We have power
23 March 2011
We've always intended to live 'off the grid' as much as possible. Paying to plug in to power would make our lifestyle so much harder to fund.
So we had plenty of solar panels installed, and all the fancy stuff in black boxes that makes it work.
Unfortunately, the builders took shortcuts when installing it (clearly they were already in trouble) and so it has never worked properly. We have had to plug in every couple of days to keep the batteries full. They weren't even charging up when we were driving because the cable from the alternator was too thin.
So, we've just spent a couple of days and over $4000 having this rectified. Not only did a lot of new wiring have to be pulled, we also replaced the battery charger and the solar controller.
It doesn't make us very happy having to fix things we'd already paid for, but this should be the last of the big costs. We got even grumpier when we found out one of our expensive AGM batteries had been dropped at some stage - the builders had just put putty over the crack and there was quite a bit of leaked acid in the battery compartment.
So, with that quick trip to Auckland and AA Solar out of the way, we're heading back down the country again, with a week to relax before we start a couple of weeks looking after Mercury Bay Holiday Park.
We've always intended to live 'off the grid' as much as possible. Paying to plug in to power would make our lifestyle so much harder to fund.
So we had plenty of solar panels installed, and all the fancy stuff in black boxes that makes it work.
Unfortunately, the builders took shortcuts when installing it (clearly they were already in trouble) and so it has never worked properly. We have had to plug in every couple of days to keep the batteries full. They weren't even charging up when we were driving because the cable from the alternator was too thin.
So, we've just spent a couple of days and over $4000 having this rectified. Not only did a lot of new wiring have to be pulled, we also replaced the battery charger and the solar controller.
It doesn't make us very happy having to fix things we'd already paid for, but this should be the last of the big costs. We got even grumpier when we found out one of our expensive AGM batteries had been dropped at some stage - the builders had just put putty over the crack and there was quite a bit of leaked acid in the battery compartment.
So, with that quick trip to Auckland and AA Solar out of the way, we're heading back down the country again, with a week to relax before we start a couple of weeks looking after Mercury Bay Holiday Park.
What's in a name?
13 March 2011
It's a thorny issue, this naming of your bus/motorhome. I actually don't like the idea of a name at all - there are just so many corny names around, the cringe factor is too high. And, yes, I know that statement makes me come off as a snob.
Having said that, it's a very personal thing, and what seems corny to me might have an awful lot of meaning to the people who named it. And there are some great names around, too - The OKs is one of the best we've seen.
So, a compromise has been reached. Our bus doesn't have a name, it has a title. Yep, splitting hairs, but that's how I can handle it in my head.
And the title is, of course, On happy ground.
It's the title of a Pete Murray song. The first few lines are:
Happy days are coming my way,
It's been some time but here to stay
Is the life of love I've found
Sends me up on happy ground.
It's a thorny issue, this naming of your bus/motorhome. I actually don't like the idea of a name at all - there are just so many corny names around, the cringe factor is too high. And, yes, I know that statement makes me come off as a snob.
Having said that, it's a very personal thing, and what seems corny to me might have an awful lot of meaning to the people who named it. And there are some great names around, too - The OKs is one of the best we've seen.
So, a compromise has been reached. Our bus doesn't have a name, it has a title. Yep, splitting hairs, but that's how I can handle it in my head.
And the title is, of course, On happy ground.
It's the title of a Pete Murray song. The first few lines are:
Happy days are coming my way,
It's been some time but here to stay
Is the life of love I've found
Sends me up on happy ground.
What a difference
9 March 2011
Ever had that double-take feeling when you change your hair colour? Every time you look in the mirror you get a fright, remember that's what you look like now and admire it anew.
That's how the bus is making us feel - we can't quite believe it's the same bus.
The painters have done a beautiful job - and we're just so impressed with what a great team they are. And they vacuumed inside before they gave it back!
