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Winter Wanderings 2026
  • GLWSKW
  • GLWSKW

Winter Wanderings 2026

A 37-day adventure by GLWSKW Read more
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  • GLWSKWWinter Wanderings 2026Traveler

    Here there and everywhere

    July 11 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    It has been a long and eventful day. Waking this morning to -2degrees with a very heavy frost on the ground, and ice over the windscreen, meant that movement was rapid. I had woken at 2.30am and turned the heating on then. While it was warmish in the van, it certainly was not tropical! The offside to this though was that it was the most beautiful day you could ever imagine ❤️. The sky was a deep blue, and there was not a cloud to be seen 😊.
    The plan originally had been to do our dumping in Turangi before leaving, but that changed quickly when I realized how cold it was outside 😳. But never mind, we could do it in Taupo. It was 'interesting' driving 🚗 conditions driving north directly into the rising sun.
    Once in Taupo we filled with diesel (sadly not a Gull discount day) and then headed to the dump site at the BP station just out of Taupo heading north. I will not begin to describe the state of the dump site but the emoji says it all 💩💩💩💩💩. So no dumping done there! We did get a pie 🥧 and coffee ☕️ from the BP station which were also subpar. Avoid this site for anything unless desperate!
    Third choice dumping site was the NZMCA location at Ngongataha. At last we had success 🙌 😊. Moving on from there we went home to off load our bikes, get mail, get a circuit breaker so that hopefully we can plug into power at Megan's. Also, we were thrilled to meet up with Kelly, Mark and the two little ones as we had gifts for them.
    Where too next...off to the Mount to the RV Supercentre to purchase a new toilet cassette $360 after having paid about $250 to get the old one repaired. Hopefully this will overcome our issues.
    Then, we headed off to Morrinsville for the night because we are still on holiday and are heading north again to see Megan etc. because we don't know when the next opportunity will be available.
    So, we have done a lot of ks over the past couple of days but at least we are going places 🤣.
    We had a real blessing going over the Kaimai's this afternoon. We only saw one truck 🚚 and that was going the opposite way. That does not happen ever these days.
    No pics, just imagine the Taupo dump station 😳.    Read more

  • GLWSKWWinter Wanderings 2026Traveler

    Blessings abound

    July 12 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ -1 °C

    Such a surprise this morning with frost and fog about but we were feeling warm and toasty inside the van. The heating had been running for a couple of hours though, but it still felt warmer than usual. We were comfortable with that and enjoyed the change.
    We dumped at the site because it was there and that will set us up for the next few days.
    We went into town which was only a couple of minutes drive and stocked up on some groceries and bakery items for lunch 😋. It's interesting the breed of cows 🐄 they have in Morrinsville and the fact that they are all around town. I took a couple of photos 📸 so maybe someone could identify what breed they are.
    After the shopping it was a couple of hours drive to Snells Beach. Being a holiday weekend and the fact that it is school holidays, we expected the motorway 🛣 to be busy and slow traffic. However, we were blessed with the exact opposite. There was very little traffic, and what there was, was going in the opposite direction 😊. With the sun shining in through the windscreen it was another blessing keeping us warm and relaxed.
    We arrived at our destination where there are five FC parks. None were occupied so we got the choice spot 👌. After being here for an hour, there was only one left. As the sun was shining we did a walk along the beach front which was beautiful even though there was a cool breeze. Along one section there were many pohutukawa trees, and around the base of them were little fairy type houses and interesting things for 'little' people. One photo we took was of a church with a bridal couple outside.
    Our daughter Megan knew we were here, and so as a surprise for the two little ones, brought them down as a surprise to see granny 👵 and papa 😊. After walking along the beach again, we all sat around a picnic table enjoying coffee ☕️ and biscuits and talking. That was yet another blessing 🙌. We will be catching up with them again tomorrow as we will be staying in their driveway for a couple of days.
    So, all in all, a very blessed day!
    ps. I forgot to mention, the first blessing was bacon 🥓 and eggs 🪺 for breakfast.    Read more

