Report 9 March
By Steef

There was a lot of rain again this night, but we can happily store the tent dry. The sea has become wilder and due to the bad weather forecasts we consult “MET service” to see where the rain is going to fall. We want to go up along the east coast and according tot the wheather report we have to drive into the dry zone. The port near the campsite is very noisy. When we first came here I thought there was a thunderstorm in the distance. Now we know that huge tree trunks are loaded into the steel holds with the necessary thunder as a result. The roof tent is very comfortable but sleeping high also means that you are hear every sound much better.  Our theory turns out to be correct, we are approaching the sun. The grass is incredibly green here and as we approach the coast we see the Hawke Bay appear in all its glory.

good morning

to Hawke Bay we go

green

the sea

At 11 o’clock we find a dream spot at sea for a cup of coffee. Like everywhere there are huge trees here again. My shadow can be seen on one of the photos.

coffee time

shadow

big tree

By 5 o’clock we find Waihay Bay Holiday Park a bit cluttered but cozy place.
The owner gives us a discount because she was allowed to take pictures of the Model T. We pitch the tent, see one of the native birds and take a walk to the beach.

Waihay bay Holiday Park

our camp

Pukeko

Waihay Bay

Report 8 March
By Steef

We will stay at the campsite today because we are expecting a visit from Rodney Claugue and two friends. They drive into the campsite to our tent to admire the Model T.
The press is also back again.
Greetje and Steef take a walk through the park and do some shopping at the same time.

James Cook

park

big tree

shopping

Doctors coupe

inside the Doctors coupe

visitors

visitors 2

visitors

Report 7 March
By Steef

The morning is cloudy and it is stuffy because of the humidity. We drive out of the city through the main street of Napier. We have seen very little of the Art-Deco image of the city . Maybe we should have been looking for it. Part of today’s route goes over gravel again, a dirt road. We drive higher and higher  into the low-hanging clouds. The green hills occasionally stand shoulder to shoulder against each other and here and there are groups of sheep or cows. The Landrover slips away from time to time on the grainy road in the steep curves. Views blur due to low-hanging clouds.
From time to time, the Wairoa River pops up in the depth. Usually it is hidden behind the dense vegetation. Yet we can see him when we find a low bridge over the river. It is a river for a painting. Slowly flowing, here and there clattering over stones, with some stones and rocks. Trees and shrubs hang over the water from the shore.

mainstreet Napier

into the clouds

into the clouds

little lake

coffee

tele shot

Wairoa river

Tonight we have to be in Gisborn and to find the address we need internet.
So we end up in the Indian restaurant Tamarind where we can use the internet for a simple meal. 2 Ladies serve 4 dishes, a bowl of rice and pieces of pancake. What an excellent meal in all its simplicity. Even Rodney, who comes in later, takes a bite. He leads us to Holiday Park 10 where we set up camp.

Tamarind

admirors

Report 6 March
By Steef

Before we leave the campsite this morning, Lyn’s wife comes by to say goodbye. She served the last evening after the BBQ, especially for us in house a coffee / tea table with the most delicious cakes. Another example of the hospitality of the New Zealanders. Now Rodney comes to pick us up to drink coffee before we move on. He has a typical New Zealand house everything on the ground floor. Very different from some colonial-style houses. His house and garden have a very relaxed atmosphere. Of course he also has a “mancave” where his cars are parked and where behind the many objects a story is hidden.
Because we made music the night before, he shows his banjo and banjo / ukulele.
We say goodbye and leave to go to Napier the Art Deco city.

at home with Rod

Rod, Neil, Trudy and Dirk

house

t is hot today with lots of sun. The weather is always difficult to predict. It can be very different over 50 km. So if you do not have a fixed route, it is wise to keep an eye on the weather map in order to follow the sun. In this region it has clearly been very dry. It is a beautiful drive through the hills but everything is yellow and dry. On our mapss we aim at Kennedy Holiday Park this evening, a real resort, more luxurious than we are used to, but then you have great facilities at your disposal.
In the evening it’s raining so we order a taxi to take us to Emporium where we enjoy culinary delights.