Ever had that double-take feeling when you change your hair colour? Every time you look in the mirror you get a fright, remember that's what you look like now and admire it anew.
That's how the bus is making us feel - we can't quite believe it's the same bus.
The painters have done a beautiful job - and we're just so impressed with what a great team they are. And they vacuumed inside before they gave it back!
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| Giving it a polish before we take it away. |
Timing
5 March 2011
Sometimes it's just about being in the right place at the right time. We're couch-surfing at the moment; bludging beds off friends and family while the bus is being painted.
Last week we were in Napier. During a winery visit, we got chatting to the staff and it came up in conversation that we are travelling around in our bus, looking for work. One of them instantly asked 'Do you want to park here and pick grapes?'. We'd love to, but the harvest will probably coincide with when we have to be in Auckland to get the electrical system fixed.
Then this week we've been in Wellington staying with my sister. We were at her work (Bodega) the other day when the boss mentioned the cleaner had gone AWOL and he was having to do it himself. Of course we offered our services. Because, after all, we've got experience.
Which is how we got three days work cleaning a pub.
Timing.
Sometimes it's just about being in the right place at the right time. We're couch-surfing at the moment; bludging beds off friends and family while the bus is being painted.
Then this week we've been in Wellington staying with my sister. We were at her work (Bodega) the other day when the boss mentioned the cleaner had gone AWOL and he was having to do it himself. Of course we offered our services. Because, after all, we've got experience.
Which is how we got three days work cleaning a pub.
Timing.
Christchurch
26 February 2011
There are no words to express our sorrow for all those in Christchurch who are suffering through this dreadful time. It is a relief to know all those dear to us are safe, but there are so many people affected that it is impossible to image what they are going through.
Being without our bus has been frustrating, as we just want to be able to go south and help. Hopefully we can do this when the rebuilding begins.
In the meantime, we continue to watch the news reports in horror, and do what little we can to help.
It does make our hearts sing to see the extraordinary lengths people are going to so they can help each other.
There are no words to express our sorrow for all those in Christchurch who are suffering through this dreadful time. It is a relief to know all those dear to us are safe, but there are so many people affected that it is impossible to image what they are going through.
Being without our bus has been frustrating, as we just want to be able to go south and help. Hopefully we can do this when the rebuilding begins.
In the meantime, we continue to watch the news reports in horror, and do what little we can to help.
It does make our hearts sing to see the extraordinary lengths people are going to so they can help each other.
Paint job
21 February 2011
We've just given up our bus for the next week or so. It's gone to Marty's Panel and Paint to get the paint job done.
What a great company to deal with - friendly and helpful, not to mention patient. I guess they're used to dealing with people who are struggling to decide what they want.
We'd only been there half an hour and the staff were already pulling the bus to pieces. The front bumper was off, skylights removed and windows were being masked.
A few hours later we popped in to take some photos and they were cutting pieces off.
We've just given up our bus for the next week or so. It's gone to Marty's Panel and Paint to get the paint job done.
What a great company to deal with - friendly and helpful, not to mention patient. I guess they're used to dealing with people who are struggling to decide what they want.
We'd only been there half an hour and the staff were already pulling the bus to pieces. The front bumper was off, skylights removed and windows were being masked.
A few hours later we popped in to take some photos and they were cutting pieces off.
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| Hopefully it will look better next time we see it. |
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| Cutting off the gutters to put on nice new (rust-free) ones. |
One end to the other
14 February 2011
In the last week we have driven from Pataua South to Wellington. Along the way we have stayed at: the beach reserve at Onerahi, the Silverdale RSA, the BP station at Wairakei (bad move, very noisy) and a friend's farm near Palmerston North.
In Wellington we've stayed on the Petone foreshore, Ngatitoa Domain (so we could go to a 50th at the Mana Cruising Club) and on the street outside one of the kid's houses.
