#Napier Tents

[two-wheeled-therapy]

Installing a Napier Backroadz truck tent on my 2023 Chevy Colorado ZR2 Desert Boss.

[circusgoth-dotcom]

Well let's start with number 1! :3 @rexscanonwife

yippeee!!! @rexscanonwife

AU 1: "Circus Origins" Ship: Jack Napier (The Joker) x Capricorn "Cap/Capri/Cappie" Ekko

I wrote about this one a long time ago when I was making "masterposts" (dumping all my ideas on one post w/ some visuals) of my AUs, but since it's been such a long time the details will have probably changed between that initial version and what I'll put here

As the name implies, it's an origin story AU, somewhat inspired by The Killing Joke origin for Joker

Jack and Capricorn met as circus performers, Jack as, of course, a clown, and Capricorn initially as a fake sideshow attraction; the "Goat-Headed Man," in which he'd literally just be dressed with a grotesque goat mask and put on display.

Capricorn basically grew up in the circus while Jack was picked up along their travels. They almost instantly hit it off when they met each other, and as their boss, the ringmaster, took notice of their chemistry, Capricorn was reassigned to clown duties.

Now, even before Jack became The Joker, he wasn't exactly afraid of doing criminal things. One night, he overheard that the pay of some performers and laborers who travelled with the circus would be cut in half, without notice, and all of that money would go into three people's pockets: the ringmaster, the ringmaster's nephew (who was to take over the circus when he retired), and the circus strongman, who turned out to be an ex-mercenary who was blackmailing the ringleader so his past wouldn't get out to the public. Jack decided they needed to be taught a lesson.

After the final performance of the season, Jack poisons the ringmaster, his nephew, and the strongman, then sets the main tent on fire to cover his tracks. Unfortunately, that doesn't exactly help his fellow performers. Capricorn barely makes it out of the fire alive and the two end up fleeing the scene, with Jack only confessing he was behind it when they were too far gone to do anything about it.

Capricorn, still deeply in love with Jack despite this confession, agrees to start a new life with him. They move to Gotham, where Jack is immediately drafted into the navy. Meanwhile, Capricorn begins work as a librarian.

It's not very long before Jack is discharged from the navy in a very hush-hush manner, finally giving him an opportunity to try for a job as a comedian.

Jack and Capricorn begin to regret moving to Gotham (though it was all they could afford), between the comedy career not really taking off and the high crime rates, things are getting tough. They decide to turn to low-stakes thievery to try and keep afloat.

At some point, Capricorn is caught in the crossfire of a bank bombing and he ends up in the hospital. Knowing he won't be able to cover the bills, Jack takes a risky job with some mobsters, leading to the Ace Chemicals incident that turns him into The Joker.

Joker returns to Capricorn in the hospital and promises them a new life.

DC PLEASE LET ME WRITE COMICS FOR YOU PLEASE PLEASE PELASE PLEASE

[suvhaislam]

Best Tents for Dog Camping

Check out our in-depth guide on the finest tents for camping with dogs before you bring your pet along on your next camping trip. You're not alone if you want to take your dog camping with you soon. As more people bring their pets on outdoor adventures, more campgrounds are pet-friendly.

IN A RUSH? HERE ARE OUR TOP SELECTIONS.

If you have never camped with pets before, it would be worthwhile to review the National Park Service's camping with pet policies. No matter where you want to camp, these practical suggestions can be beneficial.

Where should pets sleep when camping with people? is a natural concern. The solution is usually inside of you. If it's a chilly night, having your pet inside your tent with you will keep them and other wildlife (think coyotes or bears) safe, and quiet, and you'll have free heat. Fortunately, there is a broad selection of premium camping equipment designed exclusively for dogs on the market.

However, not all tents are good for animals. The best pet-friendly tents have plenty of space, strong floors that can withstand claws, and appropriate ventilation. (Also take your dog's size into account when determining the size of the tent entrances.) Not only that, Choosing a tent that is simple to clean when your trip is done is crucial. If you want to camp with a dog or other pet for any length of time, picking the correct pet-approved tent is also crucial.

Here are our picks for the ideal tents for canine camping.

