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

7 Autumn 2024 7 Autumn 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Hydraulic lift Charly means “free man” or “valiant” — giving wheelies the freedom to travel. ©2024 Milner Mobility NZ’s first wheelchair accessible campervan Designed and built by ACM Motorhomes on an IVECO cab and chassis. ©2024 Milner Mobility Accessible kitchen ©2024 Milner Mobility Travelling up front The No.1 condition was that the wheelie got to travel up front! ©2024 Milner Mobility Accessible kitchen ©2024 Milner Mobility Within reach ©2024 Milner Mobility NZ’s first wheelchair accessible campervan Designed and built by ACM Motorhomes on an IVECO cab and chassis. ©2024 Milner Mobility giving wheelies the freedom to travel Charly the campervan Milner Mobility New Zealand’s first wheelchair accessible campervan, CHARLY, will soon be available for hire. Launched in January by Milner Mobility it has been designed and built by ACM Motorhomes with the assistance of wheelies, on an IVECO cab and chassis. Charly means “free man” or “valiant” — giving wheelies the freedom to travel. The No.1 condition was that the wheelie got to travel up front! It has an accessible bathroom, can be driven with hand controls, and has an hydraulic lift. 60% of each rental is donated to its sponsors CatWalk and the NZ Spinal Trust . More: Milner Mobility Up Up 7 Autumn 2024 , p 18

9 Spring 2024 Spring 2024 ISSUE 9 BUY PDF CONTENTS Click on image for full view and caption Freedom van camping ©2024 Bette Cosgrove The new law allows freedom camping everywhere for self-contained vehicles and tents unless it is controlled by a bylaw. Challenges for local councils Bette Cosgrove The Self-contained Motor Vehicles Legislation 2023 / revised Freedom Camping Act 2011 presents significant challenges for councils across New Zealand as they strive to comply. The laws and regulations mandate that councils update pre-existing freedom camping bylaws by June 2025 to align with changes made to the national legislation. The previous definition of self-containment (using the old NZS5465:2001) is no longer usable in a bylaw. By default, the new law allows freedom camping everywhere for self-contained vehicles and tents. To control freedom camping, a council needs a bylaw and making a new bylaw (or significantly updating an old one), requires careful consideration and extensive public consultation. Councils that have no bylaw are very limited in what they can enforce. Councils must ensure that their regulations are not only compliant but also practical and enforceable. This requires a comprehensive understanding of the legislation, as well as the specific needs and contexts of their communities. The process is complex and time-consuming, often requiring legal and logistical expertise that may not be readily available at the local level. Local Government New Zealand supported councils with an updated model bylaw in January: ckw.nz/bylaw-guidance . Managing freedom camping sites poses another hurdle. The making of a bylaw Councils need to identify suitable locations that meet self-containment criteria or specifically allocate areas for non-self-contained vehicles, while balancing the needs of residents, local businesses, and the environment. This can lead to tensions within communities, particularly in popular tourist areas where the influx of freedom campers can strain local resources and infrastructure. Public consultation is critical in this process, yet it can be challenging to engage diverse community voices effectively. Councils must navigate differing opinions on freedom camping, ranging from support for tourism to concerns about environmental impacts and local amenity as well as considering the needs of local iwi. Camping restrictions can only be applied with good reason and evidence that there is a need to either: protect the environment, the local people or access to a public place. Funding and enforcement To facilitate bylaw updates, councils have accessed portions of a 2-year $10m transition fund from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). The bulk of this fund was sourced from the International Visitors Levy (IVL) which has recently been increased from $35 to $100 per incoming person. Despite about 80% of freedom campers being domestic tourists, the provision of financial support for management of freedom camping was drawn from our international visitors. That hardly seems equitable. (The $1.9m fund given to the Plumbers, Drainlayers and Gasfitters Board to establish the vehicle self containment system was also sourced from the IVL.) The allocation and management of the contestable transition funding was limited to only those councils who applied. Funds were for education and the development of future freedom camping management strategies. Councils have used some of these funds for enforcement and patrols to monitor sites and in some cases collect fines for breaches of the law. Freedom van camping. ©2024 Bette Cosgrovwe As tourist numbers increase with an expectation of a busy summer ahead, we will likely see local governments who did not get a share of these funds, finding it increasingly difficult to enforce the self-containment of vehicles under the legislation. There will also be a rush to write and implement new bylaws. Currently just over half of all councils across Aotearoa have a current freedom camping