I think it's fair to say we're pretty comfortable with sleeping pretty much anywhere now. So long as it's reasonably level and there's not too much traffic, it will work for us. At least for just a night or two - we'd prefer a bit more privacy for a long stay.
We're enjoying being back in Wellington and catching up with family and friends. It does feel rather odd to be here and not in our house - today I automatically turned towards 'home' when leaving the supermarket; the bus was parked in the opposite direction.
Not sure where to next. We're waiting to hear about a couple of jobs, but are also considering having the bus painted in Levin over the next couple of weeks.
In the last week we have driven from Pataua South to Wellington. Along the way we have stayed at: the beach reserve at Onerahi, the Silverdale RSA, the BP station at Wairakei (bad move, very noisy) and a friend's farm near Palmerston North.
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| Onerahi beach reserve - what a lovely place to stay. |
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| Why pay cafe prices when there are places like this on the side of Lake Taupo where you can stop and make your own coffee? |
In Wellington we've stayed on the Petone foreshore, Ngatitoa Domain (so we could go to a 50th at the Mana Cruising Club) and on the street outside one of the kid's houses.
I think it's fair to say we're pretty comfortable with sleeping pretty much anywhere now. So long as it's reasonably level and there's not too much traffic, it will work for us. At least for just a night or two - we'd prefer a bit more privacy for a long stay.
We're enjoying being back in Wellington and catching up with family and friends. It does feel rather odd to be here and not in our house - today I automatically turned towards 'home' when leaving the supermarket; the bus was parked in the opposite direction.
Not sure where to next. We're waiting to hear about a couple of jobs, but are also considering having the bus painted in Levin over the next couple of weeks.
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| The view where we parked on Petone foreshore - this is about 1km along the beach from our house. |
The continuing saga...
9 February 2011
This week we were due to take our bus back to the builders so the last of the work could be finished. However, last Friday they informed us by email they have closed their business and would not complete our build.
We were more disappointed than angry about this - after all, we still have our dream and they have lost theirs. Craig can do much of the work himself and once we buy everything we need we shouldn't be more than a few thousand dollars out of pocket.
Over the last few days, we have discovered not only have they left subcontractors unpaid, in at least one case they told them we had withheld the final payment, which isn't true. We feel sorry for the subcontractors, who put in a lot of effort to get our bus on the road (the plastic welding guy was still working at 8pm on Christmas Eve to fix a leak in the tank), and now seem unlikely to get the money we have paid the BBC for this work.
On the positive front, we now have wiring (for which of course we had to pay $500+, despite this being the BBC's oversight) so we can tow our little car behind the bus.
Yesterday we travelled together in the bus for the first time, which makes it feel like our adventure has taken another step forward.
This week we were due to take our bus back to the builders so the last of the work could be finished. However, last Friday they informed us by email they have closed their business and would not complete our build.
We were more disappointed than angry about this - after all, we still have our dream and they have lost theirs. Craig can do much of the work himself and once we buy everything we need we shouldn't be more than a few thousand dollars out of pocket.
Over the last few days, we have discovered not only have they left subcontractors unpaid, in at least one case they told them we had withheld the final payment, which isn't true. We feel sorry for the subcontractors, who put in a lot of effort to get our bus on the road (the plastic welding guy was still working at 8pm on Christmas Eve to fix a leak in the tank), and now seem unlikely to get the money we have paid the BBC for this work.
On the positive front, we now have wiring (for which of course we had to pay $500+, despite this being the BBC's oversight) so we can tow our little car behind the bus.
Yesterday we travelled together in the bus for the first time, which makes it feel like our adventure has taken another step forward.
Breathtaking
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| The skipper demonstrating use of the sea sick bags. |
3 February 2011
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| Fun to watch but always hard to photograph. |
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| Approaching Blue Maumau Arch. You can see scuba divers' bubbles behind the other boat. |
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| Dropping the anchor from a dinghy causes less damage. |
The snorkelling was magical. Lots of sealife, from sponges and kina, through hundreds of two-spot demoiselles and wrasse, to the eponymous blue maumau, trevally and plenty of great big snapper. The water was superbly clear and we rated the underwater scenery as better than Tahiti. The other highly rated scenery was the boatload of professional rugby players (Auckland Blues) which anchored next to us.
