Monday 27  Feb - Sunday 4 Mar
Te Aroha/ Matamata / Hamilton

Paul spent nearly two days cleaning the truck and 5th Wheel by hand while I enjoyed baking banana cake, a chocolate slice, a chocolate pudding, making yoghurt and an Ambrosia desert, while doing the office work in between.  Baking creates plenty of dishes and as it is hand washing only, seem to do them all day!   Wakerley’s RV Centre called and we are booked in to install the level up kit next Tuesday so we have another week to discover some new places before heading back to Tauranga.  Bacon, eggs, mushrooms and hash browns for lunch outside then we treated ourselves to a mineral spa tub for 2 at the Te Aroha Bath house.  Veni was right, your skin feels like silk.  The 30 minutes was just enough and did not go too quickly.  Tuesday I drove into town to post some letters and have a look see at the shops.  I like these quiet small towns for plenty of parking space and not much traffic.  Good for truck driving practice!   Te Aroha has its own radio that is played under the shop veranda’s. The “station” is run by local Wayne Pitt from Pittsy’s Mountain Radio.  He plays local ads and old music throughout the township.  Great idea. 
Checked out the i-site for more info on Te Aroha and think we will be back, there is much more to do in this little town, may even walk the 45 minutes to the lookout and if really keen, take the 2.5 hour climb to the top of the mountain – that’s one way!  Maybe not! We’ll see. 
Muffin was more than happy when we returned back one afternoon to find her completely comatosed on our day pack on the floor, check out the photo!  Is she at home or what! 

Matamata - Arrived and dumped.  While Paul dealt with our ablutions I popped over to the Post Shop to see if our mail had arrived.  Nothing yet.  Stayed at the Matamata Club with a couple of other Motorhomes and over to the bar for a drink and roast pork for dinner.  Checked out the i-site centre to find out about the Hobbiton Tours and to the Post Shop to see if the mail had arrived.  One package had but the rest was still to come. Walked around the shops then headed back, packed up and off to Hamilton to Claudelands to the Motor home show for the weekend.

Hamilton -  I got us lost getting there, so many bridges and roundabouts in Hamilton and I had missed a roundabout when taking down the details from Goggle maps!  Rang Deborah who sorted us out and we were back on track in no time and checked into the rally site next door to the motor home show running over the weekend.   Once there Paul got all panicky about the air wedge that stops the slideout topper from flapping.  The wind was quite strong and he couldn’t work it himself so starting getting impatient with me when he asked me to help!  The lady in the next motor home caught my attention while Paul was around the other side she held up a sign saying “grumpy old fart inside” and asked if I wanted to borrow it!  That just made me laugh and Paul yells out “what is so funny”  I replied saying “ the lady next door has your number.” 
Ray and Heather are from New Plymouth, a lovely couple, and she has an excellent sense of humour.  The air wedge flew out and was heading for the hills, after all our, well mostly Paul’s effort to get it in!  Gave up and put it away!  After dinner we had coffee at Deborah and Steve’s place.  

The motor home show started Friday morning and we caught up with Nick who had three units on display.  There were plenty of motor homes to choose from and walk through, in all shapes and sizes.  Back for lunch and Paul put the kettle on then realised we had run out of gas, which was my fault.  I has said when we started into the 2nd gas bottle “don’t fill the first one now, the 2nd will last for ages, but about 17 days later we were totally out, so won’t be saying that again.  
Had Lunch then out to get gas, back to base, set the gas bottle up and headed back to the show for another 4 hours.  When we returned the place was warm!  Paul had left the gas on all that time   and the kettle had boiled dry and was "toast"!  Just as well our home and our pussycat were okay!  I did rant a bit to Paul!  Yes really!  We were very lucky!  I keep saying after each incident “well he won’t do that again” when he does this stuff and he probably won’t but then he keeps finding new things to do!  Enjoyed drinks and nibbles with Jocelyn and Fred’s that evening.  I needed a drink!

