A day to buy a lotto ticket

 Thursday 28 June

Yesterday saw us camping on Caroline Bay but not before we had a bit of drama.  On arriving into Timaru we thought we had thought we would park at the south end of town at Patiti Point but unfortunately this area was being upgraded and was full of contractors resealing it. Our book told us that campers and motor homes are allowed to park overnight by the skating rink on Caroline Bay so we detached the car and went to check it out. It is always difficult looking around with the bus and car attached. A wrong turn and no way of reversing the operation can be disastrous.  So back to collect the bus we went but the bus keys were nowhere to be found. They surely couldn’t be far away - we had driven to this point. The car, bus and gutter (which were full of leaves) were thoroughly searched but to no avail. Fortunately we had a spare key hidden on the bus and while Stephen was retrieving it I had another look in the car.  And there they were. But not in the car but on the roof!!! They had been there all the time we had driven around Timaru and down onto Bay. Stephen thinks he has good driving skills. I think someone was looking after us!!!

Spot the keys

We thought this would be a great spot but unfortunately it was just a little close to both the railway line and the port. All night there was the rumble of trains and trucks moving down the loop road onto the harbour which didn’t provide us with the best night’s sleep. Of course the ‘hoon’ who drove around the carpark in the wee small hours and sounded his siren type horn didn’t help either.

Caroline Bay has been redeveloped over recent years and is a place that has something for everyone. Lots of walking tracks, gardens and play areas for children. We walked into town up through the piazza and the top of the cliffs that give magnificent views across the city and the bay.
After what Stephen would call a painful experience, shopping for some new clothes for him we headed out to Geraldine to stay the evening with Mum and Dad.

Must remember to get that ticket!

Waitaki Valley

Sunday/Monday (24/25) June
After a slow start to the day we made our way to Oamaru and we spent the afternoon wandering around the 'old town' and down on the revamped harbour area. It is certainly a place with lots to offer and we could have easily spent longer.
Time was getting on and we had Kurow as our next destination. Unfortunately we we didn't stick to our own rules and by the time we approached Kurow it was getting close to dark. The 'bible' had us looking for a free camping spot just 3km from Kurow close to the Hakataramea  river. After a couple of missed and wrong turns (not easy to rectify with 9m of bus and a car in tow) we finally settled on a spot on Kurow Is.  In the morning we decided this was as good a spot as any so we stayed two nights.  As for the lost spot, we went for a drive the next day and it was never going to be suitable. More suited to a fisherman with a 4 wheeldrive vehicle. A note to the NZMCA is in order here we think.

We took a drive in the afternoon up to Aviemore, up one side, across the Benmore Dam to Otamata and back to Kurow. Foraging for firewood is always to the fore and we were lucky to find heaps of cones at Fisherman's Bend. Half an hour of exercise and there are enough cones for several days burning.

 Tuesday 25 June

We awoke to a very fresh morning, the sun shining but a mean wind blowing off the snow that had fallen on the hills overnight. Undeterred we decided we still wanted to climb to the lookout on the hill above Kurow. So well wrapped up we set off. The walk took about 45 minutes to the top and was a steady climb. The hill broke the cold wind so it was very pleasant till we got to the top. The views from there were well worth the effort.

Our next destination was to be Waimate so we set off through Ikawai, a place where my grandmother had once lived as a young girl. There is not much there these days other than lots of dairy cows. Our camp for the night was another NZMCA camp, right in Waimate and once there we had a quick drive around the township before hunkering down for the night. A strong wind blew for much of the night but hearing about other parts of the country. Brrrrr!

Exploring coastal Otago

Friday 23 June
The Butterfly House has always been something we have wanted to see so we decided this would be what we would see in Dunedin before having lunch with Michael and Sharon. What an amazing place this is. Even for just adults though seeing it through the eyes of a child would be even more amazing. More information can be found at this link: http://www.otagomuseum.govt.nz/discovery_world_tropical_forest.html

It was great to meet up with Mike and Sharon for lunch and even better that Mike had an account at the cafe, which was just along from his office.
We headed out of Dunedin and travelled over the motorway and turned at Evansdale to follow the coastal route around to Karitane.  There we found the perfect spot to pull over, boil the billy and have a cuppa while looking out over the estuary and its  picture perfect view. The coastal trip is definitely a road trip to take if you ever have time though I wouldn't mind a $1 for every time we crossed a railway crossing.
Next stop was Goodwood where we were stopping over with family. Stephen's cousin Sheryl and her husband Mark, live there on their 200 acre property. It was a lovely evening reconnecting with family and we left with promises of returning again in the not too distant future.

The late afternoon sun across the estuary at Karitane.

 Saturday 24 June
Kakanui was our next destination but with a detour or two. We turned at Palmerston and travelled through Trotters Gorge. A little bit of homework for future reference saw us do a short walk into a DOC camp site. It looked good but was definitely a summer camping spot. Something to mark in the book for another time.  Moeraki Boulders is another place we frequently sail passed so we pulled in and did a walk out onto the beach to have a look at these remarkable geological features. I couldn't resist climbing onto one of them.
Hampton seemed like a good spot for a bite of lunch and the day was unbelieveable for a late June day. We found a picnic spot on the foreshore and were able to sit outside at a picnic table to enjoy our lunch.
Kakanui is a place I remember from my childhood and I was keen to return. We found a campsite run by the ratepayers and parked in their park high above the beach. A foraging trip along the beach yeilded enough firewood to keep the fire going for the evening.