bylaw. The transition funding has now come to an end, so it’s very unclear how councils will be able to afford to continue these monitoring/enforcement services. They will be asking ratepayers to fund this in future or hope it is self-funding via infringement collection. Fines are now a minimum of $400 but historically only a small percentage are paid. Have your say in your area, and the areas you visit It’s clear that local councils now face a multifaceted set of challenges as they work to either create, upgrade or enforce their bylaws to implement the revised Freedom Camping Act 2011. If you care about protection of freedom camping sites, or preserving your right to freedom camp in your local area, keep an eye out for community engagement and feedback requests. Many councils have already begun these processes and you can exercise your democratic right to have your say. ◼️ Up Up 9 Spring 2024 , p 26

2 Summer 2022 2 Summer 2022 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Cassette opener tool The cassette opener tool in action, taking the pressure off the plastic lugs. Handle, shaped a bit The stick is a piece of broom handle, 300mm long. Cut a slice out of it. Add the screws. Cassette flap with holes See the holes drilled in the flap of the cassette. A DIY tool to unscrew the top of the cassette John McMurdo This tool takes some of the pressure off the plastic lugs. In the flap from the top of the cassette, drill two holes, slotted to make a keyhole shape. They are at 70mm centers on our cassette; yours might differ. The stick is a piece of broom handle, 300mm long. Cut a slice out of it. This isn’t necessary but makes it fit more closely. Partially screw in two screws to match the holes you drilled in the cassette flap. Use this stick as a lever to turn the flap without putting too much pressure on the lugs , which are only plastic and easily broken. Up Up 2 Summer 2022 , p 29

1 Spring 2022 Camping the Kiwi Way, 1, Spring 2022 Up Editor Table of contents • Editorial • For councils and government Come camping • Stop and Stay Contribute • About Cover image: 1958, camping in the poptop. ©2022 Graham Leslie Buy a copy, subscribe for a year's worth of copies, read it on paper, read it here or read the pdf. The choice is yours. Only $12 a copy delivered, $36 for 4 issues. BUY We bring you travel stories, tips, wonderful places to visit, insight into political changes, some solid information, a crossword: light reading, serious reading and some fun browsing. Enjoy Up Up Up Spring 2022 ISSUE 1 BUY PDF CONTENTS Your magazine 1-CKW-cover-24-Hero.webp 1-CKW-cover-24-Hero.webp 1/1

9 Spring 2024 Spring 2024 ISSUE 9 BUY PDF CONTENTS Click on image for full view and caption There is the toilet tent Toilet and shower tent. ©2024 Gary Hitchcock Toilet and shower tent. ©2024 Gary Hitchcock Toilet and shower tent Gary Hitchcock Toilet and shower tent. ©2024 Gary Hitchcock Up Up 9 Spring 2024 , p 25

4 Winter 2023 Winter 2023 ISSUE 4 BUY PDF CONTENTS Up 8 degrees of harm Gary Stoneley Up With change there always consequences. While some changes are positive and beneficial sometimes consequences cause a degree of harm. The recent changes to camping legislation in NZ will have a flow on effect throughout the leisure camping industry and to a large degree there is the potential for significant harm, to society (our supposedly inclusive camping culture) plus economic factors and environmental impact. The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment prepared a ‘limited’ regulatory impact statement, but the impacts of the new legislation cause more than just a small degree of harm. The question must be asked if the NZ tourism ministry should be making decisions for NZ’s recreation campers and why was the recreation minister not involved? How do we unwind the harm that the new law brings? Left Auckland 34 days ago, halfway through my 73 days traveling the South Island. Now in Cromwell then Arrowtown on the weekend. Noticed that it’s getting colder. Now I appreciate my diesel heater. ©2023 Roland Jones 8 Degrees of harm 1 • Perpetuating NIMBYism and the wealth divide Ex-Minister Stuart Nash’s push for greater control over motor vehicle campers in NZ has been led from a tourism-centred point of view. In an attempt to raise the image of tourism in NZ, vehicle campers without onboard toilets, plus responsible campers with portable toilets, have been targeted, without evidence that freedom campers cause any more harm than other recreational users (MBIE 2022, DIA 2016). The Department of Internal Affairs found that media emphasis on ‘freedom campers’ distorted the public view and supported NIMBYism (not in my back yard). This legislation advances the myth that NZers travelling in campers with portable toilets or without onboard toilets are less responsible than those with permanently fitted toilets, even though there is no evidence to support this myth. The economic burden of this act widens the wealth divide leaving behind those using lower-cost campers such as compact campervans, trailer tents, pop-tops, tear-drops, roof-top tents, and older, smaller caravans, while intentionally favouring higher-end camping vehicles, to boost the tourism image, never mind the effect on New Zealanders: this is a tourism initiative that restricts New Zealand citizens. 