From the show, we purchased things like oil, funnels, Eco Mist spray and chair supports for the truck.  To town with Deborah playing navigator to get a new kettle!  Groceries and back home,
then back into the show for a ZeroPak Vacuum Sealer.  We decided this could be very useful for flat packing meat/ chicken etc for the freezer and keeps ham and fridge items fresh as you vacuum pack it and can reuse the bags you create.  Came back and played with that for a while until Megan came round then out for Indian, which was lovely.  The food was great and it was lovely to catch up again.  The weekend had again disappeared and where the time went, I don’t know.  
Ray and Heather came over to meet Muffin then the phone went and Roy and Marianne were in the car park looking for us.  Put the kettle on again for another cuppa. Rose and Brian came back for a cuppa later in the day then we started to pack up around 3ish.  By the time the goodbyes were done and we dumped, we left Hamilton about 5.30 and arrived in Matamata just before 7pm. 
Paul headed to the bathroom and opened the cupboard; all I heard was an almighty crash. 
He had fully opened the cupboard without a thought for the contents that may have moved in transit when my perfume bottle came flying out and smashed the vanity glass bowl into a million pieces.  Far out!!!  Our house moves, so EVERY cupboard must be opened slowly and with great caution and you need your hand well up into the cupboard as you open it. 
His reply, “I thought you would have already been in the cupboards.”  

Monday 5 March – Sunday 9 March
Matamata/ Tauranga

By the time I did the office work, found another vanity bowl online and got it couriered to Tauranga, we were not really in the mood, so flagged Hobbiton. Guess we will go another time! 
Arrived at Wakerley’s in Tauranga just after 5pm.  The next morning we backed inside the shed at Wakerleys, put Muffin in the wardrobe in her house and shut her in so she was safe and tried to do some work but the power had to be turned off while they did the welding so it became hopeless so sat outside and enjoyed the sun. Paul spent the day under the 5th Wheel in his overalls painting and sealing as the covers came off from underneath.  At 4pm they told us we could not stay in the unit and we had to leave as they closed at 4.30!  So we were very kindly housed for the next three nights at Cedric and Karyn’s place, Muffin too.  You would think she owned their place, causal as and happy to wander the house and was just fine.  She continues to amaze us with her laid back attitude and with all we throw at her.  Thank you Kayrn and Cedric, you are both wonderful.
I took our dinner, breakfast and towels each night to save Karyn too many hassles. 

The rest of the week consisted of emails to the USA chasing diagrams and missing hydraulic connections (again!)  It did give Paul a chance to rust proof, seal and tidy wiring underneath.
The local hydraulic company was able to supply the parts we needed but after installing these parts the hydraulics would still not work, so emailed photos to Lippert in the USA to discover they had sent the wrong manifolds!!  More waiting for the courier from USA!!
Enjoyed  fish and chips down the Mount at the beach one night and the hot pools.
Paul worked on the bumper bar of the 5th Wheel that he ground back to cover with rust kill and repaint. We were moved outside into the daylight and onto jacks in the yard for the weekend and the slides came out.  Yah.  Sort of back to normal – have legs on but they just don’t work yet! 
Washing and the housework in the weekend, then Bruce arrived with our Fly Buys package, an outdoor LED Latern.  Cedric and Karyn popped over early afternoon after they had been to the gym and later in the afternoon Heather and Ray came by and invited us to the boat club with his son, wife and daughter, which was lovely.  Sold our back legs to Brian and dropped the front legs to Nick to sell on our behalf and then drove to Omokoroa and checked out the seaside village, looked pretty nice even in the rain. 

Monday 10 – Sunday 18 March - Tauranga
Not much happened this week, still here sorting the level up kit. It will be fantastic when it works! 
While the underneath was all open and we waited for parts we decided to get new tank monitors for our fresh, grey and black tanks so they read correctly with actual percentage readings.  The original ones were not great and were not accurate.  This way we will know exactly how much fresh water we have left and how full our grey and black tanks are. We know the black tank takes about 2.5 weeks to fill, but the others empty and fill much more quickly!  Installed a new water pump too, our one hammered and has no regulator to assist with flow in the kitchen and the shower if both are turned on at once.  Both the new water pump and the new tank monitors played up not long after installation, we are having a run of it!!  The water pump returned for replacement and there will discussions with the supplier of the tank monitor!  By Friday the right manifolds arrived by international courier and were duly installed and believe it or not, the hydraulics system still doesn’t work!  Called the USA many times but no reply! 
Paul continued to do more painting underneath and I put the office away for the weekend! 
Bruce arrived with our second Fly Buys package, a blood pressure monitor – we are getting old!  Visited Paul’s sister, Michelle and Tom’s for a coffee and then to Chrissy and Paul’s where we ended up staying for dinner, a delicious dinner and a lovely evening.  Thanks guys.
They have the most adorable little 3 month old Shiatsu called Griffin.  He is Tan and Black and a complete little honey.  Griffin befriended Paul and Paul thought he was totally adorable. 
He is VERY cute, check him out!
Speaking of cute furry people, was talking with Leigh later in the week and she said Muffin should have her own photo page on the blog.  We ladies love our four legged furry people. Muffin now has her own photo gallery page.  I am sure she will be thrilled to know she has a fan base.  
Sunday, Grant, Rae and his two children came for morning tea and I had made a marshmallow
rice bubble slice and chocolate fudge slice, which we all enjoyed! 
Then we headed out for a drive on a wet but warm Tauranga day. 

