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licencedtoretire · 6 years

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I wonder how many times I have driven to Kerikeri and beyond along State Highway 10 or north to Kaitaia on State Highway 1 and driven past the signs that point to the Waimate Mission just a few kms up the road. Thinking to myself that one day I must go there but in reality being so focused on my destination that I would probably never have got there had it not been for the media manager at Landmarks Whenua Tohunga who contacted me through my blog asking me to write a series of articles on some of the sites they help promote in Northland.

Landmarks Whenua Tohunga connect a number of historic places on behalf of Heritage New Zealand, DOC, local councils and private owners. They are charged with promoting these mostly lessor known sites to encourage both Kiwi’s and tourists to take the time to come visit. As I have said in the previous blogs the places we are visiting in Northland all have an important part to play in the history of New Zealand but all are tucked away off the main road.

This blog is about making that side trip, off the main road, and getting to visit some of these places. Having already visited Clendon House and the Mangungu Mission both located in the Hokianga. As well as the Rangihoua Heritage Park this visit to Te Waimate was probably also the most accessible of all the places we intended to visit.

First though we had to leave our wonderful stopover for the night at the Wairere Boulders. If you haven’t already done so you really need to read the blog I wrote about this place and our time there. It’s one of the nicest places we have found on our travels around New Zealand and we have certainly stayed in a few places!

The road to the Mission house takes us through Kaikohe which is the half way point if you are riding the new cycle trail from Mangungu to Opua. There are a number of places around here that you could stay with the trusted and well thumbed Travel Directory showing 5 options with a few kms of the town. As however we where meeting a friend in Kerikeri we chose not to stay anywhere here.

The view from the road

Te Waimate Mission

Arriving from the west the first thing you notice is the historic church sitting on the small hill. There are a number of old churches in the Hokianga some of which have fallen to wrack and ruin. This one however is much more imposing and well preserved. More about the church a bit later.

The old school house

Entrance sign

The day we arrived there was plenty of parking in the huge driveway with only a couple of other people there. The first thing to notice where the magnolia trees in bloom with a riot of pink flowers really very pretty.

Straight ahead at the end of the drive is the old Sunday school house that dates to around the late 19th century. It has been through a number of uses during the time the site has been occupied and is not currently open to the public.

The tree lined walkway

This site was the first inland settlement established in the Bay of Islands and was established to teach the local Maori people European farming practices as well as forming the fourth mission station in New Zealand. With all of the missioners coming from England the place was developed along the lines of a small English village with a church, school, mill, blacksmith and houses. Today the place still retains that English feel especially as you walk through the gardens towards the mission house.

Talking about gardens a lot of people probably wouldn’t be aware that the famous botanist Charles Darwin spent some time here compiling his notes as part of the ground breaking voyage around the world on the Beagle.

Alex Bell

We were met at Te Waimate by Alex Bell who was busy repairing one of the old farm gates. A man of many talents Alex is actually the man in charge here and also has the oversite of the two missions in the Hokianga. Unlike the two Hokianga sites this place is open Saturday to Monday during winter and Friday to Tuesday during summer so it wouldn’t take so much planning to get there on a day that it’s open.

As you can see from the smile on his face Alex loves his job and that enthusiasm rubs off when he starts telling you about the mission and it’s history. A really informative guide.

The Treaty of Waitangi

Celebrating 100 years

Walking through the second oldest standing house in New Zealand history abounds and it was here on the 9th February 1840 that the second signing of the Treaty of Waitangi took place although this was a fairly small signing compared to the 70 chiefs who signed at the Mangungu Mission it nevertheless was important in cementing the relationship between the church and local Maori.

Alex told us that the main living area was used as a school room and there are places in the room where the soft kauri paneling has been indented by people writing on top of it. There is also a glass covering over an area that shows ancient “graffiti” from one of the pupils. I tried to photo this but the light just wasn’t right. It is however a really interesting thing to see. Also proving that graffiti has been around for a lot longer than you might think.

Contained within the house and in various different rooms are leftovers from the days when it was a working farm with the lathe and various tools on free display. Although if you are tempted to “borrow” something there are security cameras in abundance. Wondering what the nail bed was I asked Alex who told me that it was used for separating the flax fibers that could then be turned into rope and with the abundance of flax in the area it would have had a lot of use.

Taking the chance to wander what was once the working farm it was interesting to read the information board about just how hard life was here and that eventually the missioners gave up both on the mission and the working farm. Today there was a small flock of Pitt Island Sheep a rare breed of black sheep that they are breeding here. As it was lambing season when we visited we didn’t want to get to close with one pair of lambs born the prior night.

In the background of the sheep photo you can see what was the first Oak tree planted in New Zealand and shortly after we left Te Waimate I read that the tree had died and fallen over. They have however saved cuttings from the tree and hope to plant one of these in it’s place soon.