dry hills

dry hills 2

skeleton

white butterfly

culinair

Report March 5
By Steef

After a repair of a broken belt we are already on our way at 9.15 am to be on time for an appointment in Pongeroa. The landscape is peaceful, hilly and winding and every turn lures us to the next eye-catching view.

repaired leather

vieuw from the Landrover

the next hill

Pongaroa

Because we are on time at the location Trudy has the time to buy a new dress. Meanwhile the first guests arrive

new dress

visitors for lunch

On the assumption that we were invited for lunch in Pongeroa we wanted to join the company but we were resolutely stopped by one of the guests.

NO

In the end we were turned away because he was not aware of the agreement we had with Rod McKenzie who was not present. In this way we learned on a funny way a different mentality of the usually so helpful New Zealanders.
Close to the building we find a nice place where we have our own lunch.

Neil Cremer

our picnic

longest name

After the picnic we continue until we are near the village with the longest name in the world. There we found Rod, he had driven towards us and met across the nameplate Jonas and Ronja from Germany. The whole club is on its way to Lyn’s house where we experience a memorable BBQ with music night. Dirk gives a presentation of their world trip and Rodney and Steef make hilarious music.

Neil Cox

Rod McKenzie

Model T

BBQ and music

Report March 4
By Steef

The house of Richard and Rona lies along a steep road in Wellington. For their three children Efa, Sean and Joe there is enough space to play with a large playroom downstairs, two garages and a garden. Upstairs the living room has a magnificent view over the bay. Oldest son Sean has his own guitar with amplifier. Richard has an electric and an acoustic stand. The beginning of a band? After the necessary preparations we say goodbye. Thank you for your hospitality and maybe see you in Edam.

Richard and Rona’s house

playground

ooking over the bay

Sean’s guitar

Richard guides us through the city until we are on the right track. To the left of us the residents of the higher houses look across the bay. It is very sunny and warm. Although not shown in the picture, it is much drier here. The hills are yellow and barren. The ride goes up to a height of 800 meters. The Model T is struggling and climbing, he is doing great. The Landrover comes first again and it also drives like a spear. Despite the more than 3500 kilos I can take any tight bend up or down with ease. It looks a bit like surfing as the car rocks back and forth on the sloping road surface. At the end of the day we still experience a beautiful sunset at the campsite.

top locations

country side

evening at the holiday park

Report March 3
By Steef

After saying goodbye to Kyra and Jim, we leave Richmond at 9 o’clock and via Nelson we take the road to Picton where the Ferry to the North Island awaits us.
The first part at Nelson is still along the coast.

leaving Nelson

Dirk checks the bearing of the right front wheel that he had adjusted yesterday.
It turns out to be too hot, so adjust again. Meanwhile, we discover that a part of the front window of the Ford has been forgotten. After a call to Jim that has been solved, he comes to bring it. Dirk adjusts the bearing and is already on his way. When Jim has brought the window, we finally say goodbye. There is another beautiful winding road along many slopes to the sound from where the ferry will depart. Along the way we see the giant ferns appear again. In the depth we see a timber port with stacked logs.
They are supplied with large trucks that travel at great speed on the narrow curvy roads. If we turn aside for them in a slow vehicel lane, they give a little horn of honor.

a hot bearing

fern tree

a smal fern

near Picton

wood harbour

We are approaching Picton. All kinds of water sports here. Sailing schools, surfing, fishing is all there.

going to the ferry

fjord of Picton

fishing

Arriving at the ferry it appears that there is no more space (we had not booked).
Instead at 2 o clock we now leave at 6.45. So wait, but that is not a punishment with this weather. Near the water we find a lovely place under the trees. Table, chairs and we can enjoy all that plodding in the water with the knowledge that the frost has come in the Netherlands.

no place

sunny afternoon

In time at the ferry we join the waiting line, with the inevitable influx of curious people as a result. A lady with a lot of understanding of cars was allowed to take a seat next to Dirk.

