Bronze Whaler on Wheels: A Blow out

After we left Kaitoke, we went and stayed at Masterton for a week at the caravan association park. It is a new park for the NZMCA and has a dump station, water and rubbish. They older ones don't have a dump staion, so it's quite convenient when one does.

Masterton is starting to look pretty with the trees along the river bank changing colour. There are walking paths both sides of the river, so it was nice to go for a walk along them. One day we met a jack russel with little bright orange boots on. His paws get sore in the gravel and the little boots protect his feet. The owner said it took him a while to get used to them, but he is ok now and so are his paws. He looked very cute in them. I never thought to take a photo for you.

While in Masterton we bought a new tow vehicle. We bought a ford ranger. It is 14 years younger than the toyota. The toyota was very slow towing up hills and we were a bit worried what was going to happen with it. The ranger is a 6 speed manual gear box, so it is good for towing.

We were on our way to Taupo last Wednesday. As we were pulling up the hill from the Esk Valley, Eddie said the man behind us is flashing his lights at us, I think we need to stop. Well finding somewhere to stop on that narrow winding road was a bit of a mission, but we found somewhere just about adequate. Eddie got out to have a look. He came back to the passenger side and I said do we have a puncture? He said, no we only have a rim. Somewhere a long the way we had a blow out that we hadn't felt. So we were going a long with 3 tyres and 1 rim. Luckily another one didn't go and it wasn't on the road side of the van.

It had broken through the inside guard and into the cupboard above it. All our wiring 230 volt and 12 volt were ripped apart. it was quite a mess. Eddie changed the tyre and we went on to Taupo. A friend has an engineering workshop and he put us onto the auto electrian around the corner from him.

They were so good. A shout out to Glen and his team at Buckton Auto Electrical. We got there at 4 30 and they couldn't have done enough for us. They put a battery onto the fridge which was full with a weeks shopping in it. (luckily it's 12 volt) and we were able to park it in their shed. We spent the night in a motel. They worked on it all day Thursday and got it done by 4 30.

We spent the night at a park over property near Reporoa and came to Thornton on Friday. It was a bit of an adventure we didn't need. Yay for insurance!!

Eddie is going to work for local contractor for the winter. We really have to fill the hole in the bank now we have a new car too!! It came up just at the right time. Eddie called him and he said he had had lots of idiots calling and would you like the job. Eddie is starting after Easter. It is in Edgecumbe, so not too far from Thornton.

We have settled back into Thornton as if we have never been away.