_ Friday 17th Feb – Thunder and Lighting – Wow the night was electric!
We had heavy rain, thunder and lightning far in the distance all night.  By morning the thunder was much closer and Paul almost “sh..” himself as he was outside about 10am collecting water from our overflow when boom, the thunder clapped right near him, he came flying in the door! 
About lunchtime it settled and we headed out for a drive around Moana Point and over the causeway and checked out the shops, stopped for coffee and ice cream as the sun started to appear.  Paul and Pete tackled the new submersible pump Paul purchased to save the rain water and pump it back into our fresh tank.  Wendy and Vic arrived so the boys remained outside and sorted the pump while the ladies watched an episode of Coro then we all enjoyed drinks and nibbles till 8pm.  We are really starting to enjoy ourselves. It is lovely to relax and spend time with friends.  We are very lucky to have met so many wonderful people already in the motor home world who are just delightful.  Thanks guys.

Saturday 18th Feb – Woke to singing from the Baptist Church across the road.  Pete and Sue headed off to Simpson’s Beach and we followed on later after dumping and getting yet more groceries!  The two hour ish journey was challenging at times with snarly roads as we weaved around tight corners and across narrow one lane bridges.  Thinking back to the trip we took up this way on our Motorbike, it was quite different, two wheels instead of ten!  As we came through Coro Glen, a small township, there were heaps of motor bikes parked at the local pub, this area is highlighted as one of the great motor bike journeys in NZ.  Arrived around 2pm having missed the turn off and ended up heading for the hills and inland, found a place to turn around, where I once again donned the fluro vest and stopped the traffic, turning around and stopping the traffic is not an easy feat at times on a main road and being16 metres long!!  Once we put the GPS co-ordinates in we were taken straight to the property.  Will use the GSP Co-ordinates in the future, saves the hassles and the discussions!! Lunch outside and with the weather perfect, around 24-26, we all headed for the beach, which was all the distance of 100 metres.  I even went in to my waist, not being big on the water and sea this was a very good start I thought.  We have a beautiful view of the sea, the property is elevated above the beach and it slopes away down to the beach.  The scenery is beautiful.   About 15 motor homes parked at Simpsons Beach, a POP (Park Over Property).  Peter the owner grew up here and he and his wife were looking to create a motor camp but the Coromandel Council required far too many rules and requests of them, so they decided to flag the whole idea and set up a POP, which has no facilities like a camp ground, apart from water, BUT the views and the beach are fantastic and all for $5 a night.  Perfect, a spot of paradise indeed.  The farm has allowed campers for over 80 years.  We are very lucky that people like Peter and his wife allow us to enjoy their fabulous property.  Pam and Rob joined us for a BBQ and Pam bought lovely salads freshly picked from their garden and preserves for desert.  They have an extensive garden at their Bed and Breakfast in Whitianga, Ferry Landing Lodge.  We enjoyed the evening under the stars.  Nice.

Sunday 19th Feb – We woke to the waves lapping the beach, the sun shining through the blue sky and the view of the beach. Showered and on with the sun screen and the bikini to enjoy breakfast in the sun.  Did some hand washing and read the NZMCA – NZ Motor home and Caravan Association magazine (Movanner) from two months ago.  Have been meaning to read it for ages and have not had the time.    Lunch around 2, did some office work then happy hour again before we knew it.Pete and Sue, Paul and I wandered over to spend Happy Hour with some of the other motor homers here for a few hours.   Dinner then a lovely walk along the beach, a lot of the sand is black and looked like silica sand, kind of looked 3d as we kicked it ahead of us.  