During the mid 1840’s the house was used as the command post for the British Army during the land wars with a number of soldiers stationed here camping in the grounds. Just inside the entrance way into the church are two of the wooden gravestones that mark the passing of some of the soldiers during the battles, although one was accidentally shot by his own side, rather sad really.

The church and it’s grounds are a must for a wander around whilst you are here and although this is the 3rd church that has been erected on this site it’s still has a very historic feel to it. The cemetery is still in use by the locals today with a few fresh graves evident.

All in all I am disappointed with myself that it’s taken me so long to come and visit here and when I consider that in the late 1970’s I lived not to far from here there really is no excuse. So I write this blog to absolve my sins and suggest that you come and visit yourselves it’s a really interesting place.

That night I wanted to stay somewhere that had good quality cellphone signal so I could upload some photos and continue writing a blog I was working on. Since we had one more place to visit south of Kawakawa I said to Sarah that we should spend the night at the Whangaruru Beachfront Campground. This campground is directly across the water from my favourite DOC Camp, Puriri Bay.

On the day we visited the camp managers were still concerned about how dry the grounds where and given the size of our van they wanted us to park on the driveway, this created the rather embarrassing situation that in an empty campground we had to park right next to someone else. They however were really good about it and we still had 3 metres between us.

At $30 for the night with power using the NZMCA discount it was great value for such a great view right on the water. Unlike Puriri Bay across the water which has great signal however the cell tower here is hidden by the hills so there is almost no signal, there is thankfully free WIFI so I was able to get my work completed.

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The following morning we wandered along the beach which also serves as a road when the tide is a little lower to the settlement of Ohawini. It’s here that when we have stayed on the other side that we have watched the car headlights at night working there way along the coastline or watched the fabulous sunset in the hills behind. Put this place on your must visit list.

From here it’s onto our final destination on the tour the Ruapekapeka Pa one of the largest and best preserved Maori Pa sites in New Zealand.

To view the places we have visited click here to see them on Google maps. You can click the links to read the blog about that area. [cardoza_facebook_like_box] To view the Ratings we have done for other camps click here [jetpack_subscription_form]

Te Waimate to Whangaruru I wonder how many times I have driven to Kerikeri and beyond along State Highway 10 or north to Kaitaia on State Highway 1 and driven past the signs that point to the Waimate Mission just a few kms up the road.

#campervan holiday New Zealand #Doc camps #Heritage New Zealand #Landmarks Whenua Tohunga #Museum visit #Northland

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licencedtoretire · 6 years

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This week I realised that it’s 40 years since I first purchased a caravan and adopted or at least partially adopted the gypsy lifestyle. So I thought I would dedicate this blog to some of my memories in the hope that it might jog memories in some of the other people that read it. I have lifted some photos from Google as I don’t have any myself that cover a lot of the early period.

Back in 1978 at the age of 20 with my then partner Sue we purchased a caravan from Bryan Jackson Ltd . Brian was a real character in the industry who when he had difficulty importing caravans from England ended up copying the floor plans and constructing them here as Jackson caravans. At one time Jackson was the largest seller of caravans in New Zealand.

If I had been able to join the NZMCA at that point, my member number would be somewhere round 1400-1600 instead of the number 18180 that we got when we joined in 2002. it’s just amazing to think that the numbers are now well past 80,000.

Ours was orange but this is as close as I could find

I know I could not have joined with a caravan in those days but I just though the number exercise was interesting. I cannot remember meeting anyone in those days who actually was a member of the association.

With the help of my trusty tow vehicle, a Vauxhall Cresta 3.3, we set off on our adventures. Initially travelling the huge distance from Mt. Wellington to Manukau City to stay at the Meadowcourt Caravan Park whilst continuing to work for a little while and saving for the trip. Then from there we where to begin the hippy lifestyle by spending a year living at the Tauranga Bay Motorcamp.

The camp these days is very similar to how it was in 1979 just with more people staying there. We chose Tauranga Bay because it was cheap and such a pretty place to stay. One of my all time favourite memories was when out swimming one day, then turning round in the water to see 3 Orca not 50 feet from me. To say I got out of the water fairly rapidly would be something of an understatement.

Both of us had learnt various crafts which we made and sold in Kerikeri at either the market or craft shops. We didn’t quite make a year and as funds began to run down it was time to take a real job. I ended up spending the summer of 1979/1980 working as a barman/wine steward at the Bella Vista restaurant in Pahia whilst living in the caravan at the campground in Waitangi. At the time the Bella Vista was one of only two licensed restaurants in town, imagine that today! It is just incredible how much both of these towns have changed since those simpler days.

When that relationship fizzled out in the early 1980’s, caravaning and camping fizzled out with it until I met my wife in 1988. Turns out that Sarah was just as keen on camping as I was. With us getting away to places like Papa Aroha in the Coromandel and back to Tauranga Bay to show her a place I had come to love during my time there.

Turns out Sarah’s family had a long history of caravaning with family holidays taken in Waihi and Whangaparoa well before it became a suburb of Auckland. So you could say the lifestyle was in her blood. We found these old photos from the 1960’s showing the caravan at her parents house. As well as this photo of Sarah from 1980 enjoying tenting.

