10 summer 2024 Summer 2024 ISSUE 10 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption GO TO Springing Festivals Whare Flat Folk Festival Mon, 30 Dec–3 Jan Dunedin’s legendary outdoors folk music festival. 15 mins from town. whareflat.org.nz Rhythm & Alps 2024-5 Mon 30 Dec–1 Jan, Wanaka A three-day music festival in the Cardrona Valley. rhythmandalps.co.nz Omakau Trots, Otago Tue, 31 Dec–2 Jan ’25, Omakau, Central Family friendly, with entertainment. Camp for CSC campers. ckw.nz/omakau-25 New Year’s Race Day at Tauherenikau Thu, 2 Jan, Featherston, Wairarapa Live music, family-friendly, racing events. Dogs on leads. On-site camping: ckw.nz/tauherenikau Revitalize Festival Thu, 2–4 Jan 2025, Blackmount, Southland/Fiordland An organic farm, healing, & music festival. Family friendly. No dogs. Free camping. revitalize.nz Egmont Country Festival Fri, 10–12 Jan 2025, New Plymouth A country music blast to kick off the New Year. Camping for tents and vehicles opens on 9th. ckw.nz/egmont-music bookings: crawfordlm50@gmail.com Wairarapa Music in the Country Fri, 10–12 Jan 2025, Tauherenikau Top country music acts. Family friendly. On-site camping: ckw.nz/tauherenikau Katikati Avocado Food & Wine Festival Sat, 11 Jan 2025, Katikati Great food and wines, music, demos. Family friendly. Choose a freedom / camp site, as far away as Athenree (there’s a bus); NZMCA: parking at the local school. katikatiavofest.co.nz Motueka Country Music Festival Sat, 11–12 Jan 2025, Motueka Free. Marchwood Park. Vehicle camping on-site. ckw.nz/fb-motueka-25 Marton Country Music Festival Fri, 17–19 Jan 2025, Marton Some of New Zealand’s best. Camping on-site. Animals on leads. martonfestival.com The Great Momorangi Treasure Hunt Fri 24 Jan, Momorangi Bay Campground, Marlborough Sounds For kids and kids at heart. ckw.nz/momorangi-25 Auckland Folk Festival Fri 24 –27 Jan, Kumeu, West Auckland Play and dance, long into the night. aucklandfolkfestival.co.nz 160th Turakina Highland Games Sat 25 Jan, Turakina Domain, Rangitikei A Scottish festival for all the family. Camp sites available. ckw.nz/turakina-25 Edendale Crank Up Sat, 25–26 Jan, Edendale, Southland CAT, Field Marshall, Emergency Vehicles and Classic Trucks. Family friendly. Camping at the school. ckw.nz/crankup-25 Dimension Festival Fri 31 Jan–4 Feb, Maungatapere, Whangārei District Psychedelic festival of music, art, and transformation. R18. Camp on-site. dimension.nz Burt Munro Challenge Wed, 5–9 Feb, Invercargill and Bluff The Bluff Hill Climb, the smell of the exhaust, the scream of the engines… most make it. Tickets and camping: burtmunrochallenge.co.nz/rally Niagara Falls Bluegrass & Roots Festival Sat, 8–9 Feb, Niagara, Catlins, Southland Musicians converge at the Niagara Falls Caf in the heart of the Catlins. ckw.nz/niagara-25 Napier Art Deco Festival Thu, 13–16 Feb, Napier All that Jazz and the Art Deco Era. Book at a campground, or find a free camp. artdecofestival.co.nz Taranaki Country Music Festival Fri, 14–16 Feb 2025, Waitara, Taranaki 4-day motorhome/ caravan parking. taranakifestival.co.nz Waimakariri Country Music Festival Fri, 14–16 Feb, Rangiora, Canterbury Has CSC campervan parking. Dogs on leads. countrymusic.org.nz Roam Central Wine and Food Festival ‘25 Sat 15–16 February, Central Otago A series of unique events for the wine enthusiast across Central Otago. Find handy freedom camping spots. roamcentral.co.nz Wairarapa Wines Harvest Festival Sat 15 Feb, The Cliffs, Carterton, Wairarapa Celebrate the start of the grape harvest. Motorhome (CSC), available, or book at the local camp. wairarapaharvestfestival.co.nz Campfest 2025 Fri 21–23 Feb, Bulls Domain Pack up your tent or camping vehicle and join us for a weekend of fun, music, food and family-friendly entertainment. MORE campfestnz.org South Island Motorhome Show Sat 22–23 Feb, Ashburton, Canterbury Stalls, and come for a social weekend. On-site camping. southislandmotorhomeshow.co.nz Mandeville Fly In & Steam Festival Sat, 22–23 Feb, Mandeville, Gore Vintage aircraft, motorcycles, cars and steam-engines. CSC campers. ckw.nz/steam-event-25 experiencemandeville.nz Cruz’n the Bayz Thu 27 Feb, Paihia, Bay of Islands Over 3 days we cruise Northland with like-minded classic car and bike enthusiasts. cruznthebayz.nz Later Selwyn Sounds 1 Mar, Lincoln, Canterbury. North Canterbury Wine & Food Festival 9 Mar, North Canterbury WOMAD — The World’s Festival 14–16 Mar, New Plymouth Māoriland Film Festival 2025 26–30 March, Otaki, Kapiti. Repco Beach Hop 26–30 Mar, Whangamata George Begg Festival 30 Mar–2 Apr, Invercargill Classic Fighters Omaka 18–20 Apr, Blenheim Arrowtown Autumn Festival 24–27 Apr, Arrowtown Up Up 10 Summer 2024 , p 46

