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Rules on the Road
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  • Helen Rule

Rules on the Road

We're retired and about to hit the road and live the dream. Lue lisää
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    🇳🇿 Waitaki District, New Zealand
    Helen RuleRules on the RoadMatkaaja

    We're still here

    5. tammikuuta, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    A very quick update..... we're still living life in the MH. We're based out of Cromwell for the next wee while and will be travelling old ground in Southland and Otago as we stay in touch with family and friends. I'll update with any adventures as they happen. There'll be a fuller report soon🙂🙂🙂❤Lue lisää

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  • Helen RuleRules on the RoadMatkaaja
    Gemstone BeachGemstone BeachTypical view in coastal western SouthlandRainbow wonder!

    Central Otago and Western Southland

    22. marraskuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    It's amazing how quickly we slotted straight back into family life and the other activities we usually do when 'at home'. Catching up with friends, walking, cycling etc and the usual day to day domestic humdrum we all get to do.
    So fast forward through to the 22nd Nov when we celebrated James and Maureen's Golden Celebration with a lovely dinner at Elegance in Invercargill. Such a great time for them and us to remember the wonderful place special friends have in our lives.
    We headed out to Edendale, to visit Dorothy and Ernest, and Mataura Island where we stayed at the family farm. It's always a bundle of laughs with Donnah and Neville.
    And then the time came for me to rediscover my roots!
    We headed west slowly. David reminisced about his milk collection days and cowshed building days as we drove through the coastal C roads.
    Colac Bay was our first stop. The iconic surfer greeted us on arrival as we turned to find our stop over for the night. David tried his hand at surf casting, he's still practicing! The beach was lovely for a long after dinner walk and listening to waves again, as we went to sleep, was bliss.
    We explored quirky Cosy Nook and discovered a tiny hamlet lost in time. Monkey Island was next up. I walked out to and up the flight of steps on the island. First impression..... is that it? It's tiny and right on the beach. David had long told a story about his aunt getting stuck on it when the tide came in and needing rescued. I guess not all things on the list are going to be impressive! The area is gorgeous though. Next up I walked from the Gemstone Beach carpark back to Monkey Island. It was a fabulous beach and a really warm day. It took longer than usual as I scoured the beach for special stones.
    That night we experienced the biggest wind ever! The motorhome rocked and rolled as never before....I got seasick and had a miserable few hours. The wind was truly incredible. The next day we headed out to Bluecliffs to hopefully get to the start of the Humpridge Track but the wind was still trying to blow us inside out so discretion being the better part of valour we about faced and headed to Tuatapere, the town of my birth.
    We reconnected with Helen Todd, the first Helen Rule, and husband David Todd.....I know..... ironic eh! Two Helen and Davids!
    We found some great walks and explored cemeteries looking at familiar names and remembering.
    It was a bit surreal to have the time to explore the town I was born in and the farming district we lived in. I was little when my family moved away from Eastern Bush but I did have some memories. The mountains, the verdant green land, the road, Mulvey Rd, that lead to our old home and the location of some of the neighbours. It's all just the same and wonderful!
    We spent the weekend with Davids cousin and his wife, Brent and Heather, at their bach which sits above the Wairaki River and coincidentally looks straight into the back of our old family farm. It was so lovely to spend the weekend wandering the hills with them and dreaming of what might have been if we'd still been there!
    Lake Monowai was a great place for fishing. David land two beautiful Rainbow trout and let one get away with his lure! The walk to The Point had me remembering the days at Borland Lodge, as a teacher, with Menzies kids and David the Southland Girls kids, with Kate, for school camps.
    All in all a fabulous week.
    Next up is our Top Ten weekend..... such a special gathering of longtime friends which we always look forward to and always cherish.... watch for the next post.    Lue lisää

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  • Helen RuleRules on the RoadMatkaaja
    The Sluicings
    A water race. Sluicings trackThe Sluicings trackThe SluicingsA cave that was home in all seasons for a miner. Pretty grim lodgings!The stone walls formed the Menzies Dam at the top of the Sluicings.This plump quail was sitting on top of the post right in front of our car!The 45th ParallelThe track is steep but the views from the top are a lovely reward for our effort.45th track viewThe Munro's have a new critter....Pixie is 3 /4 Chihuahua 1/4 Pomeranian. Small but mighty cute!Olivia bungy jumping as part of the school programme! She loved it. Not a bit hesitant!