Trip to Dunedin

The birthday girl.

Monday 18 June

The Nuggets

After birthday wishes to Shelby we made our way to The Nuggets and the lighthouse. I had been there several times in recent years on school trips but Stephen was unfamiliar with the road which is both gravel and narrow. Without local knowledge it is not a place you would take a 9 metre bus towing a small car. The area has been well developed in recent years and there is heaps of space for parking and turning. The weather was still grey and overcast with the occasional passing shower. As we had a cuppa our luck was with us and the weather cleared. Well rugged up we made the trek out to the lighthouse. This walk is well worth the effort. The views are magnificent.
Another cuppa on the main street of Kaka Point and then we headed towards Milton. Our NZMCA Directory told us there was a camp site at Chrystall’s Beach - out from Milton.  We unfortunately didn’t keep to our unwritten rule of making camp before dark, and as we were heading towards Chrystall’s Beach sunset was almost on us. The roads were gravel and because of the recent rain very muddy. The directions were perfect until we got to where we thought we should be. Which way?? Left or right. The directory certainly didn’t tell us. Murphy’s law - we went right and ended up at the end of the track heading into a farmer’s private property. There was nothing to do but detach the car and back the bus out the 1km or so. In the meantime the cocky had come along the road and suggested that the left turn had some cribs and that may provide some parking room. Since we had the car off we drove down to take a look and found a great wee spot - hard ground and right by the sea. But a lesson learnt - not to be out looking for a parking spot just on dark.

Tuesday 19 June
The morning showed we had chosen well - but not thanks to our ‘Directory’ or ‘Bible’ as it has become affectionately known.
We decided that we would stay another night which meant no deadlines for finding the next camping spot and a chance to just relax. We had a long walk on the beach and through the cribs that were a little further along the road. Stephen was also able to restock our ‘wood supply’ from wood lying around the area.

Parked at Chrystall's Beach, 20km east of Milton.







The vehicles including the bikes, were the casualty of this camp - the mud was caked thick onto every surface imaginable. It is times like this that the water blaster would have come in handy but then how many toys do you take with you when living on the road!!!!

Wednesday 20 June
Brighton was where we thought we would make for today. According to the ‘Bible’ there were numerous parking spots along this piece of road, south of Dunedin and on the Southern Scenic Highway.  We made our way out to State Highway 1 just north of Milton and navigated our way through the traffic to Lake Waihola. Stephen doesn’t like driving on roads where the traffic is heavy as his preferred speed is around 70 - 80 km/hour so consequently he is pulling over constantly to let the faster traffic through.
There are certainly lots of parking spots along this stretch of road - the trick was to know far enough in advance to know when to pull over. All too often we drove past what looked like a suitable one and turning back is not an option. We got lucky about 4km before Brighton and pulled into an ideal camping place for us - sheltered both from the road and the prevailing winds. 

The three photos show the view from the bus, the bus in desperate need of a wash and the bull seal who tried to frighten us off his beach.

Thursday 21 June
Our destination today was Dunedin but first it was a good long walk along the beach. A surprise visitor was a large bull seal who found his way out of the water to give us a fright. How dare we walk on his patch. 
Some free range eggs from the stall just along from where we were parked and it was off to the city. We decided we needed a few home comforts especially to do both our the washing of our clothes and the vehicles. Dunedin has a fantastic camp at St Clair but they certainly know how to charge. No wonder so many of our budget tourist campers are reluctant to use these facilities. With a basic charge of $39 and $7 to wash and dry our washing it wasn’t a cheap night.
Stephen had a few bits and pieces that we wanted from Mitre 10 so we took the car down Andy Bay Road in search of the said store. Our big mistake was going after school was out. And this is a small city!!! Give us a small rural town any day. After Mitre 10 we thought we would try the supermarket. It was soooo busy we drove through the carpark (no parks in sight) and headed back to our bus. We would make do with what we had!!

The day the journey started

Thursday 14 June 

Stephen planing the door.

Serving up dessert

The evening was spent with our friends Julianne and Jim out at Lorneville. It was like our first WOOFING assignment as Stephen had a small list of things to do - planing a door that has been sticking, fixing a door-handle and putting up some hooks for clothes.  Julianne cooked us a beautiful meal which was enjoyed with a wine or two and good conversation. We actually stayed in the house as I took the opportunity to do the washing and that included the sheets. At 11pm at night I didn’t have much desire for making up the bed.

Friday 15 June 

We had lunch with Mavis and Maurice at Nichol’s Garden Centre and then popped into town to do a few last minute jobs like getting a few groceries.  Then with a fuel stop on Elles Road we headed out along the Scenic Southern Route to Fortrose. A park on the foreshore was secured, the fire lit and it was time to batten down the hatches for the night. The sunset over the estuary was beautiful but didn’t last long and by the time the camera was located the best of it had past.  With a clear sky it was easy to see that there was going to be a frost in the morning.