10 summer 2024 10 summer 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption What a view to wake up to What a view to wake up to Dave Adamson What a view to wake up to this morning. National Park, Waiouru. ©2024 Dave Adamson Up Up 10 summer 2024 , p 13

10 summer 2024 Summer 2024 ISSUE 10 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption GO TO Springing this article explains all Safe toilet chemicals Collyn Rivers Safe toilet chemicals are essential, but some toilet chemicals kill essential bacteria in septic and environmental systems: some are toxic — this article explains all. To safely dispose of toilet waste is a major problem for caravan and motorhome owners who free camp. Safe toilet chemicals are essential as faecal matter endangers humans. Many toilet chemicals, however, contain non-biodegradable content. Worse, they kill essentially needed bacteria in ‘long drop’ and septic systems. Safe toilet chemicals So-called bio-stimulant products are environmentally friendly. Adding oxidising agents (or enzymes), speeds up nature’s breakdown of faecal matter. It also reduces smells. You can empty safely treated sewage into septic and sewage treatment plants, but not some so-called environmental systems. Environmentally safe toilet chemicals are oxygen-loving bio-stimulants — such as live bacteria and yeasts. Known-to-be-safe toilet chemicals include Bio-Pack, Odour-B-Gone, Aqua Kem Green and Aqua Kem Rinse (but not necessarily related products), and BioMagic. Their makers claim Envir-Chem, Reliance Bio-Blue, Century Blue Clean N Fresh, and Chempace bioFORCE to be safe. Biocides kill all bacteria Biocides kill all bacteria — good or bad. If you treat toilet waste this way it becomes allergenic: some people claim it possibly triggers cancer. Adding a further chemical reduces the stench of sewage broken down non-aerobically. The industry claims that sewage so-treated is disposable in sewage treatment plants. Biocidic chemicals, however, kill bacteria indiscriminately. This causes many that rely on septic tanks to have a concern about their facilities. Never use formaldehyde The major risk to the ecology is formaldehyde. The US Department of Toxic Substances Control states: ‘Chemical toilet additives include chemicals that are known to cause septic tank failures by killing the bacteria essential to the treatment process in the septic tank. Formaldehyde can thus cause these to die in holding tanks as it controls odour by killing bacteria. When a septic system fails, sewage waste does not break down. It can cause an increased risk to people in contact with raw sewage.’ The Department also warns against de-deodorisers such as Bronopol, Dowicil and Glutaraldehyde. Check the declared content of any product. One, promoted as ‘environmentally safe’, has the (obligatory) Material Safety Data Sheet stating it contains Bronopol. Chemtech’s Portasol claims to be environmentally friendly, but its data-sheet states it contains 10 g/L Glutaraldehyde. Be wary of home-made chemicals. Most contain bleach or Pine-O-Clean. Such material is cheap and effective, however, it kills essentially-needed bacteria. This is not a problem if the waste is disposed of in town sewerage systems. Do not, however, empty it into environmental or septic systems. Is Napisan a safe toilet chemical? Many RV owners suggest using Napisan (or similar) products. Napisan and its many look-alikes contain sodium percarbonate. This, in water, breaks down to soda ash and hydrogen peroxide. An additive makes the faecal matter smell less bad. This works well from an RV user viewpoint but content information, however, is hard to obtain for look-alikes. These may include chemicals that are poison to marine life. Some makers warn they are not safe to use in septic and similar systems. Some such products claim to be bio-degradable to Australian Standard 4351. But that Standard relates only to ‘surfactants’ — a detergent ‘wetting’ effect. It is thus not relevant. These products are cheap. They are, however, only border-line effective in breaking down faecal matter and reducing smells. Using them may damage the environment. Napisan — a professional view Emeritus Professor Ian Jenkins (previously Professor of Chemistry at Griffith University) has kindly provided an independent professional opinion on safe toilet chemicals. The authoritative article explains the active ingredient (in Napisan and associated products) that does the job is sodium percarbonate. It contains from 25%–35%. You can buy sodium carbonate (100%) in bulk. Brewing supply companies sell it for about $5.50 a kilo. Emeritus Professor Jenkins explains how to use it. Use only safe toilet chemicals You can safely use proven bio-friendly toilet chemicals to treat sewage for city sewage treatment plants. But if you travel a lot, be 100% certain the chemicals are bio-friendly. If not you can ruin costly septic systems. n Reproduced with permission, rvbooks.com Napisan article: ckw.nz/napisan You can buy sodium percarbonate from Binn Inn and on TradeMe. Editor Up Up 10 Summer 2024 , p 30

8 Winter 2024 8 Winter 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Where-we-MNR_2659_H.webp ©2024 M Richardson assume the new laws apply everywhere Where are we at with self-containment and freedom camping? M Richardson If you do not want to freedom camp you do not need the new green warrant. The existing blue standard and blue warrant is still acceptable for all other places that require certified self-containment (so far). ■ The new government is not making any of the changes it championed in the Select Committee stages of the amendment to the Freedom Camping Act. ■ Green warrant cards for freedom camping are being issued, as long as you meet the eight new requirements. See PGDB diagram and link, p8 ■ There are still insufficient testers across the country for the number of vehicles that need warrants in the available time. Search the list here (put in your region first). ■ Costs for getting a 4-year green warrant vary from $200 to $300, including the $120 PGDB levy. ■ The NZMCA has indicated that it will not be issuing green warrant cards until or unless the venting requirements for cassette toilets are lifted. They intend to issue non-green cards for those who do not wish to freedom camp (or pay the government levy) which will be sufficient proof of self-containment for NZMCA parks and events and, presumably, their park over properties. ■ The peculiarities around the venting of toilet cassettes is still required for a green warrant. There are indications that this vent rule will be changed to exclude cassette and compost toilets but this won’t be confirmed until later in the year, if you can trust the politicians. ■ Aside from the venting issue the other peculiarities around self-containment managed by the Plumbers and Gasfitters Board are going to remain part of the regulations. There is no process or willingness to revise any other rules. The Minister has declared he won’t look at any revisions of the law as a whole until June next year at the earliest. ■ Rental companies must have green warrants by Dec 7 this year if the tourists are to be able to use these vehicles to freedom camp. The rest of us already-certified travellers, have until 7 June 2025. ■ From June next year the law demands that the Government must review any effect on homeless vehicle dwellers. ■ Money from international tourist’s levies, that could have been used to improve facilities for freedom campers has instead been spent on Councils to fund bylaw changes, provide enforcement and ambassador programs, plus fund the new PGDB vehicle certification system. The bulk of these funds was paid by MBIE to the regions with the strongest restrictions (and least provision) for freedom camping such as Queenstown Lakes District. ■ Those with fixed toilets and a blue warrant card issued before 7 Jun 2024 will be able to continue to freedom camp until 7 June 2025. ■ There is no indication that the government will extend the available time beyond 7 June 2025 as the Act allows. ■ Only those certified before 7/7/23 with a portable toilet can freedom camp: no-one else with a portable toilet can freedom camp on council-controlled land. ■ Regions vary in their enforcement of the new legislation. Some regions simply choose not to police the certified vehicle restrictions. Some don’t yet have the bylaws in place to apply restrictions, prohibit areas or offer freedom camping areas for non-self-contained campers. ■ It is safest, from a getting fined point of view, to assume the new laws apply everywhere, and to check the region’s website and their signs very carefully for their current rules. n Image: ©2024 M Richardson Freedom camping & self-containment 2 Where are we at with self-containment and freedom camping? 