    Cromwell

    2. marraskuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Home! It's been wonderful being with our family and immersing ourselves in the all the comings and goings. The teenagers have all grown up.....I am feeling short! Josh is completing his final exams, planning work before uni and being an all round fabulous kid. Sam is now well settled into his Joinery apprenticeship, has bought his first car and nabbing any fully licensed driver to take him for a spin. He's so proud of the car...... cleans it every time it returns from an outing no matter the distance! Olivia is 14 and wonderful. Tall, caring and experiencing all that tween years bring. A gorgeous girl! Tully is an absolute crackup! Funny, larger than life and planning to join the Navy in a couple of years. He, like Harper, loves his hockey and rowing. It'll be good to have Harper home from boarding school in a couple of weeks
    We've been busy. David has resumed custodian duties at the NZMCA parks in Cromwell. It's hard to believe the absolute numpties out there that play the system! I'm a custodian too and had to assist David with one numpty..... got my 'teacher' out to resolve issues! David has also been completing some maintenance tasks at the parks. In the mix has been a return to Bridge for me but on a casual basis, mastering the 45th Parallel track and the Bannockburn Sluicings loop track. We're loving the walking despite the creaking joints!
    David has been tasked with repairs and maintenance on Kate and B's caravan. Not a small job but hopefully it'll be road worthy for the holiday period.
    At the end of next week we head to Southland for a couple of weeks for planned social events and catching up with family.
    We're REALLY looking forward to hitting the road again. We've missed it!    Lue lisää

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  • Helen RuleRules on the RoadMatkaaja
    Tai Tapu. Beautiful trees, buildings and structures. What a lovely town to wander around
    Tai TapuCatherine and Stan's gardenStructures on the beachGeraldine racecourse...... Davey for the win!Old Oamaru..... first time we've ever seen thisWaitaki BoysVery happy young man. XxxGorgeous gardens and fabulous treesIntroducing Pixie. The newest member of the Munro family1Tea time with Liv...... the bestLumsdenMemorial fence Lumsden1Bright and bold was the theme for the NZMCA Mossburn rally. Almost everyone obliged. Lots of fun.1The air guitar came out..... yes he'd had a few!1Temu got a hammering as did the Munro dress up box!Spring snow.... beautiful landscapes everywhereDaniel and Mike have a new toy. A Velocity!The Bsnnochburn Sluicings