Monday 20th Feb – Rubbish run to Whitianga, always on the lookout for places to put our rubbish.  You are allowed by law to deposit single bags into the council street bins, so rubbish tends to be dealt with daily.  Everything from the supermarket comes in a box or plastic package so the rubbish is endless and no more wheelie bins outside our door!  Lunch at a local bakery, then on the ferry to Pam and Rob’s place from Whitianga to Ferry Landing.  All of 3 minutes across the bay.  Homemade muffins and coffee for afternoon tea, thanks Pam.  Muffin has found another place to hide and stay cool, she hides against the bed base under the bed cover, as depending on which way we are parked the sun can be beating down on the wardrobe area, so not a preferred spot in that case.Back to Simpson’s Beach for Drinks and Nibbles, Paul fell asleep on the ground, he must be relaxed, he was snoring!  Later in the evening we took Muffin for a walk around the grounds.She is totally happy to walk in the dark, guess she figures no one can see her!

Tuesday 21st Feb – Paul washed the roof and the solar panels while I did the 20th’s and office work for most of the day.  Drinks at 4pm then a swim about 5.30 and all of me in this time.  It was refreshing and once you took the plunge and immersed yourself in the water, it was fine!
Dinner was divine, king prawns on the BBQ from Pete and Sue (Thanks) with our Chicken salad, under the awning watching the waves. Hokey Pokey Trumpets for desert watching the recorded 6pm news, mostly for the weather.  We took Muffin for a walk later in the dark, her favourite time. 
Has only been three weeks, still feels like being on holiday.  Figured we can enjoy the first month like this and then readdress thereafter.  We are enjoying the domestics of hand washing (like Little House on the Prairie) when not near a lot of water to run the washing machine and not knowing the time, date or day or where we are or where we have just been! 

Wednesday 22 Feb – A full  cooked breakfast to start the day after which we drove the one hour drive from Whitianga to Hot Water Beach.  It was a fairly dull day but still warm so we were surprised to see the masses of people there.  Plenty of overseas visitors that as Pete said “swilled” in the bath water that was only inches deep around the bikini and tog clad bodies.  The life guard told us it was a quiet day but there was at least 200 people there, turns out a busy day is 2,000!
Paul and Sue had a great time finding the hot water that is only located in certain parts of the beach.  Paul got to use his new shovel and delighted in assisting others build their walls up to retain the water.  Paul and Sue found their own pool eventually and Paul knelt while Sue paddled and assessed who could have it when they vacated. I did dip my toes in a little, in parts it was as hot as 56 degrees, which had many jumping when they landed in it as it rolled out to sea.  Drove around to Hahei for a look see and then back to Simpson’s.

_ Thursday 23rd Feb – Pete and Sue left for the Coromandel and we were looking to head back towards Whangamata when Veni and JP texted to ask what we were up to Friday and Saturday as they were keen to catch up. We agreed to meet in Paeroa the next day.  We did housework and then as the weather was not great, we headed to the laundromat with a load of washing.  The water pump on the truck has not been working so we could not use the washing machine and the electrics on the truck appear to be playing up as the central locking and the windows don’t open.  Will get it checked out when back in Tauranga.  Paul’s only option was to fill our fresh water tanks by carrying 20 litre buckets of water from the tap about 200 metres away!!!  His saviour was Joe, another motorhomer who offered his quad bike, to transport the buckets.  Paul immediately accepted and was like a pig in “sh..” on the bike backwards and forwards to fill our fresh tanks.  As we were able to dump our grey where we were, we could refill with fresh when we needed it.  The black is another matter and requires the dump station but we can go for about 2 weeks without needing to dump the black.While at the laundromat we returned the jug to the supermarket I had bought the day before as it was broken.  We are now making powdered milk, so the jug was needed.  Powdered milk is great, we always seem to run out and this way we don’t but it is way cheaper, about $1 per litre and it tastes just fine.  We wandered around the shops between the washing cycle and then the drying cycle we discovered what looked like a $2 shop but out the back it was like the old hardware with the wooden boxes of nails and the washers sold individually, it was like stepping back in time to Mum and Dad’s hardware store.  Very cool shop. 

