It’s Been A Long Time

I’m almost too frightened to publish how long it is since I posted to this site (Actually December 2022). Because then I would know how long it’s been since we made serious use of the motorhome. Although, that’s not really true we have been out and about I just haven’t written about or published our travels since then. So I thought it was time to start posting some catch up blogs before we get back into serious travels. With the first of a couple of posts I will make about our trip in October/November last year when we had a fantastic trip around Waikato and Taupo exploring areas where in the past we have only driven through trying to get somewhere else.

We have stayed a couple of times at the NZMCA Park in Kaiaua as well as the wonderful Ray’s Rest, so this time we thought we would do something different and start the trip at the Miranda Hot Pools. Not having a Toad our primary form of transport other than the motorhome are our E Bikes which like the motorhome also haven’t seen a lot of use recently. Something we were about to rectify, with dinner fast approaching we decided to take advantage of the proximity to the cycle trail and enjoy fish and chips for dinner. It’s about a five kilometre ride along a well made track and a great way to work up a bit more of an appetite. Sitting down to eat my dinner I decided it was certainly worth the ride .

The main public swimming pool at the Hot Springs closed some time ago but the soak pool remains open, although only to campers. With the warm thermal water easing away those tight muscles from the bike ride. It was a great way to relax. A wander around the camp the following day showed there are also a number of other facilities like mini golf, frisbee golf, and a good playground to keep the whole family amused.

From Miranda we made our way to Waihi and the Goldfields Railway. Here there is a large area for NZMCA members where you can park up either with or without power at a very reasonable cost. Payment is made at the ticket office where a ticket to ride the railway is also a recommended purchase. Although we didn’t take the train ride this time we have done so in the past and the stopping point at the cafe at the end of the line is a great place to grab a bite or a cup of coffee.

With the parking area also at the head of the cycle-way that follows another since abandoned railway line all the way through to Paeroa (about 25kms) and beyond. It’s such a pretty ride and one we have done a few times but this was the first time we had ridden the full distance to Paeroa and returned to Waihi in one ride. There is a great view from the war memorial at the top of the hill in Paeroa and well worth the climb up the hill. Of course the ride through the kilometre long tunnel is always a highlight made easier by the bright headlight on Sarah’s bike. Even though we have E Bikes we both tried to ride without assistance as much as possible and certainly felt like we had, had a workout by the time we returned to the van.

The local domain which is an easy stroll from where we were parked has a great walking track. You do need to keep to the track as there are a number of mine shafts just off the path. Some of the holes seem quite narrow while others are much wider, I guess showing different techniques. There are also a number of ruins of old processing sites all of which make for an interesting walk. Made even more interesting by the small Fairy village we came across although the occupants seemed to be hiding from us, during our visit.

There is also a great walk, of around three kilometres, around the open cast mine. Taking you through some regenerating bush and an old settlement where the roads still exist but the houses have been removed. There are also a couple of good viewing points where you can see just how big a hole they have made in the ground. Back in 2016 around two million tons of earth and rubble collapsed into the mine bringing to an end the open cast mine. However, mining still carries on underground extending under large parts of the town. We enjoyed our stay so much in Waihi that we spent three nights and could have spent longer.

I had forgotten till Sarah reminded me that we watched the All Blacks lose the World Cup while we were in Waihi. Also, over the last year or so I have become a baking fiend making all sorts of different cakes. I wasn’t sure if I could do it in the motorhome as the stove is very small. However, where there is a will there is a way. A small cake tin was found and for the first time I used a packet mix rather than cooking from scratch. I wouldn’t say it was perfect but it was certainly tasty.

As I said at the start of this blog my intention is to have a few catch up posts before we get out and about exploring again. I won’t be posting this to the public motorhome sites but if you wish to share it feel free to do so.