    It's catch up time

    31. lokakuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    Leaving the Lyttleton area we headed to Tai Tapu where we stayed at a POP, Westoby Farm, where we were met by welcoming hosts and their ostriches. One of them managed to crack their egg so we were given a goodly portion of it beaten and ready to use. Ostrich eggs are massive. From the portion, about a quarter, I baked a banana cake, made toasties and pikelets and disposed of the rest!
    The following day we headed to Leeston where we finally caught up with Catherine and Stan and discovered their park like garden. WOW! A lifetime of work and passion to produce this gorgeous oasis. Fabulous. We had a night at the Ellesmere Golf Course which I walked around. It's a really lovely spot and they're very grateful to have we NZMCA members there. Apparently they've had no break ins etc since they established this POP.
    We moved on to Rangiora where we heard all about Christine's Scottish adventures and did loads of domestic chores..... it was past time for the MH to got a good clean out.
    It was wonderful to visit Harper at Waitaki Boys and to see him very happy and settled. He loves it there which warmed our hearts.
    We were very excited to head to Cromwell, for a couple of nights, to get our hands on our kids and theirs. Our hearts were definitely telling us it was time for some cuddles.
    The NZMCA Bottom of the South Rally, at Mossburn, was a wonderful weekend of colour, fun, music and dancing. We were exhausted after three consecutive late nights! The challenge of the devastating storm in Southland saw the local community rally around us and a huge generator was supplied to ensure adequate power and water to the community center, where we were based. It's going to take a years for the province to recover. Our hearts go out to all the families, farmers, businesses etc that have been devastated. Our great niece and her family were without any services, power, water, phone for 5 and half days and they all had a gastro bug!
    We are now back in Cromwell after being at Richard and Jo's, Riversdale, where we were surprised to see the Cross family and Heidi and Stella. Lovely!
    We've been to been to senior prize givings...... we're proud grandparents! It's been a big year. Josh is off to uni, Sam has begun a Joinery apprenticeship, Harper has opted for boarding school and Tully has had his second year at Dunstan. Miss Liv is growing really quickly , tall and 14 already.
    Throughout this time we have continued to walk. Beaches, golf courses, race courses, new towns like the lovely Tai Tapu, are all contenders for us. We managed to get up the Bannockburn Sluicings a couple of days ago. The first hill in a while..... it doesn't take very long......AT ALL... to lose your hill fitness! Puff puff puff!
    It is our intention to be in and around Southland and Otago for the next five months. We are on a small committee which is organizing a massive NZMCA event at the end of March. There's lots to do! So this, along with lots of planned social events, will keep us busy. We'll mix this time up with exploring the region and catching up with friends and family. We're looking forward to it all.    Lue lisää

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  • Helen RuleRules on the RoadMatkaaja

    Ohinetahi

    11. lokakuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    We stayed the night at a freedom camping place on Lyttleton Harbour. It was convenient so we stayed and mixed it up with loads of young people in their 'sliders' crashing their damnable doors back and forth to til the wee hours. . Annoying for us but they're all living their best lives and having the best time.
    We enjoyed the lively Lyttleton Farmers Market, Saturday mornings, which was packed with fresh food and produce, craft stalls, music and interestingly clad folks! We'll be back
    The reason we stayed at this POP was the proximity to Ohinetahi, a garden of international significance, that has been on my to do list for many years so today was a big tick the box day.
    This garden was first established in 1865 and thrived until the owner died and it was left without care for years until Sir Miles Warren and his sister Pauline Trengrove, along with her husband, bought the property in 1977 and developed it into the fabulous garden we saw today.
    We wandered for about 3 hours in the heat, 26/27 degrees, around this diverse, beautiful property. I'm so so pleased to have been and highly recommend it as a must see for anyone who hasn't visited. We were lucky to park onsite but would advise anyone visiting to park in the layby opposite the main entrance. I'll let the photos do the talking..... absolutely wonderful!    Lue lisää

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  • Helen RuleRules on the RoadMatkaaja
    1Registration booth for POP.
    This typical of the whole park. It's really lovely.Rhododendron gardenRoad to rhododendron gardenBeautiful tree peonyLove this.1The Cafe here that opens on Saturdays.Arboretum walk1Biggest tree in NZ.2David watching Bathurst on the laptop. Very good picture!Livestock.... wonder if they migrate south!

    Orton Bradley Park

    11.–13. lokak. 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    This lovely park is a POP. There is a a large grass area with dedicated power points and water and a lower area for non powered sites. There are flush loos and a dump site. We love it here and will be back.
    There's lots to do here. There's large green spaces with kids playgrounds etc which are perfect for families, picnics, scout camps etc. The trust, who operates the park and the attached large working farm, have developed a variety of walking and biking tracks. There is a beautiful rhododendron garden and an arboretum which features NZ's largest tree, in terms of girth, 16.5M I think. A macrocarpa.
    We walked through the rhododendrons and the arboretum. A great walk which we loved apart from the steep bits..... nothing changes eh! It was really warm again today so water was at a premium whilst walking! The photos at the end show me crossing another swing bridge....a fairly tame one at Ohinetahi, but still made my heart pound.    Lue lisää