I can safely say I have now tried paddle boarding and got it out of my system. I think I'll stick to kayaks from now on. I was okay kneeling on the board, but very wobbly once I got to my feet.
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| This makes me look much better co-ordinated than I actually was. |
After all our fun in the water and some lunch, it was time to move on. Because the sea was so calm, we were able to go through a couple of arches in the boat, and nose into a sea cave which is well-lit by an air shaft. We then went right round one of the islands.
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| Beautiful colours at an arch entrance. |
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| The vertical shaft at the rear of this cave lets in lots of natural light. |
There was a waterfall off one of the cliffs. This is unusual as there is no natural water source, so it was the remnants of the storm a few days before. When a Maori tribe lived on the islands, they had to dam the runoff to get water. The islands have been uninhabited (and tapu) since the 1820s, when the local Maori were massacred by a raiding tribe.
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| The valley where the Maori lived and had their dams. The bodies of those killed in the raid were laid to rest in caves in the cliffs behind. |
We returned to Tutukaka (and a couple of well-earned beers), before driving back to Pataua South, where there were still toilets waiting to be cleaned.
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| Looking out from the largest sea cave in the world. |
The trip was a real treat, run by very friendly, informed and professional folk - highly recommended to all.
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| What a day! |
Wash house politics
31 January 2011
This is our camp wash house - two washing machines, a clothes dryer and a tub - which seems to be the modern equivalent of the village well.
I do around four loads of washing a day - there are cleaning cloths to wash, as well as aprons and cloths from the shop, bakery and takeaways - so I spend a fair bit of time in the wash house myself.
Lots of chat and news is exchanged here; the weather forecast has been a hot topic of conversation, particularly with the cyclone activity we've been having.
After a day or two of rain, there can be quite long queues for the machines. The standard practice is to line your baskets of washing up in a queue. It's acceptable to take someone's washing out when it's finished and put yours in - if you're the next person in the queue. But of course people put their stuff in the queue and then wander back to their tents or off to the beach.
And that's where things can get a bit heated. If you're second in the queue, how long do you have to wait before leap-frogging the person ahead of you to get to an empty machine? If the dryer has stopped but the clothes aren't quite dry, can you take them out and put yours in, or should you want for the owner to come back and add more money? If they haven't left a basket on top of the machine, do you just heap the clothes on the ground?
The clever ones just settle in with a book and a cup of tea while they wait for their washing or their turn at the machines. One group even had a card game going.
This is our camp wash house - two washing machines, a clothes dryer and a tub - which seems to be the modern equivalent of the village well.
I do around four loads of washing a day - there are cleaning cloths to wash, as well as aprons and cloths from the shop, bakery and takeaways - so I spend a fair bit of time in the wash house myself.
Lots of chat and news is exchanged here; the weather forecast has been a hot topic of conversation, particularly with the cyclone activity we've been having.
After a day or two of rain, there can be quite long queues for the machines. The standard practice is to line your baskets of washing up in a queue. It's acceptable to take someone's washing out when it's finished and put yours in - if you're the next person in the queue. But of course people put their stuff in the queue and then wander back to their tents or off to the beach.
And that's where things can get a bit heated. If you're second in the queue, how long do you have to wait before leap-frogging the person ahead of you to get to an empty machine? If the dryer has stopped but the clothes aren't quite dry, can you take them out and put yours in, or should you want for the owner to come back and add more money? If they haven't left a basket on top of the machine, do you just heap the clothes on the ground?
The clever ones just settle in with a book and a cup of tea while they wait for their washing or their turn at the machines. One group even had a card game going.