Dome tent by Coleman with a screen room

This roomy tent is available in 6-person or 8-person sizes and has a screened-in space that serves as a second sleeping area for your dog. You may place up to two queen-size air mattresses inside the tent. However, at 21 pounds, this tent falls firmly into the realm of vehicle camping. (Except if you like a challenge!)

4-Person NTK INDY GT Tent

Despite being a smaller tent, the Indy is ideal for two campers and their pet. Due to its waterproof construction, you can store goods outside of your sleeping area in the front vestibule. An added benefit: The flooring is composed of robust, anti-fungal plastic (perfect for summer rainstorms, humidity, and wet dogs).

Montana Elite Coleman Tent

With more than 2,000 reviews on Amazon, this 8-person tent boasts the distinction of being the National Park Foundation's official tent. It also includes hinged doors and an easy setup (for repeated trips to let the dog out).

Marmot Crane Creek 2-Person Backpacking Tent When you and your dog are the only two people camping, this ultra-lightweight tent is ideal. The all-mesh structure of this basic tent allows you to sleep outside even without the rainfly.

3-Person Kelty Trail Ridge Backpacking Tent

This tent from Kelty, another choice for backpacking, provides a little bit more space than the Marmot alternative. With two doors, you can exit without bumping into anyone, and two side vestibules offer additional storage.

10-Person Columbia Fall River Tent

This tent from Columbia is on the other end of the tent range. This two-room alternative is more like a cabin than a tent and is large enough for a pack of animals—no complaints! It is the option on our list with the biggest space because of the vertical walls and high ceiling. (Unlike most on our list, this one allows you to stand up.)

SUV Tent Napier Backroadz

One option to increase the amount of sleeping space in a tent—or make more room for your furry friends—is to fasten it to your car. With this Napier type, you can reach the cargo area of your vehicle from inside the tent and it fits all SUVs and minivans.

[frontseat5]

Napier Backroadz SUV Tent Setup - in 5 Steps...

#napierbackroadzsuvtentsetup

https://www.gocarcamping.com/minivan-tent/  

[steelcirclecosplay]

Driving to Wasteland Weekend on Wednesday.

Thursday was warmetal kilt day.

@slyjinks and I at our camp set up.

A completed Faceless Merchants trade route.

Art by @tag-devilish

Camp set-up: Napier dome tent plus camouflage car cover.

[junkyard-gifs]

OKAY let's sort out the Plato/Admetus/George thing again!

This is Admetus. In the UK tradition, he's the cat who doubles as Macavity, and he usually does the pas de deux with Victoria. He also tends to be have like an older kitten, sometimes hanging out with the boy kittens and sometimes helping the adults to organise them. Him eyelash boy, with red wig (and a black spot and stripe) and reddish-brown markings all down his right side.

This is Plato. In the European, Australasian, and Broadway traditions, he did the Macavity track, but usually didn't do the pas de deux. As you can see he's based on a completely different design - in fact, in the UK tradition the same Napier design was used for Victor. Plato is an adult and mostly hangs out with Alonzo. He's usually nondescript greys and browns, often with a grey base rather than a white under his darker patches, and in the Broadway tradition he often has a square patch over his left eye.

This is... Admetus, renamed Plato for the 1998 film. (Possibly. Bryn is only credited as Macavity in the film, but it's a reasonable guess since the other two boy kittens were definitedly given their American names for the film - Pouncival and Tumblebrutus, rather than Carbuckety and Bill Bailey. In any case, he's either called Admetus or Plato, and he's the cat we're used to calling Plato in the film, so let's go with that.) Eyelash redhead baby brat boy, hello!

After the 1998 film[1], a lot of other European productions followed their example and began to use the London designs, while using the Broadway names for the boys (and sometimes Sillabub instead of Jemima). So this is Plato in the Dutch tour and the German tent tour: redhead eyelash boy!

[1] Also Zurich/Euro tour 1991–94, which followed the Vienna tradition for naming but merged the designs with the London ones.

And then of course with the revival era (c. 2014 onward), ALW etc have been trying to remove all designs except the London ones, so Oasis and the Broadway revival use the Admetus design and the Plato name. Meanwhile, other productions (UK/International tour, Vienna, Paris, Asia tours) call him Admetus.

So basically: redhead boy design is called Admetus, but sometimes gets used nowadays in productions where they call him Plato instead. George is not involved.