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  • Helen RuleRules on the RoadMatkaaja
    Gorgeous sunsetThe remains of an early hamlet. No road access and difficult boat access.The desecration of this place reeks of disrespect, in our opinion!😢

    Banks Peninsular

    7.–10. lokak. 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    We made our way from Conway Flat via a night at a brand new, still being constructed POP just off the main highway at Waipara, to Rangiora and enjoyed an evening with Allan before finding our way to the Godley Head DOC camp the next day.
    WOW what a drive in; elevated, narrow with sheer drop offs in places but the reward was so good. Fabulous scenery. The camp is placed right at the end of the peninsula with wide open spaces, and fabulous views every way you look. The main shipping channel is right there. It was interesting watching the pilot boat coming and going as ships of all sizes waited their turn to enter the port.
    We explored the gun placements and read the history with interest. Fascinating! It was a very busy defence area throughout WW11 and now, buildings that remain are being done up gradually.
    There are walking and cycling tracks around the Heads and we choose to do the Loop Track. It's quite steep in places and about 9ish kms. We were buggared when we got back but so happy to have done it. The young, fit 'kids', camped beside us, thought it was challenging too.... so maybe we're going ok! We did a smaller loop track the following day.
    We went to this place for 1 night and stayed 3. We loved it and the weather was wonderful. We're a happy pair!    Lue lisää

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  • Helen RuleRules on the RoadMatkaaja
    The whale popped up right beside the boat.

    Conway Flat

    2.–4. lokak. 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    We moved on to Conway Flat and were excited to see one of Whale Watch boats very close to shore, in one of the bays, so we quickly pulled in and were absolutely chuffed to bits to see a whale. Our first time! We watched for an hour before reluctantly moving on. What a thrill though! They're elusive, quick animals and we were too busy being excited to get photos so no actual evidence, sadly.
    Conway Flat POP is on a cliff above a large expanse of ocean and this, our second time here, reinforced what a wonderful place it is despite the wild weather on both occasions. We donned our wet weather gear and carried umbrellas for our walk this morning, being careful to dodge the evidence of the large mob of Black Angus cows and calves that went before us. Getting the laundry dry has been tricky but that's life on the road some days....I don't like using a dryer!    Lue lisää

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  • Helen RuleRules on the RoadMatkaaja
    11

    Kaikoura

    25. syysk.–2. lokak. 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    It's been so good to have time to stay and play in this lovely town. The weather has been wonderful and so we've walked and walked and loved it. We had 4 nights at the NZMCA, north end, 2 nights at The Point POP, South End of town and then 1 night at the NZMCA park in South Bay. All of them were great but the POP had wonderful views out to sea and plenty to watch as the world wandered by our MH.
    We did a coastal walk from the North end and over the next few days we did the Penninsular Walkway 3 times. It's a bit of a puff getting up the hill but so worth it. Once there the track opens up to well maintained, manicured grass and some bush. Fabulous views out to sea are very rewarding. The bottom peninsular walk offers great views too but the track surface is rubbish. The first part is large natural rock formations around the edge of the cliff, which we didn't mind navigating, followed by a track covered in large grade white stones which makes walking really tricky and so we opted to climb the steps halfway round and continue on the top track. We decided to head up again the next day just for the hell of it but followed that up with a bowl of hot chips and gelato served to us by the food trucks right across the road from the POP. Delicious!
    From the NZMCA in South Bay we walked the St Paul's track. More steps and a quirky prayer box complete with pen and paper to leave your thoughts, akin to lighting a candle in a church, I suppose.
    We were entertained by a great busker in the main street and have loved all the friendly people we've met and socialised with along the way whilst here . We had decided to have a night at the Puhi Puhi DOC camp, just north of Kaikoura, and loved the very pretty bush walk and the little river but I had a really uneasy feeling there so we headed back to Kaikoura. David says 'Happy wife, happy life!'.
    We moved on to Conway Flat but will cover that in an upcoming post.    Lue lisää