2 Who can freedom camp from now until 7 June 2025? 4 Getting your camping vehicle certified 8 Am I freedom camping? 8 What you need for a green warrant for freedom camping 10 Planning a toilet for the freedom camping green warrant? 12 Venting a toilet cassette: why, what, when and how 14 Keeping up with the self-containment changes 16 Composting and coddiwompling ︎ Up Up 8 Winter 2024 , p 2

3 Autumn 2023 3 Autumn 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption We took the dog on many of the easy bush walks (it’s amazing who you meet on the tracks — old friends and famous people ©2023 Heather Auckram We took the dog on many of the easy bush walks (it’s amazing who you meet on the tracks — old friends and famous people ©2023 Heather Auckram We took the dog on many of the easy bush walks (it’s amazing who you meet on the tracks — old friends and famous people ©2023 Heather Auckram Cooking marshmallows. ©2023 Heather Auckram ©2023 Heather Auckram I was invited to spend the New Year with friends at their crib at Papatowai. ©2023 Heather Auckram I rode on a trailer being towed along a long sandy beach. I squashed a few sandflies and went to bed blissfully happy each night. Catlins, Southland . Heather Auckram ©2023 Heather Auckram We took the dog on many of the easy bush walks (it’s amazing who you meet on the tracks — old friends and famous people ©2023 Heather Auckram About 10pm the sun went down, so we put the lead on the dog and made our way to the beach. We set up our deck chairs and chilly bin and watched the huge bonfire being lit on the sand. It crackled into life and flames reached for the stars in the still air. People mixed and mingled, sharing a laugh and a story. I crept into my camp some time around 1am on a warm, star-filled night. Hello 2023. ©2023 Heather Auckram We dipped our toes in the cold sea. ©2023 Heather Auckram I went to bed blissfully happy each night HELLO 2023 Heather Auckram I was invited to spend the New Year with friends at their crib at Papatowai. To tell you the truth, it has been fifteen years since I was last in the Catlins. Shameful really; I live in Southland. The weather was perfect. Long hot sunny days with a warm gentle breeze. The drive over was easy, on good roads with little traffic and well signposted. I met my friends at the New Year’s Eve fair on the beachfront. There were markets and games and prizes to be had. I didn’t take any photos as I was so overcome with the joy of being at an old-fashioned fair like those of my childhood many decades ago. About 10pm the sun went down, so we put the lead on the dog and made our way to the beach. We set up our deck chairs and chilly bin and watched the huge bonfire being lit on the sand. It crackled into life and flames reached for the stars in the still air. People mixed and mingled, sharing a laugh and a story. I crept into my camp some time around 1am on a warm, star-filled night. Hello 2023. Over the following hot summer days, we took the dog on many of the easy bush walks (it’s amazing who you meet on the tracks — old friends and famous people), dipped our toes in the cold sea, rode on a trailer being towed along a long sandy beach, squashed a few sandflies and went to bed blissfully happy each night. Oh, I must tell you — there is limited mobile phone reception at Papatowai. I believe a couple of providers work, but I am with Spark and had no phone reception at all. Four days off the radar! If you want to stop the world and get off for a while — then Papatowai could be the place for you. I was shocked at how often I reached for my mobile phone. It was great not being beeped at on a regular basis or concerning myself with melodramas that are not even part of my life. I think I had developed a habit — but no more. My phone stays at home more than I do these days. Thank you Papatowai. Photos ©2023 Heather Auckram Up Up 3 Autumn 2023 , p 8