This is George. UK swing or minor kitten, two eye patches and a mouth patch. Never called anything but George until the Broadway and UK revivals decided to have a Carbuckety and a Pouncival, so renamed George to Pouncival and left splashy-eyepatch boy as Carbuckety.

Frank Thompson is only credited in the film as 'Rumpus Cat', but this is more or less George as he was being played in London at the time (just with the makeup redesigned a bit for the film).

The reason some fans of the film have historically used the name Admetus for George is due to Frank being credited as 'Admetus/Rumpus Cat' on the film's short-lived official website. I'm fairly sure that listing is an error: there are plenty of other errors on there, if you look carefully, and a website in 1998 was less 'official Word Of God' and more 'neat gimmick which might link customers to where they can order the DVD', so accuracy on points like minor characters' names probably wouldn't have been such a big deal.

It is possible that this was meant to be an intentional renaming of the character—or even the creation of a new character, like Femi Taylor's, based on George's design like (one of) hers is based on Cassandra. But if so, it never caught on: outside the film, there is no tradition of using the name Admetus for a George-like character. So historically, Admetus just means 'redhead eyelashes boy, who sometimes gets renamed to Plato'.

(Except for minor swings in some productions, but they're completely unrelated in history or design to any of the above, so let's ignore them because that's unnecessary complication..!)

[statecryptids]

MINNESOTA ICE MAN- MINNESOTA

You pay your quarter and follow the cramped line of fairgoers into the striped canvas tent. It’s dim and sweltering inside. The air is filled with the mingled scents of popcorn, sugar-coated fry bread, generator gasoline and the occasional whiff of dung from the nearby pens of llamas, donkeys, and sheep. You can still hear the tinny calliope of the fairground drifting through the dirty tent walls. Before the crowd, a long horizontal freezer hums. You lean in, looking down through the glass at a supine, hairy figure encased in a block of cloudy ice. Is it a weird-looking ape? A rubber dummy? A hirsute human? Could it really be The Missing Link as the sign outside proclaims in gaudy red letters? Perhaps even a surviving Neanderthal? You have little time to ponder as the crowd starts to shuffle out to allow the next gaggle of gawkers to enter. Such is the typical way most people would have first encountered the oddity known originally as the Siberskoye Creature but nowadays more popularly called the Minnesota Iceman. The mysterious cadaver had toured county fairs across the Midwest under the care of its owner, Frank Hansen, throughout the 1960s but gained wider fame in 1968 when young aspiring naturalist Terry Cullen saw the body at the International Livestock Exposition’s Chicago Fair and brought it to the attention of cryptozoologists Ivan T. Sanderson and Bernard Heuvelmans. The researchers paid a visit to Hansen and examined the corpse through the ice since its owner would not let them thaw it. What they saw looked remarkable man-like, though he was covered in short but thick hair like a great ape. His feet and hands were large and splayed. Under a prominent brow ridge, one of his eyeballs hung from its socket, apparently the result of a gunshot wound to the back of his head. The creature’s left arm up in a defensive posture and bore a strange bend that indicated a broken radius and ulna. Sanderson and Heuvelmans concluded that the body was genuine based on the fine details of the hair, nails, and skin and because of a putrid rotting-meat smell that emanated from a crack in the glass display case. Sandersn wrote an article about the creature for the magazine Argosy, while Heuvelmans published a paper on the creature in the December 1969 issue of the Bulletin of the Royal Institute of Natural Science of Belgium. In it, he described the Iceman as a new species of hominid, Homo pongoides. He even wrote a book about the discovery, which was recently translated into English as “Neanderthal” The origin of the Iceman’s body is murky and several possibilities have been put forward. Hansen frequently changed his story about how he acquired it.  Initially he claimed that he’d shot the creature on a hunting trip in the Whiteface Reservoir area in Minnesota. Later he said that Japanese whalers had found the body frozen in a block of ice in Siberia and sold it to a famous Hollywood actor who had entrusted it to Hansen. Heuvelmans formed his own theory about the body’s origin, connecting it with a story about a strange ape that had been killed in Vietnam during the war and preserved before being brought to the US.At one point a woman, Helen Westring, told a tabloid magazine that she had shot and killed the creature when it had attacked and tried to sexually assault her. Heuvelmans and Sanderson asked John Napier, a primatologist at the Smithsonian, to examine the body. He concluded that it was nothing but a latex model. Hansen tried to explain this by claiming he’d recently switched out the real body for a replica. The two cryptozoologists backed up Hansen’s story, claiming the body Napier had examined was clearly different in several ways from the corpse they had initially examined. The investigation led to someone at the Smithsonian actually contacting the FBI, reasoning that if the body was genuine, it was possible a type of human being had been murdered. Though the FBI didn’t end up looking into the case, the incident did give Hansen the opportunity to put a sign above his creature that said: “The Near Man… investigated by the FBI” Hansen continued to tour the Iceman at county fairs and shopping malls for a few years after 1968, but interest gradually died down, At some point, he claimed to have gotten rid of the body, either burying it or returning it to its original owner. In 2013 a latex model of the creature– allegedly one of the props Hansen had used, if not the original creature itself- was put up for sale online. It was bought and currently resides at the Museum of the Weird in Austin, Texas. Since the Iceman became famous, people have reported seeing beings resembling Homo pongoides all over the world. While these sightings may seem like good anecdotal evidence for the existence of a still-living nonhuman hominid, it should be noted that such tales are part of a larger folklore about “wild men” found in every culture and at all times throughout the world. So what was the Minnesota Iceman? While some still wonder if it was a late-surviving non-human hominid, or even a species of Bigfoot, the skeptical view is that it had always been nothing but a latex dummy all along. A carnival curiosity that briefly caught the attention of the cryptozoological research world. SOURCES An article from American Hauntings on the Ice Man A Tetrapod Zoology article about the Iceman A Tetrapod Zoology review of Heuvelmans' book "Neanderthal Museum of Unnatural History article on the Iceman Museum of Hoaxes article about the Iceman