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  • Helen RuleRules on the RoadMatkaaja
    1The original cafe building Hanmer SpringsThe original cafe building Hanmer Springs1

    Hanmer Springs

    18. syyskuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    It's been absolutely wonderful to discover lovely Hanmer Springs. We've not stayed this long before so we're happy.
    This charming town is built around the pools and is definitely a hot spot for tourists and holidaying families. We happened to be here during school holidays so it was busy! We had two sessions in the pools, one in the main area where there's a myriad of options for all and one in a private pool to avoid the hundreds of kids that descended on the pools. David was happy to recognize the updated but original cafe area as the place where he and his family enjoyed hot milkshakes after they'd spent the day in the, then, segregated pools where no swimming attire was required. Highly recommend this as a must do activity. You can join the Hot Pools Club online to get good discounts.
    We discovered the great network of walks and experiences in the Heritage Forest area that's just out of town. We walked up Conical Hill, puff puff puff, discovered the wonderful sculpture walk and the Forest walk which followed the perimeter of a large park space. There are lots of options for walking and biking here. It's a great facility.
    I enjoyed by birthday while here and had a very good morning tea at Power House Cafe. It's also well worth a visit.
    We spent 5 nights at the NZMCA Park then moved across the road to the Hanmer Reserve park which is great. There's limited parking, max 10 vehicles, but loads of space and a river walk up a deeply rutted track but we enjoyed it.
    We have moved onto Kaikoura via the inland road to Mt Lyford.
    David was chuffed to discover Rodin racetrack where he watched cars out doing their thing. He loves the back story of this place and what they're trying to achieve. Google it to find out.
    We stayed at the very quirky, Terako Downs POP, where we quite literally bush whacked our way down the river. David was a hero and forged a crossing for us. Ever the Boy Scout! All was going well until 3 horses approached us st a very fast gallop so the well built crossing was dispensed with and wet, soggy shoes, socks and pants were dealt with back at the MH. It did not take nearly as long to get back.....adrenaline a plenty saw to that!
    The drive to Kaikoura was great. The road is really winding but we discovered deep river valleys and north Canterbury high country farms. This is rugged country. We loved it.    Lue lisää

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  • Helen RuleRules on the RoadMatkaaja
    These rubbish bins are very attractive and are especially placed for visitors use. Impressed!
    1Inangahua Swingbridge...I even stopped to take a photo!Local fungi! Such an unusual colour.The Sluice Box, Lake Daniel's TrackInangahua River

    REEFTON TO HANMER SPRINGS

    17. syyskuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    We left Westport in rain and arrived in Reefton in rain so no changes weather wise! We donned raincoats, grabbed the brollies and explored this quaint old town. We loved it! Popped into a few shops and got a few surprises..... one shop sold fishing gear, guns and amo, bikes and accessories, general hardware and........knitting wool and all accessories! Talk about a random mix! The chap was very chatty with a quick wit and great sense of humour. The general store across the road was the first building in the Southern Hemisphere to have electricity, generated from a local power station. It seems that Reefton was also the first town to have electrically lit street lights...hence its slogan 'Town of Light'. We did invest in a bottle of Little Biddy gin..... it's made here so it's a souvenir! Right!
    We parked at the racecourse which would be lovely in dry weather so we'll be back.
    We had a look at a couple of great walking options but everything was sodden so left for Hanmer driving a new road for us through miles of pristine native forest. Absolutely gorgeous! Discovered and experienced the Inangahua Swingbridge.....yep I volunteered to cross it! and then the Daniel's Lake track so of course we had to have wee look at that. A five minute walk, that wasn't, to the Sluice Box, saw us bushwhacking around big puddles that blocked the track and being liberally showered each time we touched a tree but wowed by the high water pressure squeezing through the gap.
    The beauty of The Coast is amazing and we will be back.
    Hanmer Springs turned on sun for us..... so so good, we were definitely feeling soggy! We intend to be here for four or five days.    Lue lisää

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    Mokihinui River1

    West Coast.... you're wet!