Wild weather
28 January 2011
We've had a bit of wild weather in the last week. First we got the tail end of Cyclone Zelia, which brought us some stormy weather. There was enough wind in that to make people realise guy ropes aren't really optional accessories on a tent. And the rain made a real mess of our bathrooms floors, when it was mixed with the sand and grass tracked in on people's feet.
Then we got the remnants of Cyclone Vania. This brought some very heavy rain - around 250mm in 16 hours. Just as the rain was easing and it looked like the flooding was going to recede, we had a king tide. The extra force of all that seawater (driven further inshore by the easterlies) meant we had water in the camp that was thigh-deep in places.
Lots of people packed up and left, and we relocated some to drier spots. Just as we thought things were starting to calm down - more gale force wind and quite a few tent casualties. That was the last straw for many who left with ripped and sodden tents.
We've had a few lovely days now, and the camp was drying out well - and filling up ahead of the long weekend. But now Cylcone Wilma is headed our way, and may well hit as a category 1 or 2 cylcone, rather than the subtropical lows the others had been downgraded to.
The forecast has been too much for many more campers, who have packed up a few days early.And a lot of the ones who have booked for the weekend probably won't show. It's been raining now for about 6 hours and is getting heavier all the time. There is no wind yet, but no doubt that will follow.
Of course we're nice and dry here in our bus - although there is still cleaning to be done. And I'm sure we'll end up helping people save their tents again.
We've had a bit of wild weather in the last week. First we got the tail end of Cyclone Zelia, which brought us some stormy weather. There was enough wind in that to make people realise guy ropes aren't really optional accessories on a tent. And the rain made a real mess of our bathrooms floors, when it was mixed with the sand and grass tracked in on people's feet.
Then we got the remnants of Cyclone Vania. This brought some very heavy rain - around 250mm in 16 hours. Just as the rain was easing and it looked like the flooding was going to recede, we had a king tide. The extra force of all that seawater (driven further inshore by the easterlies) meant we had water in the camp that was thigh-deep in places.
Lots of people packed up and left, and we relocated some to drier spots. Just as we thought things were starting to calm down - more gale force wind and quite a few tent casualties. That was the last straw for many who left with ripped and sodden tents.
We've had a few lovely days now, and the camp was drying out well - and filling up ahead of the long weekend. But now Cylcone Wilma is headed our way, and may well hit as a category 1 or 2 cylcone, rather than the subtropical lows the others had been downgraded to.
The forecast has been too much for many more campers, who have packed up a few days early.And a lot of the ones who have booked for the weekend probably won't show. It's been raining now for about 6 hours and is getting heavier all the time. There is no wind yet, but no doubt that will follow.
Of course we're nice and dry here in our bus - although there is still cleaning to be done. And I'm sure we'll end up helping people save their tents again.
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| You can see what we thought was the highest point of the flood - before the king tide hit. |
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| Eventually it was as wet inside as it was outside. |
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| Even the caravan owners were starting to get nervous. |
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| There were tents camped over the whole of this area. |
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| And these guys decided a beer was the only answer. |
Camp cuties - a random collection
23 January 2011
Quote of the summer
Small boy waiting with his Mum while we clean the toilets: "Mum, why can't they just clean when we're out fishing?".
Quote of the summer
Small boy waiting with his Mum while we clean the toilets: "Mum, why can't they just clean when we're out fishing?".
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| Isn't this what Kiwi summer is all about? |
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| The baker's assistant resting after her early morning shift. Starting at 3am after a night on the booze and two hours sleep has really got to hurt. |
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| These enterprising chaps started their own shop. Took me a while to realise they'd flogged the magazines from the camp lounge. |
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| Climbing road cones have come to Pataua. |
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| The 'welcome' sign. |
Job satisfaction
January 16 2011
I know it's hard for some people to picture me cleaning toilets and mopping floors. Even Craig worries that I'm doing something I really hate.
But, actually, I'm getting real satisfaction out of it.