2 • Mental Health Lake Monowai was quiet and still as if time itself had stopped. We walked some of the easier, pleasant, short paths through the mossy bush. Hug a tree and bring bug repellent. ©2022 Heather Auckram Thousands of NZ campers pack up their vehicle and hit the road, freedom camping on council reserves, for their rest and relaxation. This includes young families with trailer tents, roof top campers and older caravans as well those retired with a small campervan set up with a portable toilet. The changes brought in with this act mean thousands of NZ campers will no longer be able to participate in freedom camping on council controlled land. Thousands of NZers will miss out. The ‘green pill’ of spending mental health time by the sea, or the lake or in the forest, is now reserved for the wealthy but all age groups and income levels are affected by this act. Only those who have a vehicle that is certified as ‘self contained’ according to this new legislation can camp on council land, unless a council designates areas for non self-contained vehicle camping (and for those self-contained campers whose toilet is not screwed to the floor). 3 • Economic cost to consumers On the road in Aotearoa in this beauty. Dunedin to Auckland and back again. © 2022 Lisa Ambrose The cost to thousands of NZ vehicle campers with portable toilets is considerable. Many consumers will be unable to afford them. To continue to be certified, currently ‘certified self contained’ vehicles will be required to upgrade to a permanently fitted toilet. This applies primarily to smaller campervans and older caravans. Retro-fitting can require changes to the vehicle layout including bodywork, which will cost at least $600 and up to $2500. In some cases it won’t be possible and the owner will need to replace the vehicle at a cost of extra thousands of dollars. In addition to retrofit costs are the new fees. The Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board will levy fees on both the certifier (for being a certifier) and the camper (for getting certified). These too are costs many consumers will not be able to afford. Then there are fines. Both freedom camping and, indeed, simply and legally parking, can now lead to fines starting at $400 and as high as $3000. A freedom camping vehicle of any kind, parked anywhere not actually designated for freedom camping (on the street, outside the laundromat or shop) could be considered to be “preparing to freedom camp”. 4 • Economic cost to businesses Rental vehicle operators that have vehicles with portable toilets are faced with either retrofitting their fleet or replacing vehicles. Rental vehicle operators will be required to do this before the 2024/2025 Summer season. Replacing 2000 smaller rental vehicles, at an estimated cost of $70,000 per imported vehicle, could cost the industry more than $140 million over the next 18 months, an inflationary activity at a time when inflation is already high. 5 • Social and economic cost on communities Many councils have received funding to assist with the transition to the required bylaw changes restricting freedom camping access. However the ongoing costs in managing the new regime will be passed on to ratepayers. As a national law with fines for ‘preparing to camp’ it is expected that there will be legal challenges that councils will have to fund. Car camping in Aparima. ©2022 Heather Auckram NZ families have traditionally had social licence to camp on council-controlled land around NZ which is now undermined by this new law which forces additional restrictions on families who enjoy low cost, vehicle-based camping. Parking on council land in a campervan or putting out your chairs for a lunch stop can now be considered preparing to camp and subject to a $400 fine. To “make preparations” to freedom camp, the legislation tells us, means to “park a motor vehicle to use it for freedom camping” (Section 20 2 (b)). It declines to tell either campers or the enforcement officers how they can tell if the vehicle is about to be used for freedom camping, presumably because it is not possible to read minds. 6 • Seasonal employment Thousands of seasonal workers traditionally come to NZ every summer and work in our hospitality and horticulture industries, many buying low cost vehicles to live in, due to the shortage of accommodation. The incentives for them to come and work in NZ and explore the country are now reduced. They might be young, active, energetic and contribute much to our economy, but the new act bars the low-cost, low-footprint vehicles that allow them to explore NZ. 7 • Environment The more people who travel with their own toilet the better for the environment, but the act removes the incentive for leisure campers and travellers with compact or older camping vehicles (e.g. poptops, teardrops and retro caravans) to carry one. The new act encourages, almost requires, the camping industry to move away from compact camping vehicles with a low environmental footprint to larger camping vehicles that use more resources to construct, considerably more fuel to operate and have the potential to cause greater damage to flora and fauna due to size and weight. The larger vehicles also take up more physical and visual space in the environment and at tourism hotspots. 