[voituresetmotos]

Il est temps d'en apprendre davantage sur le mystère de la voiture record de vitesse terrestre Stapp de 1932

Jason Torchinsky Hier 15h15 • p Histoire de la voiture 11.9K 51 2 En ce qui concerne la folie, il est difficile de choisir une catégorie automobile plus dotée de batshittery que les voitures Land Speed ​​Record. Ils existent depuis au moins les dernières années 1800, et même dans cette catégorie qui comprend des fusées, des voitures fabriquées à partir de chasseurs à réaction et des torpilles électriques sur lesquelles vous vous asseyez, cet incroyable monstre d'un Français du nom de René Stapp se démarque. Mais à ce jour, on ne sait pas vraiment si cet homme et sa voiture représentaient une véritable tentative sérieuse de record ou un canular déroutant. De toute façon, c'est fascinant. René Stapp était un pilote de course et au moins une sorte de concepteur et d'ingénieur automobile, car sa voiture record de vitesse terrestre était entièrement sa propre conception. Il a été construit juste à l'extérieur de Paris, en utilisant ce qui serait un châssis Voisin. Il est également suggéré que le moteur Voisin a été laissé dans les chasses pour agir comme moteur de démarrage pour la propulsion principale prévue de la voiture, un trio de moteurs radiaux à neuf cylindres d'avions Bristol Jupiter. Je suppose que le simple fait d'avoir trois moteurs radiaux propulsant une voiture a dû sembler trop piéton pour le vieux René, car il a affirmé que ces trois moteurs auraient tous leurs 27 pistons retirés et fonctionneraient comme des turbines à essence, d'une manière ou d'une autre. Selon l'historien Dale LaFollete, Les moteurs feraient 800 chevaux chacun et transmettraient leur puissance aux quatre roues par une transmission électrique. Il a estimé que la voiture pouvait atteindre une vitesse maximale de 372 mph (600 km / h) ... Je ne sais pas vraiment comment une «transmission électrique» enverrait 800 ch aux roues sans utiliser un moteur de 800 ch? Il semble que Stapp n'ait pas non plus été tout à fait clair, car il n'y a aucune preuve réelle que les trois moteurs radiaux aient jamais été installés dans la voiture. Cela ne veut pas dire que la voiture n'a pas roulé; c'était absolument le cas, comme vous pouvez le voir dans certaines séquences d'époque, mais il s'agissait probablement du moteur Voisin d'origine. Ces images de la conduite automobile sont intéressantes pour un certain nombre de raisons: premièrement, regardez cette fichue chose, et deuxièmement, notez comment le conducteur, Mssr. Stapp lui-même, le pilote: debout. Il n'y avait aucune disposition pour s'asseoir dans la voiture, donc le conducteur se tenait juste dans cette petite prise, et il ne semblait pas y avoir de pare-brise ou quelque chose du genre. Je suppose que la pensée était que le conducteur aurait des lunettes? Pour le petit voyage dans les rues de Paris que vous pouvez voir dans ces vieilles images, il est amusant de noter que la roue de secours et le rétroviseur sont collés sur cette chose pour le voyage. L’échelle de la voiture est remarquable et aurait facilement pu contenir ces trois turbines à turbine radiales, je suppose. Le cône arrière était perforé avec beaucoup de buses d'échappement d'une certaine sorte, et il y a quelques premières tentatives de rationalisation intéressantes en cours ici: la forme générale de la torpille, les ailes effilées et pointues menant et derrière