  • GLWSKWWinter Wanderings 2026Traveler

    Profound

    July 13 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Our youngest daughter has a sign up in the kitchen which states things as they are! I have included a pic of this.
    This morning it was a pleasure waking up and not needing the heater going. However, we still put it on just because we could 😊. There was an amazing sunrise which the Tour guide photographed to share with you all. I like sunrises which occur after I have gotten up 🤣.
    First thing it was off to the Gull station to get the benefit of their current discount. We had trouble using the app for some reason and it took us ages to get things going. I think the guys in the station probably thought we were using the stop as a freedom camping spot.
    It was then off to Megan's and we will be here for the next few days.
    I have included a couple of family interactions. One is a video 📹 of Grayson on his bike yesterday gaining confidence. Another is Avalon and me playing peeky boo.
    Its been a great chill out day, but thinking 🤔 about it, most of our days are chill out.    Read more

  • GLWSKWWinter Wanderings 2026Traveler

    Babysitting

    July 14 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Not much to report today. We spent the day helping Megan by babysitting most of the time. Avalon is a real joy but Grayson takes a lot more work!
    The weather while warm was very changeable so we had everything from showers to sunshine.Read more

  • GLWSKWWinter Wanderings 2026Traveler

    Another day...

    July 15 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    We are still at Warkworth for another day but leaving tomorrow. The Tour guide spent most of the day doing house cleaning. Megan and Andy have a house viewing tomorrow arvo so it was clean up time getting ready for that. It will be good once the house finally sells! Andy was in charge of doing some of the outside work.
    What was I doing you may rightfully ask? I was in charge of Avalon and entertaining her. That was hard work but she is delightful 😊. I fed the bottles 🍼 and told the Tour guide that I would look after her front end, but she could tend to the back end. There are some tasks which fall outside of my abilities 💩💩.
    There are no pics today sorry.    Read more

  • GLWSKWWinter Wanderings 2026Traveler

    Kaiaua

    July 16 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    We left Warkworth around 10am and headed to Maraetai to spend a few hours with our dear friends there. It was good to pull into their driveway and get out of the Auckland traffic. A warm hug from Jenny was very welcome, and relieved the travel stress. Tim was out and arrived a short time later.
    We had a lovely lunch which overfilled our tummies. Afterwards there was a catchup on each other's family matters while the lunch had time to settle. These are special friends that we have had for 46years! We are all a lot older than when we first met 😳.
    Leaving them we headed to Kaiaua, and were very blessed to get nearly the same parking spot that we had about 4 weeks ago. The spot will look more stunning once the tide comes in 😊❤️.
    We are both feeling a little fatigued after a bad night's sleep last night, so it may be an early night...no phone calls please 🤣.    Read more

  • GLWSKWWinter Wanderings 2026Traveler

    A lazy day

    July 17 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    We both had a great sleep last night and although there was the odd bit of road traffic, it was not disturbing 😊. There was no rush getting out of bed because we weren't going anywhere.
    While the day was forecasted to be fine, it didn't say there would be a heavy cloud base to hide the sun 😥. There were occasions when it did peak through bringing a pleasant warmth. The Tour guide made the most of these opportunities, and sat outside knitting waiting for the rare appearances when they occurred.
    Those of you who have stayed in Kaiaua will know of the legendary fish 🐟 and chips 🍟 shop. Well, in an effort to support the impoverished community, we went there for lunch which of course included kumera chips 😋. Truly delicious!
    A rest was needed 😴 in the afternoon because the extreme pace of life during the day had caught up with the driver.
    I am reading Barry Soper's latest book, One Last Question, Prime Minister. Finding it a very interesting biography. In fact, I will cease this penguin entry now and get back to reading.    Read more

  • GLWSKWWinter Wanderings 2026Traveler

    In the pink

    July 18 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    After our showers and bacon 🥓 and eggs 🥚 we prepared ourselves for moving on later in the day. The rules for freedom camping at this spot is two nights. It seemed a shame to move on from such a lovely location for the sake of one night because we wanted our final three nights to be at Waihi Beach.
    The guy in the van parked behind us had also used his allotted time but said that being winter, and plenty of space here, noone was policing 🚔 the rules. On the strength of that, we thought, hang it all, we will stay on for another night.
    It's an interesting place here with some of the characters. We have one guy chatting up some Maori rough sleepers and doing an exchange of muscles for wacky backy so spirits are high. This same guy is singing his heart out. His name is William from the UK. He introduced himself to the Travel guide.
    Today has followed much the same format as yesterday but without the fish 🐟 and kumera chips 🍟. I have continued to make headway in my book and the Tour guide has interspersed knitting with going for walks 🚶‍♀️.
    We are at the very sharp end of our winter wanderings with only four more sleeps before our journeying comes to an end. 😥
    The tour guide found a number of donkeys 🫏 celebrating red ribbon 🎀 day so they are the pics for the day.    Read more