8 • Emergency preparedness Ten hours into a power cut with this cyclone …. then I remembered I've got full batteries in Mavis! ©2023 Cheine Matheson In a country like NZ, being prepared for an emergency is encouraged — those with camping vehicles have an extra degree of preparedness, but this preparedness has been devalued by this legislation. When an emergency hits, those set up for a minimum of 3 days with water and waste facilities (including toilets of any kind) have the resources to quickly adapt and cope, with minimal support. Promoting self containment for vehicle camping with bring-your-own toilets is something that should be encouraged and not discouraged, if for no other reason. The 8th harm: this legislation discourages thousands of NZ campers from being self-contained, that is, able to contain their waste for 3 days in an emergency. Self containment changes in brief Where you can camp with which certificates Until Jun 6 2023 we called the ability to contain your waste for 3 days ‘self-containment.’ Now, its not just being able to contain waste, but also being able to afford an expensive toilet. Up Up Should the NZ tourism ministry should be making decisions for NZ’s recreation campers? 1/0 ISSN 2815-827X (Online) | ISSN:2815-8261 (Print) editor@campingthekiwiway.org

I have found that it is the obscure, forgotten little places that hold the most interest and subject material for paintings and rewarding experiences. BUY PDF CONTENTS Spring 2023 ISSUE 5 Up A small paint kit, a few good brushes… David Liddall From the time I left school I was compelled to travel, hitchhiking everywhere (including Asia) till getting my licence at twenty-five, thereafter owning a succession of vehicles that doubled as campers, the longest owned of these being a 1972 pop top Kombi van, used daily for about 28 years. Prior to turning 50 I bought my current bus, a Mitsubishi Fuso, 7,500kg, 7.5m land sailing boat, built by a boat builder with very good design and functionality. Also dating from my school days was my interest in drawing and painting, and after initially trying oil and ink, once I discovered quality water colour paint, I was hooked, especially with it’s portability. Being able to carry a small paint kit and a few good brushes, all that’s needed is some good watercolour paper and a little pot of water and you have the means of expressing a memory or reproducing or creating a wonderful scene, something that will remain long after I’ve shuffled from this mortal coil. My travel and painting passions were put aside for periods of my life as I pursued a career in nursing, working in a variety of areas, surgical nursing, including a few years as a scrub nurse in theatre (Whangarei) psychiatric (Seaview Hospital, Hokitika and Whangarei) emergency care (Whangarei) and lastly, night RN in a MetLifecare facility at Mt Maunganui (my home town). After thirty years I took early retirement, largely financed by the sale of my Kombi (it seemed too ridiculous to tow a campervan behind a campervan) and I moved to Northland to be closer to my son and grandkids, locating at the little coastal community of Whananaki. Finding a source of print production I sold a number of prints to people I’d met passing through the campground and other local places. 19 years on the road: my current road trip Late in 2022 I left Northland to visit my brother in Thames and Coromandel, exploring right to Fletcher Bay, the outer tip of the peninsula. The clouds were ominously massing after New Year and I got out of that vulnerable peninsula in the following days, heading back north. Seeing the devastation behind and ahead, I spontaneously turned around and headed south instead (retirement is such a liberating state of being, to allow such decisions) stopping at Taumarunui when I heard the following weekend was ‘Republic Day’ at Whangamonoma, deep into the Forgotten World Highway. I came up with the idea of using my bus as a gallery, attaching paintings along the side with magnets. So paying my stall fee, I set up beside the whip cracking and log splitting exhibits. It was a wonderful experience and bought back the sense of community that was common in my childhood. I sold a painting and got another commission which took me to Opunake and the wonderful Mt Taranaki (that is usually still called Mt Egmont by the locals). With the delays to ferry services I spent longer in Wellington than expected but had lots of fun painting scenes around the city and did another commissioned work. Due to the sailing cancellation I spent a couple of nights at the Evans Bay Marina freedom camping area, to find lots of others in the same position, over seventy vans there that first night, and due to the excessive numbers some parked in the centre, between the two outside allocated spaces. In the morning the efficient council issued $150 fines to everyone parked outside the lines; nice to see bureaucracy doesn’t rest, even during a national transportation crisis. Being very aware of the environmental disaster moving toward us, I’ve determined to reduce my carbon footprint as much as I can, though I have given a lot of thought to the rationale of travelling at all, but our footprint exists regardless of where we exist, so I endeavour to spend longer in interesting places off-grid and independent (fortunately my bus is independent of external input if the sun is shining) rather than dashing hither and yon, and have found that it is the obscure, forgotten little places that hold the most interest and subject material for paintings and rewarding experiences. My favourite places so far