chaque roue, et cette gigantesque aileron arrière, peut-être pour fournir un certain contrôle du gouvernail à vitesse? Le plan de Stapp était d'amener la bête à Daytona Beach, où il tenterait de battre le record de vitesse alors en vigueur de plus de 253 mph, établi par Malcom Campbell dans le Campbell-Napier-Railton Blue Bird. Avant d'expédier cette chose à travers l'océan, Stapp a décidé de la tester sur une plage française appelée La Baule qui était agréable et longue et largement utilisée comme piste de course à cette époque. Alors qu'il s'apprêtait à faire une course de vitesse sur la plage, la création de Stapp a pris feu et brûlé dans le sable, je suppose, et tandis que René lui-même a pu s'échapper, la voiture a été détruite. Le numéro du 8 mai 1932 du magazine italien La Tribuna Illustrata a couvert l'incendie et a suggéré que Stapp s'était fracturé le genou et que son mécanicien s'était un peu cogné. La question demeure cependant: cette catastrophe a-t-elle été mise en scène? Est-ce que Stapp a installé la machine pour qu'elle brûle, d'une manière ou d'une autre, ou était-ce un véritable accident? Si la voiture n'avait installé aucune de ses trois turbines, il n'y aurait pas eu beaucoup à tester sur la plage. L'incendie était-il une couverture pour le fait que la voiture était loin de ce qu'elle prétendait être? Nous n'en avons vraiment aucune idée. Stapp a en quelque sorte disparu après tout cela, et bien qu'il soit possible que la voiture ait la transmission étrange et avancée qu'il a suggérée, il n'y a aucune preuve non plus - pas de brevets, de photographies ou de plans d'aucune sorte. Si c'était un canular, c'est aussi déroutant quant à l'objectif - juste un coup de pub? Mais pour quoi exactement? Ses capacités d'ingénierie? Son audace? Quel était le but, ici? Je ne suis juste pas sûr. Et, après 88 ans, je ne pense pas vraiment que nous soyons plus près d'une réponse. Pourtant, c'est une chose glorieusement folle, n'est-ce pas?

[two-wheeled-therapy]

Another Truck video for you!  This time I add the Sportz Link annex to the Back Roadz Tent on my 2023 Chevy Colorado ZR2 Desert Boss.

[circusgoth-dotcom]

🎪🔥 | Circus Origins AU: Part Killing Joke, part my own ideas for a Joker backstory. Jack Napier and his boyfriend, Capri Ekko, were part of a clown troupe, which was part of a larger circus... note: were. When a mysterious accident caused a fire that burned down the main tent and several trailers belonging to the performers of the circus, Jack and Capri resigned, or rather fled, from the circus. After all, they owed quite a bit of debt to their boss, the ringmaster, and didn't exactly have the means to pay it back. They settled in Gotham and Jack took up a job as a stand-up comedian, while Capri stayed home and made cartoons for the Gotham Gazette. Even with his past work as a clown, Jack was not a very popular comedian in Gotham, being more suited for physical comedy than writing and telling jokes. Feeling useless, Jack spent a brief time with the US Navy, but was eventually discharged for mental health concerns. Sometime after that, he took the "job" offer that would lead to his becoming The Joker, but what of Capri? Having nothing but love for Jack, he would follow him to the dark side, though unlike my main timeline s/i he would not enter the Ace chemicals like his partner, preferring to put the make-up skills he learned in the circus to "good" use.

