A Northern Escapade 

It was in the depths of winter that I bestirred myself, responded to an invitation from the Wairarapa Friendship Force, and found myself on a rather remarkable trip north to the Waikato and Bay of Plenty - almost to my own surprise!

Day 1 was the easy part. After a bit of a delay at the doctor's, I set off for Masterton, to pick up my two passengers for the journey north. Little did I know, they were both avid op shop fossickers. After morning tea and an op shop visit in Eketahuna, we got as for as Woodville, and visited two op shops. But after that, the driver took control, and we proceeded apace to Taupo. The weather was reasonable, but the snow was right down to the base of Ruapehu - a shade of things to come. The night was spent at Taupo, where we joined up with others of the troupe and dined at a restaurant called Jolly Good Fellows - and yes, the food was English Pub Stodge, but very nicely presented. I dined on lamb shanks in a vast bed of mash, accompanied by mushy peas. Very nourishing after a long day.

The next day, the Adventure Proper began. One of the outstanding features of Friendship Force visits is the extraordinary trouble the local chapter go to to organise fascinating visits that the ordinary visitor would never get to. (The other outstanding feature is the warm and genuine hospitality, but more on that later.)

We drove from Taupo to Cambridge and, as one does in Cambridge, we  visited a very rich Stables and museum, celebrating Sir Tristram, a famous and profitable breeeding sire, whose progeny won many races, here and overseas. Lunch followed at the Cambridge Athletic Club, where we met members of the Waikato Friendship Force.

After lunch, we visited the Ross Bros Muscle Car museum, run by four brothers, who also have a working garage and contracting business. The muscle cars were what one would expect from the name - classic gas guzzlers, beautitfully restored, plus a few stock cars, etc. But as well as this, they had the most enormous earthmoving equipment I have ever seen - some of the largest made - that had been used on opencast mines. Most impressive.

I got to meet and stay with my hosts, Maurie and Carole, who were a lovely hospitable couple. Nothing was too hard, and I felt perfectly at home.

The next day, we went to a 'private' Waitomo cave complex, 'Spellbound', where we boated though a glow worm cave and walked through a stalagtite/stalagmite cave. A lovely, informal adventure, much more relaxed than, and just as spectacular as, the 'official' Waitomo Caves. Well worthwhile.

On Day 3, we took a guided tour through the Hamilton Gardens. The weather was dodgy but held off enough for us to make the tour without getting soaked. I am going back to the Hamilton Gardens! They are justly famous as a national icon, and we only explored one corner - and in winter! The tour simply whetted my appetite. The afternoon was spent in a slightly drier spot, exploring the Waikato Museum.

The next day, we farewelled the Waikato and went east, stopping at Hobbiton. Everybody who has seen the film or even read the book has to go to Hobbiton once. It is (mostly) a two-dimensional film set, with about 39 hobbit holes crafted, but each one beautifully made. The highlight of the trip, though, was the Green Dragon Inn, which was a fully constructed working pub, where we were served ale or cider. Quite wonderfully made - and the cider was nice, too.

We arrived at Bethlehem, just out of Tauranga, where we met our hosts. I was hosted by a lovely gentleman Don, who was perhaps a year or two older than me.

Day 5 started with a bush walk (sometimes in the rain) to a pair of Kauri trees in the western Kaimais, which, as the photo shows, were significantly big. Lunch was at a local host's, and then on to Katikati for the afternoon. The local museum had an excellent display featuring Women at War - NZ women's contribution spanning the Boer War through to the Second World War. Quite harrowing reading.

The following day, we started at the Classic Flyers Museum at Mt Maunganui. As the name implies, it was an extensive collection of military and civilian aircraft, most fully restored and some partly restored. There had clearly been years of work put into restoring some of the machines. The one that took my fancy was a Catalina Flying boat that one could climb inside. This was followed by a visit to an entrepreneur who had developed electric farm bikes (they don't disturb the stock).

After lunch, we visited the Mount Surf Club, with its impressive array of lifesaving equipment and then went to the hot springs next door, where I had the unnerving experience of sitting in a hot pool, watching hail melting as it hit the water and feeling hailstones stinging my head.  

Then came what was, for me, probably the most significant day of the tour, when we visited, first, The Elms, the site of the first missionary station in the Bay of Plenty, which had passed on down through the family and preserved intact. This was followed by a guided talk at Gate Pa, the first battleground in the Land Wars - a battleground distinguished by the extraordinary chivalry and nobility shown by the defenders, and also by the fact that the Imperial invaders were soundly beaten. Right next to the site there now stands a church, with the legend, "May all who enter, come in a spirit of reconciliation", or words to that effect.

We visited a very clever carver, who was making extremely lifelike hats, coats and other objects out of swamp Kauri, the gathered for dinner at the home of a mohair goat farmer. It was a lovely evening to finish our tour.

The next day, I farewelled my host and went downtown to catch up with an old friend (well, not as old as I am), Tony Heyward, who has a lovely place out in the country, with his children's houses built or being built all around him. The Heywards are well and happy and definitey sold on intergenerational living. Here is where we met in Tauranga.

Then I went to stay with my dear cuzzies, Di and Barry O'Brien, who I had been promising to viit for quite some time. Their son Robert and grands0n Jack came for tea, and we had a boil-up, something I had not had for a while. For lunch the next day, we went to Hilary's and met up with Sally and Heugh. It was a lovely relaxing time, and we promissed we would do it again before too long. While we were there, we had a zoom call to Otaki, where cousin Bill was, having flown in from the USA, and about to fly off again. It was a delight to catch up with him after nearly 50 years. He was a bit older and broader about the belly, but otherwise unchanged. A lovely fellow.

the following day, it was time to start heading south. I farewelled Barry and Di (then farewelled Di again about an hour later when I had to go back to pick up my laptop) and called in for lunch at Lyn and Waka's. Again, two lovely friends it is always a pleasure to catch up with. Then onwards, into the unknown, as I ventured off to East Cape.

My stay that night was at Lottin Point Motel, a totally isolated and very beatiful spot just short of Hick's Bay. Very comfortable room, a lovely hostess, and a chowder to travel several miles for.

Just beyond Lottin Point is Aotearoa's easternmost town, with Aotearoa's hugest pohutakawa. I had a friend who was teaching at the school many years ago.

From Hicks Bay to Wairau was a journey through some wonderfully wild and spectacular country, dotted with small marae and settlements and very economically depressed-looking towns. I stopped for coffee at ruatoria, but the cafe was boarded up, so I went on to Te Puia Springs. A little bit of shopping in Gisborne, then on to Wairau.

Wairau was rather forgettable, except for the Wairau Club, which was the only eating house in town. It had one item on the menu - boil-up! But it was nourishing and delish.

A bit out of Wairau was the lovely little Lake Tutira. I might have stayed, but it was raining!

From Wairau south until I hit Woodville, the weather was foggy and/or raining, but as soon as I came into the Wairarapa, the clouds parted and the sun shone. A quick pop in to Chris and Jenny at Hastwell, to a warm welcome and lovely coffee, and then on, homewards, this time, leaving my coat and wallet behind. We were reunited the next day.

And then I arrived to a warm welcome and a warm fire, and I knew I was Home for sure.

And that, in brief, ws my madcap adventure in June 2022.

RD 20 June 2022