The days are long. At 7am I check all the toilets, showers and kitchen, just to top up the toilet paper and clean up any messes that have been made overnight. At 10am the other cleaner and I scrub all the toilets (14) and handbasins, scrub the showers (10), mop all the floors and clean the kitchen and lounge. This takes about 90 minutes. For the rest of the day I just check everything every couple of hours and then we do the whole cleaning routine again at 10pm.
Craig works from 8pm-1am most nights as night watchman. He strolls around the camp with his big torch and yellow cap and just makes sure everything is going ok. From about 10pm he starts to quiet people down - shoo the kids out of the playground, ask people to turn their music down, just generally letting them know it's time to wind things back. He has to keep an eye out for non-campers coming in - either to try and use the facilities or to get up to other mischief. He also has other work during the day - general handyman stuff, plus a couple of building projects for the boss; one of these is putting in a spa pool at the house.
So, yes, our days are long, but we have plenty of free time during the day to spend together. The weather has been fabulous so far, so we get to swim and kayak. We've had one late night attempt at floundering, without success, but will give it another go as the tides come right for us.
But one of the things we like most is how much people appreciate us. We've had thanks from clients before, but this is different. What we do here is having a direct impact on their lives. We're not just delivering a printing job on time, we're giving them a clean and secure place to stay, so they can have as much fun on their holiday as possible.
I know it's hard for some people to picture me cleaning toilets and mopping floors. Even Craig worries that I'm doing something I really hate.
But, actually, I'm getting real satisfaction out of it.
The days are long. At 7am I check all the toilets, showers and kitchen, just to top up the toilet paper and clean up any messes that have been made overnight. At 10am the other cleaner and I scrub all the toilets (14) and handbasins, scrub the showers (10), mop all the floors and clean the kitchen and lounge. This takes about 90 minutes. For the rest of the day I just check everything every couple of hours and then we do the whole cleaning routine again at 10pm.
Craig works from 8pm-1am most nights as night watchman. He strolls around the camp with his big torch and yellow cap and just makes sure everything is going ok. From about 10pm he starts to quiet people down - shoo the kids out of the playground, ask people to turn their music down, just generally letting them know it's time to wind things back. He has to keep an eye out for non-campers coming in - either to try and use the facilities or to get up to other mischief. He also has other work during the day - general handyman stuff, plus a couple of building projects for the boss; one of these is putting in a spa pool at the house.
So, yes, our days are long, but we have plenty of free time during the day to spend together. The weather has been fabulous so far, so we get to swim and kayak. We've had one late night attempt at floundering, without success, but will give it another go as the tides come right for us.
But one of the things we like most is how much people appreciate us. We've had thanks from clients before, but this is different. What we do here is having a direct impact on their lives. We're not just delivering a printing job on time, we're giving them a clean and secure place to stay, so they can have as much fun on their holiday as possible.
Our home
7 January 2011
We have very quickly come to think of the bus as our home. It is comfortable and easy to live in.
The BBC have done a wonderful job - they took our brief and not only met but exceeded it. Yes, we had some hiccups toward the end, but we never doubted their craftsmanship, nor their desire to give us the very best product they could.
And what girl wouldn't want a kitchen like this...
We have very quickly come to think of the bus as our home. It is comfortable and easy to live in.
The BBC have done a wonderful job - they took our brief and not only met but exceeded it. Yes, we had some hiccups toward the end, but we never doubted their craftsmanship, nor their desire to give us the very best product they could.
And what girl wouldn't want a kitchen like this...
New Year's we have known
4 January 2011
We have just spent our fourth New Year's Eve together - and all of them have been in camping grounds. Seems this lifestyle of ours was meant to be from the start.
December 31 2008 - Arrowtown
We were on a two week holiday in the South Island - in a tent. We hadn't booked any sites, but were just taking pot luck. This was a very lucky find.