Batman Self Insert AU Dump

👔🤡 | Main Timeline: Hannibal Flood, aka Amadán. Disowned grandson of Carmine Falcone, journalist, and The Joker's husband.

🌆☠️ | The Dark Knight/Ledger!Joker: Corvus "Zero" Grace. Like many Gothamites, Corvus was poor and desperate. When he was given an opportunity to make some cash by some gangsters, he took it without a second thought. Little did he realize they had roped him into the (usually) deathly brief employment of The Joker. As the boss came to clean up his "evidence," that being the group that enticed Corvus into their ranks, he saw something different in Corvus the others didn't have and decided to leave him alive. Slowly, Joker allowed Corvus more intimately into his world, and it wasn't long before Gotham realized there was only one person The Joker did not find expendable: "Agent Zero."

🎙️🏥 | Joker (2019)/Phoenix!Joker: Keaton Kennedy. Keaton met Arthur in Arkham during one of Arthur's last self-admittances. For Keaton, he had been briefly admitted by his older roommate who acted as a sort of caretaker towards him but was struggling with the responsibility of it all. They reconnected after they were both released and committed themselves to helping each other feel better despite their shitty situations. I think Arthur still becomes The Joker in this AU but developments on it heavily depend on the plot of Folie Á Deux right now.

🌆🪴 | Civilian AU: Hannibal "Bill" Feather. Bill was as average of a Gothamite as one could get: working a low-income job as a bodega clerk, having a healthy wariness around Gotham's nightlife, and of course being more concerned with his oncoming rent than the latest villain scheme of the week. So when he unintentionally catches The Joker's eye, Gotham's king of criminals, he's thrown for the biggest loop of his life.

@canongf @knightfallships @futurewife

[brynandchristopher]

New decade, new adventure

Happy New Year!!

I hope you have all had a wonderful celebration of the end of the year and are ready to start this new one. As they say, new decade, new me. We are very excited for what this year will bring! Our outdoor adventuring in New Zealand is about to really kick into gear and our travel prospects in Australia and elsewhere later this year are bringing us great joy and anticipation! :)

Since our last post we spent a couple of days in Tauranga posted up on the beach. We had a lovely camp spot and made the most of our proximity to the ocean! I was tempted to go buy a cheap surfboard, but I think that endeavor will have to wait until Australia. From Tauranga we drove southwest into Te Urewera National Park towards the start of our first Great Walk around Lake Waikaremoana. We spent a night deep out in the woods all by ourselves- it was a bit eerie to be all alone but it was the first campsite we’ve had all to ourselves and the solitude was quite welcome. We made one of the best meals of our trip that night - we marinated Tempeh (a soybean curd from Indonesia that we fell in love with while living in Bali) in olive and sesame oil, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, chili paste and then fried it up in sesame oil. We served it over a highly spiced mix of brown lentils and brown rice. It was a good load-up on nutrients for our 4-day trek we started the next day.

We drove about 20 minutes the following morning to the trailhead on definitely the worst road I’ve driven on in a car in my life, but Sweetie managed swimmingly. We had a bit of difficulty finding the trailhead and when we did we were bit confused by there being only 1 other car parked there, nonetheless we had found the start and headed off. About halfway through our first day we got to one of the backcountry huts where we took lunch and talked to some of the other trekkers. We quickly figured out why there were no other cars, because nearly everyone was doing the trek in the other direction, so they had parked at the other trailhead. This backcountry hut was right on the water and quite a few of the trekkers there were waiting for water taxis to take them across the lake back to their cars. A couple approached us, thinking we were in that same boat, and asked if there was space for two more in our taxi. We explained we weren’t taking one and they were bummed, as they were a bit stranded and worried about how they would get back. We were setting off to leave when an idea struck me, albeit one that required quite a bit of faith in two strangers we had just met. Our original plan was to hitchhike back to our car when we had finished the hike, and while we probably would’ve been able to do this, it was a bit worrisome that we might be stranded as well. So we decided to ask this couple if they wanted to finish the hike out and drive our car back to their car. They were a bit shocked at the suggestion but happily accepted as it saved them a pretty major headache and both of us a lot of time - the other people around eavesdropping on the exchange all laughed at the audacity of our proposal. So we trusted in our new friends from the Czech Republic and kept on walking. We finished the 7.3 mile first day of our trek at the Waiharuru hut/campsite - it was right on the water and we immediately hopped into the lake for a swim. We had planned on camping that night, but while swimming a couple of people told us there were a dozen or so empty bunks if we fancied not setting up the tent, so we opted for the extra warmth and slept in the hut that night. We ate a lovely dinner of lentils and couscous with salt and chili flakes, played cards, read our books and hit the hay. 