Friday 24th Feb - we planned to get up early and head away but by the time we got sorted and said our goodbyes to the new “friends” we had met, it was 10.30!  We dumped on the way out of Whitianga and off to Paeroa race course arriving about 2 hours later.  We were told it was about 1.25 hours but we seem to be slower or take more time getting to places, no doubt the others have travelled these roads a number of times before, it is all new ground to us.  Has lunch then Veni and JP took us to the Karangahake Gorge and through the old goldmines on the “windows walk.”  It was brilliant, across swing bridges then up steps and through the bush walking over the old rail tracks and then into the tunnels and every now and then in the darkness there would be a opening that was where the miners tipped the waste over into the river way below.  We even saw glow worms.  A round trip of about an hour, so well worth it and what was wonderful was there was no charge, just wander through.  Some of the tunnels are kilometres long.  We then drove to Te Aroha about 25kms away where the old bathhouses have been revamped and are now lovely mineral spa pools and outdoor pools in a lovely setting.  The mineral water is renewed after each private session.Veni said your skin is like silk afterwards.  Back to Paeroa where the town was in full swing, floats coming up the street, the jazz musicians playing and the Lions cooking a sausage sizzle and cansof L & P given out, all compliments of the township.  Paeroa has won the Best Community in NZ 2012 award and they were delighted.  The Mayor spoke and the local MP and there was a junior school group singing Maori songs and the lolly scramble for the kids and some big kids too! We enjoyed sitting in the sun lapping up the atmosphere for an hour or more then headed back for a “real” drink.  Pete and Sue had come around from the Coromandel and were heading to Raglan but saw us at the racecourse and decided to stay overnight.  The six of us enjoyed drinks followed by a delicious dinner from Veni and JP of homemade venison sausages and roast veges.Yum – Thanks Guys. 
Muffin appears to be more at “home” now as she ventures down to the living areas during the day and is even keen to pop outside in daylight around 5-6pm.  We attached her 5m lead and she was happy to go as far as it would and then sit and watch the world go by as if she was sitting on the deck at home. 

Saturday 25th Feb – Said goodbye to Pete and Sue again and off to the Karangahake Gorge to cycle the bike trail about 7kms each way that meanders along the river to the Waikino station where there is a cafe and a train that offers sightseeing trips.  Enjoyed a bite to eat on the platform and biked back after checking out a waterfall.  Headed to the RV sale in town, cabovers, buses, 5th Wheels, all there for sale.  Plenty to choose from if you are in the market.  We saw a number of motorhome people we knew there from the last two 5th Wheel rallies, all a bit confused as to why we were in the North Island still!  We missed Vic and Wendy by about ½ hour as they had come for a look see having sold their 5th Wheel.  Back to the racecourse, when Paul saw a toddler walking up the middle of our lane on the road in front of us.  JP hit the brakes and Paul jumped out to pick up the little boy and then wondered where he came from.  The neighbours pointed to next door where we delivered him to a bewildered young Mum unaware he was even out. Hope she takes better care now, poor wee man.  

Sunday 26th Feb, said goodbye to JP and Veni as they headed back to Pukekohe. 
Being in this part of the country we are told by everyone that anywhere we want to go is about
“an hour and a half” .  This has become a bit of a joke as Veni and JP impart their knowledge of places to go and things to see, so of course we ask “how far is that”  and you know the reply!! 
Our next line is “where is that” our geography will improve, it has already. 
Biked into town to the L & P Bottle for the “photo op.” Met a lovely couple from Te Puke at the service station.  Paul spotted them heading in for gas, they had a Goldwing Trike which we stopped to admire and got chatting and they had spied our 5th Wheel at the race course and admired that.We hope to catch up again sometime.  Had some  L & P ice cream, was ok but prefer Hokey Pokey! Cycled home had lunch then packed up and headed to Te Aroha to the POP (park over property).  This time it wasn’t an hour and a half, about ½ hour!  More like what Wendy says, “if you go more than 50kms in a day and you have probably missed something”.  This trip was all of 25kms.Muffin liked that.  Arrived around 5pm and set up and made a Chicken & Thai Chilli Pizza followed by homemade pikelets, jam  and  cream!  Yum.