2 Summer 2022 Summer 2022 ISSUE 2 CONTENTS PDF BUY Up Preparing for the cold winter "brrrrrr's" Linda Butler Up My husband Martin and I met up with Ray Harris the winter before last at Waihi Gorge. Our first night in the bus in winter. Darn, we could only get the new heater up to 10ºC on that night, and woke to a -3ºC frost. We opened the oven door, lit the gas and waited for sunshine. I'm proud of my hubby, he did agree to stay another night, but we enjoyed the warmth of Ray's 30º heater that evening, while playing cards until bedtime. This was from our newly installed diesel heater. Oh boy, we soon wondered if there was actually nothing wrong with the old gas one after all. The installers spent a lot of hours trying to work out the problem. Even with lagged pipes the heater wouldn't get warmer than 18º. Finally we were told the poor insulation and many windows in the bus were the problem. So over the last few months we came up with a plan. Purchased woollen carpet; it won’t need underlay, we were told. Tick With the curtains closed around our beds we still had a draft coming from the windows. We have a silver rail in front of the window. No probs. Op shop curtains purchased and now we sit draft-free with a feeling of sitting in a yurt in the back of the bus. Tick The carpet did need underlay as we still felt it cold. Fixed. Tick Hubby couldn't stand the cold on his body from the bus wall lining under the window by the bed. He needs a bit more fat on him! So we bought yoga mats. Nice and thin. Can lay under the mattress when not in use. Perfect. Tick Stumbled on a net curtain to cover the door for insects and thought, why not also get a long curtain to cover the door for cold? Found one that fits a treat and hangs around my passenger-side headrest when not in use. Another draft fixed. Tick The venetian blinds in the kitchen: we found just enough curtain to cover over them as well.We are going to be so snug! Tick The bathroom felt like a bucket of ice. We hung a curtain cord and threaded a towel by its own hem. That kept the cold off our arm. Easy to wash. Tick Might try leaving the door open in the evening to let the heat from the cabin flow in. That only left the driver's window area. We heard about insulation paper that builders use. We bought about 10 meters, cut it down to each individual window size, then used a heat gun and sealed the edges. This hopefully will help with the frost also! We hope... Since doing all this, we have been unable to get out to try it, other than 2 nights at Lake Camp before winter really hit, after the carpet was put in and we had our curtains over the back windows. That little made a big difference. We are looking forward to next year when we hit the road. Late August after we return from Europe. We will be snug as a bug in a rug. We hope! Don't give up. Get ready for those winter blues… brrrrr… Photos ©2022 Linda Butler Up Up Now’s the time to plan or prepare your caravan, bus or motorhome for next winter. I asked Linda to tell us about her journey to warm up their bus. Editor Windows Our bus has a lot of windows ©2022 Linda Butler More windows Our bus has a lot of windows ©2022 Linda Butler Sealing the edges or the window insulation. We used a heat gun and sealed the edges on the insulation for the driver's window.©2022 Linda Butler Windows Our bus has a lot of windows ©2022 Linda Butler 1/6

3 Autumn 2023 3 Autumn 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption NZ is a camping culture Simon Raistrick This is one of the few countries with a sparse enough population to make freedom camping possible. For campers that makes NZ like a global heritage site. If we make our culture more and more environmentally disconnected, younger generations won't care as much about the environment. This essential part of environmentalism is often ignored in NZ yet it is built into the values of organisations like the English National Trust. I also have a degree in earth science. There are many ways to better manage camping which are not being used. Councils don't have the skills or knowledge to protect and support camping, and the pressure on councils to make things easier for themselves is constant. NZ is a camping culture This makes us who we are, connects us to our environment like nothing else and this hobby is constantly under threat. We should remember that and protect our culture and heritage. Up Up 3 Autumn 2023 , p 4