The next day was our longest of the trip at around 9.5 miles. We woke up and ate our oatmeal and set off. Despite being the longest, it was the easiest terrain of the trip. It was all pretty flat and skirted the lakeside the entire time. Being along the lake was really cool as we were able to see flocks of black swans with bright red beaks most of the way. This lake was a sanctuary for a lot of water birds as it was incredibly quiet and remote. The lake was massive and beautiful with dozens of really cool little coves that back home would have had hundreds of boats on it, but we saw no more than 10 the entire trip. We finished our second day of hiking, and our final day of the year at Korokoro Campsite. We got there before most other hikers and got the best secluded spot a short walk into the trees. There was a nice small field and a little shelter to cook under, as well as a tiny beach you could swim off. We went swimming again, although a bit warily as there were a few swans feeding nearby and they can be quite territorial. We had no problems with the birds and gave ourselves a nice scrub to get the day’s sweat and dirt off and laid out in the field to dry off. A bit later on a few more trekkers showed up, as well as two boats that set up a luxurious camp near the shore. Being New Year’s Eve, I had carried a bottle of champagne out on the trail - I went to chill it in the water and the boat campers laughed at my commitment to the holiday and offered to chill it in their cooler. We never figured out exactly who it was but the guy who I gave the bottle to chill was apparently a really famous athlete from New Zealand - we overheard some Kiwi’s talking about how they recognized him, we think he played rugby but weren’t totally sure. There were a dozen or so trekkers at camp so we figured there would be a small New Year’s contingent staying up but everyone except for Bryn and I were in their tents by 9:30. We made more couscous and lentils, and added some instant rice to mix things up along with our champagne and had a lovely New Year’s dinner. A bit different than our 4-course meal and wine pairing we had two years ago but it was actually really nice to just chill out in the woods. We exhaustedly played cards until midnight, rang in the New Year, and were asleep by 12:10. 

Our next day was undoubtedly the hardest. We began by doing a 2 mile side-jaunt to Korokoro Waterfall which was probably around 50 feet and absolutely beautiful. We continued on for a couple of miles around the lake before eventually leaving the waterside for good where we began a grueling 5 mile uphill. We gained around 3000 feet of elevation as we made our way up quite a few stair ladders and tree root systems. It was very tiring and particularly tough on Bryn, who had developed some gnarly blisters at this point, but we listened to a couple podcasts and took lots of breaks and persevered! And we were well rewarded, as we reached the top we got the first real views of the hike. We were treated to some beautiful panorama views and relished in the hard work we  had done in getting there. We finally made it up to the Panekiri hut where we luckily grabbed the last two bunks next to each other. We were starving so we made an early dinner of rice, couscous, and sardines. It was the first time I’ve ever eaten sardines and while I didn’t hate them, I probably won’t be choosing to eat them again anytime soon - all the same, a nutrient starved body makes most things very edible. We went to bed early so we could get up for sunrise the next day.

