Winter Holiday in New Zealand - North Island by Camper Van

On July 26th we picked up our Opollo Camper in Auckland and headed South. On our three week holiday at last. Our route took us to Wellington via New Plymouth and West of Mt Egmont then back to Auckland via Wanganui Stratford, Taumarunui, Tokaanu, Rotorua, Whakatane, Tauranga, and Katikati.

We had lots of interesting stops and side trips throughout.
Highlights were:

• Mt Messenger Bush views at the tunnel on the way to Mokau and New Plymouth.

• Mt Egmont

• New Plymouth Coastal Walkway and bridge

• Paritutu Rock - New Plymouth

• Cape Egmont Historic Lighthouse

• Kaupokonui Beach

• Turuturumokai Historic Pa Reserve - Hawera

• Hawera Water Tower - No photo

 

• Waiinu Beach

• Wanganui - Durie Hill Elevator and Tower War Memorial and Historic buildings.

• Foxton Windmill and Flax Stripping Museum.

• Paraparaumu - Southwards Car Museum.

 

• Wellington - Cable Car, Zeelandia, Pencarrow Head Lighthouses. South coast to Owhiro Bay.

• Stratford - Glockenspiel

• Dawsons Falls & Wilkies Pools on Mt Egmont

• The Forgotten Highway - State Highway 43 to Whangamomona and on to Taumarunui. Beautiful old growth bush reserves. Whangamomona Pub.

• Tokaanu - Hot pools. Free camp at the boat club.

• Orakie Korako Geothermal Park.

• Waiotapu - Free geothermal mud pool on Waiotapu Loop Road.

• Rotorua - Top 10 Campground with thermal pools. A walk through Kurau Park.

• Whakatane - Kiwi Boy sculpture. Kapu Te Rangi Historic Reserve and lookouts.

• Waihi - Historic Ti Tree Cafe Eatery

• Of course we liked our Van

Our Kakabeak is flowering

After struggling to stay alive and not be eaten by every passing insect and caterpillar our potted Kakabeak has started to flower.

A New Plant Discovery - Dracophyllum lessonianum

While walking around the Waiotoi Track on Saturday Melva found a plant we had not seen before near the track. After looking it up in our books we found it to be a Dracophyllum lessonianum. While there are Neinei (Dracophyllum latifolium) in the area it seems that this is a new find for the area. Interesting.

A Grand Day Out - Matata Wetland Boardwalk Opening - Saturday 28th June 2014

What a lovely day it has been. Somewhere between 30 and 50 friends and friends of friends arrived at our place this morning to celebrate the completion of the boardwalk. There were visitors from The Whangarei District Council, The New Zealand Ornithological Society, Forest and Bird, Local Land Care groups, Walking Access New Zealand, Local walking groups and friends. What a wonderful turnout.

The task today was to walk on a flagged track in the Hugh Crawford bush reserve and on the two kilometre Waiotoi Track. They are both delightful bush loop trails that start at our house.
To start the day Jim Gansell read a poem that Linda and Jim wrote for the occasion. It is perfect and very fitting for the occasion. At lunch time many came and picnicked on our deck. It was fun to meet everyone with lots of chatter about the nature around us on this special spot.

TRENDING ON TWITTER:  MATATA  BOARDWALK

(For Hilton and Melva on the occasion of the opening of their boardwalk
28th June 2014.)

The shy fern birds looked up to see
well dressed planks and two bare feet.

Towering above was Hilt,
haulin’ ‘n” huffin’,
cursin’ ‘n’ cussin’
over every inch he built.
By pulleys ‘n wedges,
 nails ‘n kedges.

Over months it took shape
set bees abuzzing, bird beaks agape.
What is He doing, why is He here?
He should be with Melva, He lives over there.

Now twitter has spread the word
and the natural kingdom has heard
of a Landmark thru wetland to wood
and a launch event in their neighbourhood.

Oh woe spluttered Ratty
-  it’s Melva or me
How can I get to this ceremony?
No don’t get rattled -
it can be  Melva and me...
‘Cos I have a split personality!

For the tweet went like this:
Old Mill Lane is the place to be -
Saturday June 28th, come and see!
Where we can watch humans and hear them talk
For they have built us an observation boardwalk.

By Linda Donaldson, Jim Gansell and matata June 2014

Today's special treats were the wonderful aroma of the Alseuosmia Banksii flowers that saturated the lower slopes of the Hugh Crawford bush, seeing Fernbirds, hearing Spotless Crake and finding a Gray Warblers nest (Last summers) and, of course, meeting and talking with everyone.
Thank you all.

This weekend

Its been a bit of a gray weekend but as usual, an exciting one at The Riverbank.

On Saturday just after our breakfast we saw a female Pheasant on our drive. Soon after it walked into the undergrowth and started feeding on coprosma berries.

Today we went around the Waiotoi Track armed with my bush knife and saw to clear any wind blown or overgrown vegetation on the track and we heard the little chirp call. It sounded like a Spotless Crake. When I played a recording from my phone a pair immediately responded. Fantastic. We have not seen or heard them here before. We did not see this pair but there was no mistaking the call.

Th Hugh Crawford DOC Reserve

Looking from the reserve back over our wetland

After recently completing the Matata Boardwalk across our wetland to the Hugh Crawford Reserve we have now flagged a loop trail that runs through the reserve and up through and past a good stand of Kauri then back to the boardwalk. It will take you about an hour. Much longer if you are inquisitive about all you find. In the first half of the trail there is an abundance of Alseuosmia Banksii, (Toropapa) that beautifully fragrant under story shrub.
We have also installed signs requesting visitors to spray their footwear (Or bare feet) to help prevent Kauri Die back. Thanks to the Northand Regional Council who supplied the signs, spray and brushes. Do please spray your shoes, or bare feet. There is no Kauri Die back here and we do not want to introduce it.

The end of the boardwalk, start of the trail

The Matata Boardwalk (Otherwise known as The Ngunguru Rail Trail, Banded that is.)

Melva & Bridget

At long last the boardwalk is finished except for a few small levelings. Today our friend Jakub helped out as we cut and hammered home the last planks. Now we can walk across our wetland all the way to the Hugh Crawford DOC Reserve.

The next plan is to mark out two tracks in the Reserve.

 

Summer Produce From Our Garden

Bananas

These Manzano are killing hot

Manzano Chilli

Elderberries

Our beautiful bananas

Ripe at last

This year our young peach trees did well. Small, but beautiful peaches. We mostly seem to have the Fruit Driller Caterpillar (Guava Moth) under control with our traps. The biggest pest at present is the Cicada. The seriously damage the young branches to lay their eggs. As a result the branches break when loaded with fruit. This summer they have been prolific with a lot of damage. 

Golden Queens ready for preserving

Chilli

Melva grows several kinds of chilli. We have two favourites. The one in the photo is sweeter and very mild. We use it instead of capsicum (Bell Pepper). The other is Manzano. Seriously hot and flavoursum. We have red and yellow Manzano. Loads of them. Fantastic!