On New Year's Day we rode the lovely track around Lake Hayes; just a quick jaunt to clear our heads.
At the end we were flying down the gravel road to the carpark (36km/hr according to my bike computer). I hit a pothole, cartwheeled my bike and we had to trundle off to Queenstown Hospital.
I had a dislocated AC joint and a small tear in my rotator cuff. Luckily I stopped as soon as I hit the ground, so I didn't have many gravel burns.
For the rest of this holiday the tent stayed in the car and we stayed in motels.
December 31 2008 - Shelly Beach Reserve
This was our first big caravan holiday. There are only six sites at this stunning spot near Helensville. The reserve fills up with daytrippers from Auckland during the day, mostly there for the fishing. At night they all go home and the campers are left with a beautiful, serene harbour.
31 December 2009 - Paekakariki
This was our 'home base' when we had the caravan. The camping ground is quite big, but there are lots of mature trees and hedges so you don't feel like you're in a big parking lot. Just a couple of minutes away is the lovely beach, great for swimming, walking, riding and kayaking.
Some of the trustees who run the camp turned up on NYE with their guitars and amps, so we had free music while we barbecued and saw in the new year.
December 31 2010 - Pataua South
A very different NYE. The camp brought in a DJ and the campers danced the night away - starting with the little kids who had a great time, then slowly they were all packed off to bed and the adults got down to some serious partying.
Have a happy and healthy 2011 everyone.
We have just spent our fourth New Year's Eve together - and all of them have been in camping grounds. Seems this lifestyle of ours was meant to be from the start.
December 31 2008 - Arrowtown
We were on a two week holiday in the South Island - in a tent. We hadn't booked any sites, but were just taking pot luck. This was a very lucky find.
On New Year's Day we rode the lovely track around Lake Hayes; just a quick jaunt to clear our heads.
At the end we were flying down the gravel road to the carpark (36km/hr according to my bike computer). I hit a pothole, cartwheeled my bike and we had to trundle off to Queenstown Hospital.
I had a dislocated AC joint and a small tear in my rotator cuff. Luckily I stopped as soon as I hit the ground, so I didn't have many gravel burns.
For the rest of this holiday the tent stayed in the car and we stayed in motels.
December 31 2008 - Shelly Beach Reserve
This was our first big caravan holiday. There are only six sites at this stunning spot near Helensville. The reserve fills up with daytrippers from Auckland during the day, mostly there for the fishing. At night they all go home and the campers are left with a beautiful, serene harbour.
31 December 2009 - Paekakariki
This was our 'home base' when we had the caravan. The camping ground is quite big, but there are lots of mature trees and hedges so you don't feel like you're in a big parking lot. Just a couple of minutes away is the lovely beach, great for swimming, walking, riding and kayaking.
Some of the trustees who run the camp turned up on NYE with their guitars and amps, so we had free music while we barbecued and saw in the new year.
December 31 2010 - Pataua South
A very different NYE. The camp brought in a DJ and the campers danced the night away - starting with the little kids who had a great time, then slowly they were all packed off to bed and the adults got down to some serious partying.
I still had the late cleaning round to do (10pm-11.30pm), but some lovely campers turned up with a much appreciated glass of bubbles for the cleaners. Craig was night watchman, with lots of extra duties like putting up the gazebo for the DJ and lighting the bonfire.
Have a happy and healthy 2011 everyone.
Kiwi camping
28 December 2010
We're in the quintessential New Zealand camping ground. Beautiful east coast scenery, tents forever and lots of kids having the time of their lives.
It's been tough getting here, but in the end that's not going to matter at all. It's just a few days out of the rest of our lives.
The campground is beautiful and everyone is friendly and relaxed. The onsite bakery is churning out delectable croissants and Boston buns, the takeaways are doing a roaring trade and they've got the cleanest toilets and showers you've ever seen!
Bus photos soon, I promise.