Sunrise wasn’t all that spectacular to be honest. The view was mostly blocked by trees and it was very hazy outside as winds had blown smoke over from the fires in Australia. But it’s always nice to be up really early in the morning and we ate our final breakfast of oatmeal with all our leftover trail mix stirred in and set off. Our last day was a breeze, 6.5 miles of all downhill, we were treated to the best views of the whole trek on our final day and were a bit smug thinking ourselves lucky for doing the trek backwards. We could see the entirety of the lake and its wild jagged shape and had our final granola bars setting atop the lookout called Bald Knob. We sauntered down the hill at a frenetic pace, ready to be done, and made it to the trailhead. To our great relief Sweetie was waiting for us in perfect, albeit very dirty, condition - the couple left us a lovely thank you note and a big pile of candy and we were incredibly happy we had made that call and didn’t have to hitchhike on a remote road for the rest of the day. We set off further southwest to the coast where we have been the last couple of days. We are currently staying in Napier, a lovely coastal town that boast an affinity for Art Deco and the heartland of New Zealand's wine country. We treated ourselves to hot showers at a local gym for 3$, got a much needed carwash, and got a pizza for lunch. We pulled up to a parking lot on the beach to camp for the night, and to our surprise the van next door belonged to the Czech couple!! We talked to them a little while and made pasta and soy-meatballs for dinner. 

We will be here for a couple more days, camping on the beach, hitting up the local farmers market and a few shops before heading to the town of Rotorura to meet up with an old friend of ours from Bali who lives here now. In Rotorua we will be going whitewater rafting and exploring the plentiful hot springs around town before starting our second Great Walk in about a weeks time! We start the Tongariro Circuit on January 9th and will post our next update after we finish that tramp (NZ’s word for trek).

Our best,

Christopher and Bryn

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Suv's as the name suggests are sports utility vehicles. Rough and rugged terrain is kept in mind while they are made. They are an ideal vehicle for camping. Best suv for car camping tents are available at https://napieraustralia.com.au/products/napier-84000-sportz-dome-to-go-tent

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Napier Sportz Cove 61000 Easy Setup Small Midsize SUV Tailgate Shade Awning Tent

Napier Sportz Cove 61000 Easy Setup Small Midsize SUV Tailgate Shade Awning Tent

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Enjoy outdoor baths, unparalleled views, warm fireplaces and large decks to find your own unique New Zealand luxury camping location. What is luxury camping? It's a glamorous camping experience where you can not only experience tent camping, but also enjoy the warmth of home. 1. Hurunui Jakes Camp - a magical place on the west coast\ Relax at The Nest at Hurunui Jacks (opens in new window), one of the most tranquil luxury camping sites on the South Island. Situated within a national park and DOC Conservation Reserve, the campground is peaceful and tranquil, surrounded by forest trails and easy biking trails, with the possibility of kayaking on the lake. Wake up in the morning to the cheerful chorus of native birds. 2. Child and pet friendly Waipu luxury camping Bring the little ones to Waipu Glamping in the northern region for a comfortable and stylish camping experience during the school holidays. The camp has a self-catering kitchenette, outdoor baths and board games for family fun. Explore the beaches and great swimming spots around Bream Bay and Mangawhai Heads, then return to camp for classic camping treats with marshmallow chocolate sandwiches baked in the camping oven under the stars. This pet-friendly luxury camping can bring your dog along for an unforgettable vacation memory for the kids. 3. Secluded in the enchanting Hobbit Hole, Lower Canyon Campground Nestled halfway up the mountain, Underhill Valley has been a private family retreat for more than a decade and has only recently been opened to the public. This small, exquisite dwelling resembles a Hobbit cave, a beloved home designed and handcrafted by a Waikato family using native wood and chic ironwork. The house is equipped with a cozy old-fashioned charcoal stove for heating, a comfortable bed and quirky furniture. This unique accommodation is located just 40 minutes from Hamilton Airport. 4. Clifton Luxury Campground - Experience luxury camping in a wine region Stay at Clifton Glamping in Hawke's Bay for a refreshing sea breeze and true relaxation. Camping tents are set up on a sunny hilltop with outdoor baths and luxurious furnishings inside. It's the perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle and unwind. A well-equipped kitchen and BBQ grill make it easy to prepare your own meals. Or let the camp hosts arrange for a private chef to cook, or visit the wineries that dot the Napier region for a fine dining experience. 5. Stay with friends in a secluded valley view campground Stay with a group of friends at Valley Views Glamping for the ultimate vacation experience. The campground features six solar-powered, self-contained dome tents, a large shared kitchen and a camping oven. The outdoor bathing pool for two offers breathtaking views of the Waitaki Valley, and friends can take turns bathing and roasting marshmallows and playing guitar in front of the grill.

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