  • GLWSKWWinter Wanderings 2026Traveler

    Because you have to 😉

    July 19 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    We woke to another lovely day and good night's sleep 😴. We were fortunate in that the revelers who went to the pub, came back after the game relatively quietly 🤫. I though maybe the All Blacks had lost, and that they were subdued because of it, but thankfully that was not the case!
    Even though we moved slowly 🐌 in the morning we were still the first ones to leave. I can't understand why that is. Perhaps it's because the Tour guide is always organized 😳.
    Our first stop was about 15 mins later at the Waitakaruru bakery. Highly recommended for their small prices and large portions. They put regular places like The Coffee Club etc to shame. We stocked up with treats to enjoy later.
    First stop was Paeroa where the plan was to do our dumping. However, we were beaten to the site by a large bus 🚌 and we were not going to wait for them. Their capacity is in the hundreds of litres and so take ages. I reset the GPS for Waihi as that is generally a quieter location. I completed the task there and then headed to one of our favourite spots at Waihi Beach. There were plenty of parks available on arrival.
    The day has gifted us with beautiful sunshine 🌞 but rather strong winds, although the Tour guide said it was sheltered down on the beach.
    After lunch it was suggested that we walk to the shop to get an icecream. Did we need one just after lunch? Not at all! We did it because we had to. It's what we do when staying in this neck of the woods 😋.    Read more

  • GLWSKWWinter Wanderings 2026Traveler

    Waiting

    July 20 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    We had the forecast for rain 🌧 today so were waiting for it to arrive. As predicted it came around midday and lasted on and off for the afternoon. The cloud and rain made the day feel cold 🥶 so the heater has been having a good workout!
    The Tour guide took stock of the food that we had on board and what we would need before getting home. Turns out a loaf of bread was all that was needed so we could have beans 🫘 on toast 😋. The walk to the shop is a short one so got that done before the rain.
    No icecreams, kumera chips or donuts today so we are both healthy tonight 🤣.    Read more

  • GLWSKWWinter Wanderings 2026Traveler

    Perfect but sad

    July 21 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    It has been a perfect day weather wise. Almost from the start of the day there were blue skies and warm temperatures. It seems like a perfect way to conclude our holiday in the winter months. Tomorrow when we finally get home the forecast is for great weather too which will make the unloading/cleaning so much more pleasant.
    Very little activity again today, but we did walk 🚶‍♂️ into town which is a 25min stroll from the FC site. I looked in the windows of a real-estate agency to look at house prices here. I am always interested to look but not any thought of purchase. A very basic 3 bed, 1 bath, maybe 1 or no garage, away from the beach and about 400sq mtr section will cost around 1.3mil. Absolutely crazy 🤪.
    We enjoyed a couple of delights 😊 from the bakery, cheaper than some places but nowhere near as good as the Waitakaruru bakery mentioned on an earlier posting.
    Our employers now know when we will be home so no hiding from them, and work will resume as normal on Friday 😳. All good things must come to an end I guess.    Read more

  • GLWSKWWinter Wanderings 2026Traveler

    In conclusion...

    July 22 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Not much to say really, and some of our loyal followers would probably say, "thank goodness!"
    We are now home safe and sound and we do thank our Lord for safe journeying along the way, and some amazing memories that were created.
    While the journey home was without any issue, we did decide to treat ourselves one 'last' time to a brunch 😊 in Te Puna at Nourish. It's worth a visit if you are passing that way.
    Arriving home we were straight into van cleaning (inside only), washing, reconnecting the batteries on the cars, and I even got the lawns and edges done. That was it for today with more smaller tasks tomorrow.
    Thank you to those who took an interest in our trip, and hopefully, God willing, there will be others.
    Our love and blessings on you all 🥰😍❤️.    Read more

    Trip end
    July 22, 2026