    14. syyskuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    While parked up at Gentle Annie we experienced a massive storm! Thunder, lightening, torrential rain and wind. Think Kidds Bush Barb! Despite that we decided to move over the hill, Karamea Bluff, to Little Wanganui after a catch up with Colin and Janet, Andrew's mum and dad at their bach in Mokihinui.
    It's been interesting to see the contrast in white baiting here compared to home. The stands are very basic, some with a bit of shelter but lots with none. On the Mokihinui River there is a self imposed ban on set nets so only scoop nets are allowed. Over the hill we saw very few set nets so presume the same applies on that river too. The catches so far have been disappointing.
    Again the weather was terrible but when the sun showed its face we hightailing it to the beach. Walked for about 40mins before turning for home just as a new front came in. We got drenched!
    So.... we're quitting the coast! We have tried to explore but it's been pretty futile so we'll try again in May next year. We're now back in Westport awaiting the arrival of my new bank card, walking between showers when we can but invariably getting wet. Soggy shoes are the order of the day!
    We're going to head to Reefton then Hanmer Springs and pray for sun!    Lue lisää

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  • Helen RuleRules on the RoadMatkaaja
    Wither Farm. This bridge was washed out the first time we came here.
    Wither FarmBlenheim river walk.Blenheim river walkRemnants of old mill. Blenheim river walkLove this building. BlenheimMy favourite flowers foraged from Rarangi. I've never seen them growing in the wild. A treat!Freesia growing in the wild! RarangiThere were 8 Tui foraging in a kowhai at Koromiko.Love this!Murchison NZMCA camp.MurchisonMurchisonMurchisonSide view of the Theater1Six mile walk.... Fallen trees and mud aplenty!Called in to the start of track..... very wet!3A rock carved roof... impressive.A sweet touch in Westport.Art deco Westport

    From East to West

    4. syyskuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    As indicated in my previous blog we did indeed get to Wither Farm where we loved a steep but gradual climb to wonderful views out to the sea. Whither Farm is a network of tracks that cater for walkers of all abilities as well as cyclists of all abilities. It's a wonderful asset for Blenheim that's well maintained and patronized.
    Next day we were pleased to 'do' the Blenheim River paths which we tried to cycle a few weeks ago but most of them were flooded. Was great to see them dry and cleaned up.
    We moved to Waikawa Bay to spend time with family and watch the AB's play South Africa. It was a great match accompanied by lots of commentary from all the 'experts' in the room! Lots of laughs!
    We've stayed at all, bar one, NZMCA camps in the SI now after enjoying a night at Koromiko where we wandered through the memorial bush track and had a catch up with members we'd met in Kaikoura.
    We've been crisscrossing our way around the top of the SI catching up with Ian and Prue on occasions so it was wonderful to have a couple of nights with them in Murchison. It was our first stay in this wee town and we loved it. It's full of rustic old buildings brimming with stories past. We discovered a gorgeous walk that saw us climbing up a few step pinches that opened to a simple, at times muddy and blocked with fallen trees, track through native bush that ended at a weir and gorgeous waterfall. This track is right up there with the lovliest we've found so far.
    We've been trying to get to the West Coast but poor weather has seen us delaying this past of our trip however we decided to just go for it so we did. We traveled on a very wet day to Westport NZMCA camp. We popped in to see the longest swing bridge in NZ, which we admired from afar, on the road to Westport. Yesterday and today have been really warm. The North Beach provided us with a great walk which we followed up with some of the Cape Foulwind track which we'll complete from the other end when we return to Westport in a few days.
    Today we continued up the road to Gentle Annie camp in Mokihinui and what a camp it is, right on the wild west coast. We love the quirky details.
    We noticed a Country and Western Museum in Hector, on our way here, and went in for a look. WOW! What surprise! Barry has been collecting LP's, 45's, and 1000's of photos and other morabilia for 60 years and has amassed one of largest private collections in the world. Hector is a tiny wee place and to find this here was really unexpected.
    We'll explore the walks around here tomorrow between the predicted showers.    Lue lisää