Tea had been locally sourced albeit in a roundabout way. Our friends the Birches had given us some whitebait (caught in the Mataura river just across the estuary) when we were up in Clyde last week. It made a lovely first meal away.

Sunset over Fortrose Estuary

 Saturday 16 June

Mrs Thomas's house on the hill in Fortrose

 We woke to a rather chilly morning with signs of a good frost. We weren’t in any hurry to move. The wee fire was lit but in those cold conditions it struggles to bring the temperature up. The bus heater is a great supplement. Breakfast over it was time for a walk. We started off along the estuary and then it was up the hill to the shop and past the Bennett’s wee house.  My friend Bronwyn lives in Mrs Thomas’s house (Andrew’s grandma’s place) so we thought we would walk on up and see if she was out from town for the weekend. Luck was with us and she invited us in for a cuppa. We took several photos for Andrew and I would think that even after 20 years some parts of the wee place hadn’t changed much. Bronwyn showed us all the things they had done to it - a real ‘crib’ for the extended family.
Our next destination was the Niagara/Waikawa area and we headed off mid afternoon in that direction. A stop at Tokonui was made at the public dump station and the Saturday paper was bought.

Southland's own Niagara Falls!!

The NZMCA has a campsite at Niagara so we decided to have a look at it. The afternoon was getting on so it wasn’t hard to make the decision to camp here. At this time of the year it is important to make camp before the sun goes down as the temperature in the bus drops very quickly. All that glass - a bonus when the sun is shining but not so on a cold night.  And this one looked like it was going to be colder than the last. 

Sunday 17 June

A frosty start to the day!

We were right about the cold night. We woke to -4°C in the bus, all the windows were iced, and our water and pump were frozen. It was very picturesque but this was not the start we had planned all those months ago, envisaging more temperate times. However we weren’t the only ones in the camp that night. Our neighbours were a couple in their 80s who lived permanently on the road. They too were without water.  The one thing that we do have is a very warm bed and we never felt cold during the night. Our sheets are polar fleece and while tucked up in bed with them, along with our feather duvet and mattress topper we are always toastie warm.

A walk to warm up was in order so we set out along the road towards Waikawa. Out in the sun it was very pleasant and so we kept going as far as the Waikawa cemetery where many of Stephen’s relatives are resting including his great-grandmother. Stephen’s mum’s family all came from around the area and included both the Bennett and the Weir families.
Our next campsite was at Owaka. Stephen’s niece now lives there and we were keen to see her new house. We also had birthday presents to deliver for Shelby’s 3rd birthday.  There was plenty of room on the section for the bus and Lisa had cooked us a lovely roast meal.
We headed off to bed to the sound of light drizzle which (can you believe it coming from Southland) that we were pleased to hear.

Saying Goodbye

Trying to get around all our friends and family was a big task and for those of you who we missed we are sorry. The good news is that we aren't away for ever and if you have access to this blog it may will feel like you are with us.
We had meals with lots of friends (kept the grocery bill down!!) as well as the odd function/farewell organised in our honour.
My Friday morning volunteering project at the Southland Community Nursery made a special effort and sent us off with lots of little goodies and momentos so as not to forget them. A link to their website gives further info. http://www.southlandcommunitynursery.org.nz/news-and-events/
My Monday night choir had an early finish and we all went to Waxy's for a farewell drink.
Stephen's retirement party from the AA was a big event with drinks, nibbles and speeches.

Some of the staff and guests at the farewell.

For other groups and friends we are involved with it was a much quieter goodbye, often with a cuppa and a promise to keep in touch.

Planning

Parked in the bush at 43 Rakiura Parade, in preparation for impending trip.

After months and months of planning we are ready to set off in our bus Roma II, to explore NZ.

Stephen has spent the last few years converting it from a Japanese preschool bus full of little seats into our motor home. He has built it all from scratch and although there is still much to do it is very comfy.

We have a full sized fridge/freezer that works on gas, 240volt and 12 volt. The stove has a gas oven and top. To go with this we have a fully operational kitchen that I can use to cook most things.  I can also cook on the wood-burner that Stephen designed and built. It is a must for winter travelling.
The bathroom is functional with a toilet and shower and handbasin.
The bed is a full sized queen and we are pleased we spent the money on a good quality feather duvet and mattress topper. Along with the warm polar fleece sheets we fell heir to when Jessica went overseas we are never cold. 
We have seating with storage under it and a TV to watch.
Our ‘wee car’ is the perfect size for towing behind the bus. This gives us the freedom to move around once when we are camping in one spot for more than a day. The bikes are also included in case we want to explore our surroundings that way.

The house is all rented and our stuff all stored. That was a mammoth effort and not one we would wish to repeat for a while. The garden is going to be sorely missed as we love to grow our own veggies. But watch this space. I have a plan!!!!

We now can relax and enjoy all our planning of seeing and doing lots of new things.