

It was supposed to be showery on Saturday, but it was sunny all day in the end. I did the washing down at the laundry at the end of the road. I had to load a card with the money on it, to use the machines. I was hoping it was an eftpos run one, but no, so now I have another card in my wallet. I have one from the Opotiki laundry too. Because it was supposed to be showery I used the dryer too. It didn’t quite dry, so I finished it off on the line at home.

While I waited for the washing, I went for a walk. I put it into the dryer and went off again. I ended up doing  5 ks, so I was pleased about that. It’s the longest walk I have done for a while. It made and interesting map on my Strava app.