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  • Helen RuleRules on the RoadMatkaaja
    21121

    Catch up time

    24. elokuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    We've had a lovely time discovering the Motueka, Blenheim, Rarangi, Richmond area with a short lived diversion to St Arnaud.
    The weather has been wonderful so we've walked lots. Rabbit Island is a firm favourite so we've loved the chance to walk on this gorgeous beach a few times. We got the bikes out one day and cycled from Richmond and around a lovely costal area before we ended up at the Honest Lawyer for a well earned beer. We had thought a basket of hot chips would go down well but thought better of it when told we'd wait for about 75 mins! The beer was good! As was the music being played by a wonderful band. 30's and 40's music. We loved it and the atmosphere it brought to the garden where loads of people were enjoying a gorgeous day.
    I was thrilled to get my hair cut by our clever niece, Jacque.
    Part way through this part of our trip we decided to head to the West Coast and really enjoyed the drive to St Arnaud where it rained and rained all night long. So....a look at the long range forecast saw us hightailing it back to the East Coast and sun.
    We shopped at Connings fruit and vegetables market and also discovered Good For, a fabulous bulk store for all dry food pantry requirements as well as oils and sauces. Both these places we recommend highly.
    David loved wandering around the large area at the Wakefield vintage museum. He enjoyed reminiscing about the machines and tractors etc from his youth.
    We walked around a small lake at Taylors Dam. It's really pretty with lots of resident swans, geese and ducks but also a track that saw us minding where we stepped.... there were fowl poops all over it! It was clearly evident that the area had been flooded in recent weeks.
    While staying at the Blenheim Racecourse we discovered Pollard Park. It boundaries the golf course that's directly behind the racecourse. What a find! It's the lovliest park. On two boundaries sit homes that look directly into the park or the golfcourse but separated by a water channel. It was interesting to see the bridges the families had erected to gain access to the park. A drawbridge, a swivel bridge, a concertina bridge, planks, regular bridges.... all manner of styles were evident.
    Rarangi is a lovely area. The beach is not to our liking, gravel and course sand, but it has great views. Access to Monkey Bay is via some stone steps to a viewing platform where the North Island was in plain view. We decided to use the steps for a bit of fitness training....up down up down...puff...puff...puff!
    The walk to Whites Bay is closed from the road above Rarangi but we walked to the road via a steep, zigzagged track.
    Hopefully we'll get to Wither Farm for a walk tomorrow.    Lue lisää

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    MOTUEKA/MAPUA

    14. elokuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    After our caving adventure we decided to stay a few more nights in Motueka..... it's such a good jumping off point for lots of places of interest. There's a variety of walking tracks right behind the NZMCA camp so we investigated those one day and then walked into town. We discovered the Ruiwaka Resurgence which we really enjoyed despite not being able to get up to the actual point of the Resurgence. The track is damaged. It's a lovely spot.
    We caught up with Ian and Prue in Richmond where we stayed to the A snd P showgrounds. We were entertained by a local Kennel Association who were running a scent school for their dogs. Who knew that was even a thing..... apart from security/ police pups!
    The following day we attended Bethy's funeral online. An emotional time with lots of tissues nearby. I needed a bit of a blow out afterwards so we rode 20kms on the beautiful Mapua cycleway.
    On our way back to Motueka we found, on Prue's advice, The Factory Corner where we discovered the absolute best green grocer we've ever been to. The Conning family grow most of the produce which is of outstanding quality. There's a great deli that sells fabulous selections of specialty meats and cheeses. If you're up this way put it on your list!
    We've discovered little pockets of loveliness all around us. The Riwaka boat harbour, The Raumanuka Scenic Reserve..... again, where we walked before a shower had us scurrying back to the MH, The Smoke House in Mapua for fish and chips and yes.... they're great and we'd recommend you go there, a wonderful POP, Gardner Valley, run by the very generous snd hospitable Wolfe family. There's a lovely walk around their wetlands and the area above them.
    Today we found Kina, a wee area above Mapua. It was good to be walking on a beach again and to see some of the very impressive, massive mansions and estates. WOW.... there's some money in the area!
    Tomorrow we celebrate our 49th wedding anniversary. What a gorgeous place to be to reflect on our life-journey together. ❤    Lue lisää