Heidi a car expert

Then the whole caravan is loaded and in time we leave for the North Island that awaits the horizon with new roads and panoramas and undoubtedly very nice people.

into the feryy

leaving South Island

going trough the sound

some islands

last piece of land

North Island on the horizon

After the crossing in the evening twilight and later in the dark we use the taxi trick in Wellington to get to the house of Richard and Rona to arrive in the southern part of the city.
The taxi trick: you ask a taxi to take you to the desired address. Two people drive with him, the cars follow him. Despite the late time we are warmly welcomedby Richard an Rona. Rona is the daughter of the neighbour of Trudy and Dirk in Edam.
Again a wonderful bed awaits us.

Report 1 and 2 March
By Steef

During two days and three nights we enjoy the warm welcome and hospitality of Kyra and Jim Wareing. We sleep in comfortable beds and eat the most delicious dishes.
Jim helps Dirk repairing the winch that did not work in Dunedin for two days. Kyra goes to the supermarket for the big purchases. On March 2 we go to WOW: World of Wearable Art – Classic Cars Museum There is another reporter with a photographer and at the end of the day Jim got a Model T Worldtour polo shirt.
Thanks Kyra and Jim for your hospitality.

drying the wet tent

picture for the newspaper

reporter

a visit to WOW

modern fashion in WOW

oudjes

Jim and Dirk reparing the winch

made it !

working on the bearing

Jim in his Model T Polo shirt

Report February 28
By Steef

Half past eight, it’s still raining a bit. And a small blue / gray bird is scurrying around our feet. There is a beautiful trip through a lush landscape. As always, we choose the yellow or white roads. Many pictures of the area are not made, the rain keeps us from it. Only the many creeks and rivers that we cross regularly are a joy to watch. Greedy they slurp all the rainwater flowing from the slopes, carrying branches and trunks in their flow. Long dripping moss hang on the trees.

still raining

clouds and cows

raindrops

gravel road

high river

moss

On a muddy gravel road Dirk decides to remove part of the windshield.
If we want to continue driving afterwards, the Ford refuses. With an umbrella in hand, the fuel tank must be refilled. A boy on a quad and three dogs stops curious.
Two cows walk past. Then we can continue.

no petrol

one man and 3 dogs

Occasionally the card is consulted. At Lake Rotoroa we have lunch in an open house. Swans float on the still water, the clouds hang low.

a dry place

tree art

postboxes

Lake Rotoroa

The more north we come the drier it gets. Hop fields appear along the way.
At the end of the day we drive up the yard of Jim and Kyra Wareing.
Here a welcoming reception awaits us a delicious meal and a warm bed.

hop

hopflower

happy Dirk

Report 27 February
By Steef

The roof tent is a comfortable space to sleep in.
The weather is reasonable when we get up for breakfast. In the distance is a white Bedford and smoke comes from the chimney. Curiously we walk there. The camper appears to be very modern with a small but efficient stainless steel stove where the owner occasionally burns pine cones. On the back is a rack with a herb garden. As usual, we exchange travel stories. Then it’s time to leave this campsite.

good morning

smoking camper

herbs on the back

the owners and us.

leaving camp Balmoral

The Lewis Pass is our first obstacle. The forest on both sides of the road is green, humid and mysterious. The high spotty trunks and mossy fallen trees dampened the smell of mushrooms and dead wood. Left and right we see impressive rivers in the depth. Road 7 is following the flanks of the hills. The big trucks are intimidating in the tight corners, this road is very busy because another road has been closed.

big truck

forest of the Lewis Pass

dark mottled tree trunks

At a narrow bridge over a quiet river I stop with the Landrover to wait for the Model T. In case of steeply rising or falling roads I usually ride up front. We stretch our legs by walking over the bridge that stops at a meadow with deer.

narrow bridge (turn your computer)

lazy river

deer (

During a second stop we take a walk up the hill, Dirk works for a moment under the Ford. The trees all bear large plumes of white moss.
At the Riverside Motorcamp we make our camp on the banks of a river. I prepare a campfire but it starts to rain. This fire is for the next visitor.

walk along a hill

fungus

Riverside Motorcamp