4 Winter 2023 Winter 2023 ISSUE 4 BUY PDF CONTENTS Up Greenies on the road: Managing food scraps Kath Irvine Up Last year in December, we sold up and hit the road in our Hino housetruck — a sharp learning curve and lots of broken crockery! but we’re loving it. The only thing I miss is the fresh herbs and vegies from my garden and the ease of recycling our food scraps. I’ve been turning our food scraps into compost for many a year now, and there’s no way I’m sending them to the landfill now. We chose to use bokashi buckets in our housetruck, as we already had them. A worm farm could also work, though bokashi is possibly more forgiving and takes all food waste — bones and shells included. Recycling, rubbish and bokashi buckets tucked up with the batteries. ©2023 Kath Irvine Bokashi buckets, are a 2 bucket system — one sitting inside the other. The food scraps go into the top bucket and are sprinkled with a special brew called compost zing. This looks like sawdust and is full of beneficial microbes that facilitate fermentation. The liquid drips into the bottom bucket, providing a power juice, full of microbes to pour on your crops. You need at least 2 sets because when one is full, it needs to sit and ferment for 10–14 days before using. Bokashi buckets are readily available to buy, but you can easily make them. All you need is 2 buckets the same size. Drill small holes all over the bottom of one bucket and sit it inside the other. The key factor is a sealed lid for the top bucket. The seal is important because like all fermentation, success relies on the exclusion of air. Put the buckets somewhere undercover, not too cold and out of direct sunlight (a little morning or afternoon sun is fine). There is no smell when the lid is on. And when you lift the lid, it smells like pickles. Rather than opening the bokashi every time you have food scraps, collect them in a small container and add them at the end of day. Start off by sprinkling a dusting of compost zing in the bottom of the top bucket and add your first lot of food scraps. Push them down firmly to exclude air (a potato masher is good for the squeamish), then sprinkle another dusting of compost zing on top. The zing gets the pickling happening and is the reason bokashi never smells. Close the lid so it clicks and seals. When a bucket is full to the brim, I move the new one in front and leave the other tucked behind to pickle away. Because bokashi is pre-fermented and alive with beneficial microbes, it incorporates into soil or compost quickly — such a simple, potent way to keep soil fertility up! Trenching bokashi into the garden. Edible Backyard. ©2023 Kath Irvine But what happens when you don’t have a garden? We are lucky, and most of the time, staying with switched on people who are excited to receive a bucket of bokashi into their garden. But its not always the case and extra hard in campgrounds where food scraps are still considered rubbish; I find it pretty shocking. Its an effort, I know, but once you get your set up happening, its easy as pie. We really must all be recycling our food scraps. “When food ends up in landfill, it decomposes without oxygen, and as a result, it releases methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. If food waste was a country, it would be the third largest producer of carbon emissions behind China and the United States.” lovefoodhatewaste.co.nz I used to take a bokashi bucket with us when we holidayed — it’s not such a big deal. The tricky part , when on the road, comes at the end, when its pickled and ready to go on the compost. Be creative and determined, and find places. And when you do — spread the word! The more of us that ask where we can compost our food waste, the more available it will become. Rankers have a sustainability filter to help you choose responsible camp sites — though whether this is meaningful or not, I’d have to do a bit more digging to know. A network to link travelling bokashi makers with domestic or commercial compost heaps would be a fine thing. Hop online and check with the local council. 