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  • Helen RuleRules on the RoadMatkaaja
    3The Cathedral1

    Ngarua Caves Takaka Hill

    13. elokuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Well WOW! The best $30 each we've spent in ages.
    We're both a bit rattled by being underground but we'd heard great things about these caves so took the plunge and down we went with Janet, our guide.
    What a truly fantastic place. The images speak for themselves. My knees were a tad unsure a couple of times and my head was definitely unsure when I saw our exit method but so worth it. These ancient cave systems are remarkable. The Muldoon and Rodin 'sculptures' have been formed by water alone. Incredible!
    Musicians love the acoustic qualities and brides love the atmosphere of the cathedral so there are special occasions held there. Very special!    Lue lisää

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  • Helen RuleRules on the RoadMatkaaja
    1

    Port Tarakohe and Totaranui

    7. elokuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    We stayed five nights at Port Tarakohe and were joined by Chris and Ian for some of that time. The days were spent exploring; Takaka township where I found a lovely little butcher shop, The Butcheress; Te Waikoropupu Springs which is still lovely but becoming filled with weed; a lovely walk at Patons Rock on a dreary misty day; a walk into Pohara and another around the Port. David was chuffed to be asked to go fishing with Dion O'Rourke, a Lions mate from our time in Wanaka, who lives in Pohara. Ian was pleased to go too. They had a successful day bringing home two good kahawai and five gurnard. They caught others but returned them to the sea. It was a beautiful calm day. The fish was delicious.
    The drive into Totaranui was great given the recent weather. There's evidence of some big slips but none seemed to damage the roads rather they poured over the roads and were easily cleared.

    The DOC camping ground is massive and remote. It's got over 200 camp sites and can cater for around 850 people! It's separated into sectors. There's a well set up ablutions block for every two sectors however the showers offer one temp only......COLD! Imagine that at New Years. Apparently it has a big number of young people celebrating! The golden sand beach will be heaving.
    We walked to Skinner Point and explored the beach on the way.
    We set up on the beach, after dinner one night, to watch for penguins but sadly didn't see any although there were footprints aplenty from the previous night.
    We also enjoyed the set up fireplaces and once again toasted mini chocolate fish!

    On our way out today we drove into Wainui Bay and walked out to the beach. It's really lovely! We followed that up with a walk to the Wainui Falls. We loved them both. It was disappointing that the last few steps on the Falls track were washed out so my knees weren't up to walking the last few meters around a corner to see the Falls. David clambered down some rocks and he walked the last wee bit and got good photos.
    We're now back at Port Tarakohe for the night before we head back to Motueka/Blenheim/ / Nelson Lakes..... decision still pending!    Lue lisää

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  • Helen RuleRules on the RoadMatkaaja
    3

    Farewell Spit

    5. elokuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    We changed plans earlier in the week so took the opportunity to head out onto the Spit on our way back from Mangarakau. We walked up the eastern side for about 1.5ks then crossed to the west coast via a well formed road with a few muddy patches that saw us detouring through a bit of scrub. The contrast between these coasts was quite impressive. The Eastern side was strewn in driftwood and the tide was well out leaving huge mudflats that were great to walk on. The western side comprised a wide open sandy beach backed by sand hills and fronted by big rolling waves. Absolutely gorgeous! The weather was mild, again, and the walking easy so a really lovely day that ended with an icecream at the Pakawau camping ground, cheapest icecreams we've had for eons, and the drive back to Tarakoe where we'll stay for day or two to let a weather front blow over before we head over to Totaranui for a few days.Lue lisää

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