Our first true motorhoming experience came in the 1980’s when we had the chance to rent a Maui camper and took our (at the time) two sons away with us spending time at the mountain and visiting Rotorua. I just remember my boys saying how cold the snow was. But also how much we enjoyed the freedom of the motorhome.

With the passing of time the four of us became five as we added our third son getting away for short holidays at places like Matauri Bay where we rented a beachside caravan giving us quality time as a family. It was these experiences that cemented our desire to make these sort of holidays happen more often.

Then in 2002 we took the leap and purchased our first motorhome, an ex Maui 6 berth Mitsubishi Canter that was to be ours for the next 16 years. Our first trip away took us to Otamure Bay the DOC Camp just out of Whangarei. This became a very popular destination for us when almost every weekend we would jump in the van and head north from Auckland.

It was during this time that we got to know Ron and Dot who were the custodians of the campsite. The two of them convinced us that we should join the NZMCA which we did and have been members ever since.

In 2003 we started heading to Puriri Bay as it had phone signal and Otamure Bay didn’t. As it became more essential to stay in touch with work Puriri Bay became the new destination of choice and over time our favourite place to stay.

It’s funny looking back at these photos as it’s shortly after these photos were taken that we lost the awning in a wind storm and never got round to replacing it. Thinking back on it now and just how quickly it happened still scares me and has made us very cautious with putting out the awning on the new motorhome.

So in these photos you can see us minus the awning but with the new addition of the Zodiac. At the time we purchased the boat very few motorhomers had one of these, but they have since become almost a must have. The boat was 3.4 metres long with a 15hp Mercury that our boys could wakeboard behind. Such great fun.

We had the motorhome specially modified to allow for the outboard to be carried at the back of the motorhome. Which often caused people to enquire about our unusual power pack. It also served as a great way to get talking to other people in the campground.

Time as it does moves on, our boys got older with other things going on in their lives. Going away with mum and dad became less of a priority for them. Business pressures became greater and the motorhome didn’t get used as much as we would have liked. During the years 2010 to 2017 we barely used the motorhome. Managing to sneak away for 3 or 4 days at a time, a couple or three times a year usually in March or April. We always seemed to go back to Puriri Bay knowing that the fishing would be good and the sunsets even better.

Well almost every time to Puriri Bay we did manage to get back to Tauranga Bay for the first time in 20 years as well as places like Port Jackson and a trip to Cape Reinga. The old Mitsubishi was such a faithful servant even if I was frustrated with the snails overtaking us on some of the larger hills at least we always got there.

In winter 2017 with the sale of my company imminent we took the Mitsubishi on one last great adventure (or at least under our ownership). With a trip to Taranaki and surrounds as well as travelling the Forgotten Highway. The photo above shows the motorhome at the NZMCA camp in Tamaranui one the first times we had stayed at an NZMCA camp.

So in September 2017 with the business sold it was time after 16 years to consider an update for the old Mitsubishi. With this in mind we visited a number of motorhome dealers in Auckland. As well as the Motorhome Show at Mystery Creek in Hamilton. spending three days wandering round and round looking at all sorts of options. Eventually we had narrowed it down to either the Jayco above or a Dethleffs Globetrotter.

Leaving the show we spent our final night in the Mitsubishi at Ray’s Rest pondering our options. A fitting farewell spot after years of faithful service. We sold the old Mistubishi at what was then the Bus Stop in Pokeno but has since been renamed. We hope that whoever purchased it has as much fun as we did. Maybe we will see them on the road one day.

In the end we chose the Dethleffs and as a tribute to the years of service from the Mitsubishi we took the new motorhome back to Otamure Bay for the first night spent in the van.

Funny how things change but remain the same. With my trip away with two of my boys last year and one of them choosing to sleep in a tent just like 13 years beforehand. That we still have the same inflatable but now it’s not an unusual thing with so many motorhomers having one and so many models available for sale.

And of course continuing to return to our favourite spot Puriri Bay in Northland. Although if you have been reading my blog you will know that we toured extensively in the South Island in the new motorhome. Which is certainly getting much more use than the Mitsubishi ever did.

I started out writing this blog to celebrate 40 years since I brought my first caravan and to maybe spark some debate on Facebook or by people commenting on this post with people sharing their own memories. I know I won’t have another 40 years as that will make me 100 if I wrote this post again. But I do hope for many more years of happy motorhoming.

Finally I think that if my family had not emigrated from England when I was 13 that this lifestyle would have been lost to me. I think that camping in NZ is still affordable with DOC and NZMCA camps that the lifestyle choice is an easy one to make. Long live motorhoming in New Zealand.

Memories of a Motorhomer This week I realised that it's 40 years since I first purchased a caravan and adopted or at least partially adopted the gypsy lifestyle.

#campervan holiday New Zealand #Doc camps #NZMCA Camps

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