Perhaps there is a local composting facility or community garden you could drop off to. There are so many ways for camp grounds to properly manage food scraps! Pigs, chickens, worms, compost, there are even commercial-sized bokashi bins. If supermarkets in France can do it … Photos ©2023 Kath Irvine Up Up 1/2 ISSN 2815-827X (Online) | ISSN:2815-8261 (Print) editor@campingthekiwiway.org

7 Autumn 2024 7 Autumn 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Adrienne, Jean & Carolyn Between them they have over 240 years of camping experience. Adrienne, Jean & Carolyn. ©2024 Bette Cosgrove Sisters, Carolyn and Adrienne ©2024 Bette Cosgrove Passed down camping grear. Passed down camping gear: food safe, table, basin. The caravan behind was built by Adrienne’s father (it appears in Issue 2 and is profiled in Issue 5.) ©2024 Bette Cosgrove river bank sites, a football field, a pickers hut, wild camping all over NZ Three octogenarian campers Bette Cosgrove Between them they have over 240 years of camping experience. Adrienne, Jean & Carolyn. Jean Roger, 88yrs old. I grew up in UK, in South End on Sea. Being born across the road from the beach, I lived alongside thousands of holidaymakers. They arrived in NZ in 1957 and couldn’t afford holidays so they went camping. 62 years ago, and with our infant son Peter, we first went camping as a family. We shoved all the stuff in the work Vanguard station wagon and loaded paint sheet, broom handles, nails as pegs, ball of string, with a grey blanket safety-pinned on as a screen. Slept in the back of the vehicle. They had to disengage the horn because 3 yr old Peter slept across the front seat, and would put his foot on the horn in the night. Sisters, Carolyn and Adrienne Adrienne Leslie, age 86 My earliest camping memory was at age 4, October 6, 1943, with Ngati Porou on the marae at Ruatoria in the historic presentation of the VC medal to 2nd Lt Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu, posthumously, at a massive hui of 7,000 people presided over by Sir Apirana Ngata. We slept on the whare floor with all the local kids. There were 1200 children at the event. Her Father, Thomas Houston, Govt Inspector of Health who spoke fluent te reo, pointed out his Excellency, the Governor-General, Sir Cyrill Newall and the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Peter Fraser in the back of big black cars. I remember amazing kapa haka and waiata performed by hundreds of beautiful dancers. I remember I was told it was one of the most important events I would ever attend in my life … and it was in fact reported at the time as one of the largest and most fully documented Māori gatherings ever held. This ceremony doubled as a tribute to the magnificent part played by the Māori Battalion in all the operations of the Second New Zealand Division, as well as acting as a form of public mourning for the fact that no bodies had been returned to New Zealand. † For Adrienne it was unforgettable The war was on so no tents, and couldn’t get anything. Carolyn Moore, aged 82 Began camping at age 5 or 6. We went with Mum and Dad in a borrowed tent, and camped on the Buller at Gowan Bridge, because Mum ’n Dad loved dry-fly trout fishing. Our tents were mouldy and leaked like a sieve and we had to pack up and leave. Absolutely miserable; and have had many miserable camps over the years. We slept in the car half the time. We never went into campgrounds, finding river bank sites, on football fields, a pickers hut near Motueka, so always wild camping. All over NZ. We always had a spade to dig holes. One for the long drop, and one for the rubbish. Lake Mavora was a three week stint in the rain, most memorable. Camped alongside the river, outside the old homestead which is gone now. As an adult they took their infant son camping. Drove the Jowett Javelin, which I still own. We loaded up with a Farmers green and brown canvas tent, cot, high chair, and travelled up to the far north at Taipa. The tent was handed down from our parents-in-law who had used it at little Oneroa on their land in Waiheke. We eventually graduated to a caravan. Their legacy has been passed down through the generations, to great-grand children in the family, who now camp at All Points Camping Club. Passed down camping gear: food safe, table, basin. The caravan behind was built by Adrienne’s father (it appears in Issue 2 and is profiled in Issue 5.) † www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/photo/ngarimus-vc-hui-ruatoria-1943 Grandad's grandad's Caravan (Issue 5) Freedom camping (Issue 3) Up Up 7 Autumn 2024 , p 37