We're in the quintessential New Zealand camping ground. Beautiful east coast scenery, tents forever and lots of kids having the time of their lives.
It's been tough getting here, but in the end that's not going to matter at all. It's just a few days out of the rest of our lives.
The campground is beautiful and everyone is friendly and relaxed. The onsite bakery is churning out delectable croissants and Boston buns, the takeaways are doing a roaring trade and they've got the cleanest toilets and showers you've ever seen!
Bus photos soon, I promise.
Not quite
24 December 2010
What a day it has been. It is almost Christmas Day and we are parked on the street outside the BBC, having a dinner of cheese, crackers and nuts.
An incredible amount has been achieved today; so much more than we hoped. Some things will need to be finished off when we pass back through Taupo in February, but we are absolutely delighted with how the bus looks. Paul and Shelly have done amazing work.
Unfortunately, when we went to leave we discovered they had forgotten to wire in the tow bar. This means we can't tow our little car as we would have no lights. We will have to drive our two vehicles separately until this can be remedied - which won't happen in the next four days of public holidays.
So we're staying put tonight and will drive to Pataua tomorrow, starting our adventure in a slightly off-key way.
What a day it has been. It is almost Christmas Day and we are parked on the street outside the BBC, having a dinner of cheese, crackers and nuts.
An incredible amount has been achieved today; so much more than we hoped. Some things will need to be finished off when we pass back through Taupo in February, but we are absolutely delighted with how the bus looks. Paul and Shelly have done amazing work.
Unfortunately, when we went to leave we discovered they had forgotten to wire in the tow bar. This means we can't tow our little car as we would have no lights. We will have to drive our two vehicles separately until this can be remedied - which won't happen in the next four days of public holidays.
So we're staying put tonight and will drive to Pataua tomorrow, starting our adventure in a slightly off-key way.
What do we do now?
24 December 2010
It is early morning on Christmas Eve and our bus isn't ready yet. We're devastated. There is so much still to do and we really have to leave Taupo today. We've already had to give up the idea of joining my family in Kerikeri for Christmas so we can go straight to the campground where we are due to start working on Boxing Day.
If we do leave today it will be with many things half finished. It all feels like one big string of broken promises.
It is early morning on Christmas Eve and our bus isn't ready yet. We're devastated. There is so much still to do and we really have to leave Taupo today. We've already had to give up the idea of joining my family in Kerikeri for Christmas so we can go straight to the campground where we are due to start working on Boxing Day.
If we do leave today it will be with many things half finished. It all feels like one big string of broken promises.
Finishing
22 December 2010
There is so much activity at the workshop, but progress feels so slow. The BBC are working flat out - 16 to 18 hour days - and we're just doing whatever we can to help so we can drive out of here in the next couple of days. Unfortunately any little hiccup costs us valuable time.
Yesterday Craig did things like wallpapering the bedroom panels, bolting in seatbelts and attaching the fastmounts to the pelmets and bedhead. On the other hand, I spend most of my time trying to stay out of the way, although I can run around picking up things like wallpaper smoothers and a jerrycan of diesel for the bus when she refused to start.
When the bus got back from getting its certification yesterday, Craig couldn't resist demonstrating the mount he made for the hand wringer - on the bike rack, which goes on the second tow ball.
There is so much activity at the workshop, but progress feels so slow. The BBC are working flat out - 16 to 18 hour days - and we're just doing whatever we can to help so we can drive out of here in the next couple of days. Unfortunately any little hiccup costs us valuable time.
Yesterday Craig did things like wallpapering the bedroom panels, bolting in seatbelts and attaching the fastmounts to the pelmets and bedhead. On the other hand, I spend most of my time trying to stay out of the way, although I can run around picking up things like wallpaper smoothers and a jerrycan of diesel for the bus when she refused to start.
When the bus got back from getting its certification yesterday, Craig couldn't resist demonstrating the mount he made for the hand wringer - on the bike rack, which goes on the second tow ball.
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