6 Summer 2023 6 Summer 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption SStay-Reefton-MNR4_mw.webp Snow on the mountain M Richardson Snow on the mountains behind Reefton. ©2023 M Richardson Up Up 6 Summer 2023 , p 34

8 Winter 2024 Winter 2024 ISSUE 8 BUY PDF CONTENTS Click on image for full view and caption In the distance In the distance we could see a stunning cloud which was scattering a hail storm around nearby Christchurch. ©2024 Linda Butler ©2024 Linda Butler Kool Grill and chat We quickly put up a shelter and tried to fend off the cold from the wind. The Kool Grill was soon lit, offering some warmth, on which we enjoyed nibbling on toasted marshmallows as we chatted the evening away. ©2024 Linda Butler ©2024 Linda Butler Garden tour Our host Penny invited us to start our tour of her garden. ©2024 Linda Butler Our host Penny invited us to start our tour of her garden. ©2024 Linda Butler Garden tour Our host Penny invited us to start our tour of her garden. ©2024 Linda Butler Garden tour Our host Penny invited us to start our tour of her garden. ©2024 Linda Butler Garden tour Our host Penny invited us to start our tour of her garden. ©2024 Linda Butler Garden tour Our host Penny invited us to start our tour of her garden. ©2024 Linda Butler Garden tour Our host Penny invited us to start our tour of her garden. ©2024 Linda Butler Garden tour Our host Penny invited us to start our tour of her garden. ©2024 Linda Butler Garden tour Our host Penny invited us to start our tour of her garden. ©2024 Linda Butler Garden tour Our host Penny invited us to start our tour of her garden. ©2024 Linda Butler Garden tour Our host Penny invited us to start our tour of her garden. ©2024 Linda Butler Garden tour Our host Penny invited us to start our tour of her garden. ©2024 Linda Butler Garden tour Our host Penny invited us to start our tour of her garden. ©2024 Linda Butler Garden tour Our host Penny invited us to start our tour of her garden. ©2024 Linda Butler GO TO Autumn Gold No one seemed in a hurry to get away Flaxmere Garden Linda Butler The beauty of belonging to a camping group is occasionally we get to camp at some venues not opened to the general public for camping. This was the case at Flaxmere Garden, in Canterbury. We settled in on a Friday afternoon. In the distance we could see a stunning cloud which was scattering a hail storm around nearby Christchurch. The backlash of this, though, was that it was bitterly cold. We quickly put up a shelter and tried to fend off the cold from the wind. The Kool Grill was soon lit, offering some warmth, on which we enjoyed nibbling on toasted marshmallows as we chatted the evening away. Saturday after morning coffee, our host Penny invited us to start our tour of her garden. We were given maps, then followed her to her front lawn where she shared some interesting information about her property. She built the stone fence herself! We loved following the paths, crossing bridges, scanning over ponds and admiring the mountains in the distance. The garden was divided into hot areas and cold shaded areas. My favourite was the native bush walk, but then I also enjoyed the autumn colours that seemed to be scattered everywhere. We were followed on our walk by fantails. They seemed friendlier than others I’ve seen. That night we enjoyed a feast of rhubarb and feijoa crumble thanks to a team effort. It was yum. No one seemed in a hurry to get away. It was 3.45 in the afternoon before we got away. Yet again, another successful camp. Images ©2024 Linda Butler Up Up 8 Winter 2024 , p 35

Teardrop camping Summer 2023 ISSUE 6 BUY PDF CONTENTS Up Teardrop camping Up Andrew Morton Teardrop camping. Cycling in Central Otago. ©2023 Andrew Morton Up Up Teardrop camping ©2023 Andrew Morton Teardrop camping ©2023 Andrew Morton 1/1