are found in the high country of Central Otago and the upper West Coast, especially north of Karamea, such lush subtropical bush and coastal locations, and the Ida Valley. I am drawn to place names like Drybread and Blackball, getting to know the locals of Seddonville, and the muffins at Gentle Annie. I’ve been privileged to leave artwork in many places in my wake and hope they bring pleasure, however for most of this journey, I’ve done what I call my ‘cafe paintings’, taking my travel brushes and paints with a little watercolour pad to a cafe, have breakfast or a muffin and tea or coffee while I sketch out a scene from my phone, and do a miniature painting. They take about forty minutes and are very pleasurable to paint. Over the following few days I decide who to send it to, put a stamp on the back, write a thoughtful note to my friend or family member then post it off. To date I’ve done nearly forty such paintings. One friend receiving one, was told by his post lady she’d never delivered an original painting before. It’s a fabulous way to share my journey with others, and imagine the surprise they get receiving a little painting in the post. Maybe you’ll get one one day. Contact David: david@ckw.nz ‘Republic Day’ gallery on the bus, Whangamomona Up Up Up The obscure, forgotten little places Click on the gallery for a full size view Bus gallery, Whangamomona Stopped at Taumarunui, I heard the following weekend was ‘Republic Day’ at Whangamomona, deep in the Forgotten World Highway. I came up with the idea of using my bus as a gallery, attaching paintings along the side with magnets. So paying my stall fee, I set up beside the whip cracking and log splitting exhibits. It was a wonderful experience and bought back the sense of community that was common in my childhood. I sold a painting and got another commission which took me to Opunake and the wonderful Mt Taranaki (that is usually still called Mt Egmont by the locals). Port Tarakohe Hokitika Bus gallery, Whangamomona Stopped at Taumarunui, I heard the following weekend was ‘Republic Day’ at Whangamomona, deep in the Forgotten World Highway. I came up with the idea of using my bus as a gallery, attaching paintings along the side with magnets. So paying my stall fee, I set up beside the whip cracking and log splitting exhibits. It was a wonderful experience and bought back the sense of community that was common in my childhood. I sold a painting and got another commission which took me to Opunake and the wonderful Mt Taranaki (that is usually still called Mt Egmont by the locals). 1/4

11 autumn 2025 11 autumn 2025 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption SS-tuppence-H-entrance_5.webp SS-tuppence-entrance_5.webp SS-tuppence-number2_4.webp SS-tuppence-cabbage-dog_1.webp SS-tuppence-pirongia_3.webp SS-tuppence-wellness_2.webp SS-cafe77-H.webp SS-cafe77-map.webp SS-cafe77-sign.webp SS-cafe77 sites.webp SS-reporoa--6.webp SS-reporoa--2.webp SS-reporoa--4.webp SS-reporoa--5.webp SS-reporoa--7.webp SS-reporoa-butchers-12.webp STOP and STAY Stop and Stay, Central North Island Maggie O’Rourke This summer I decided that I would go and check out some of the stop and stays on the website. What a delight discovering these places and new ones. Maggie O’Rourke and keltic star Tuppence, Pirongia One of my stays was at Tuppence in Pirongia — one couldn’t stop singing the Penny Lane song after that. I was greeted by Ursula our host and parked up and was shown where everything was, including water, recycling and compost bin. It didn’t take long before I felt like I was at home for my four day stay. I told Ursula that I was meant to have a water filter put in that day and when her husband got home from work he put my filter in free of charge and had a quick look at my tyres to see if they were okay as he works at the tyre shop in Te Awamutu. Truly blessed and grateful. They have a very entertaining dog, who quite happily stole a cabbage I was given off my lap and never gave it back. What a delight, chasing a cabbage-eating dog. Really enjoyed staying here. They have a lovely quiet rural property on the edge of Pirongia Village and are great hosts. They are 5 minutes away from the village by vehicle and about 15 minutes walk to the shops. Te Awamutu is 15 minutes away and the Mobil Station has the only dump station in the area (but no water tap). Ursula and her hubby are members of All Points Camping and have been running this park-up property in Pirongia for 10 years and have just recently put the price up from $5 to $10 non-powered, $15 powered per unit. Bookings essential. Open all year around and pet friendly. Pirongia village offers the following: a Four Square, hairdressers, bakery, cafe, the hive gift shop, book exchange at the community hall, psychic reader, colour therapist, massage therapists, acupuncture, Tai Chi, community classes, monthly and annual craft market, church, sports grounds, and river walk. The historic museum and visitors centre tells you the history of the area and famous people like Mary Scott (novelist) and the Māori wars. They have a walking map of archaeological redoubt sites in the area. Pirongia Heritage & Information Centre pirongiaheritage.org.nz . The next Annual Craft Market, which I highly recommend is on a Sunday at the end of September. There are also walks available on Mt. Pirongia which is a 15 minute drive from Penny Road at the Pirongia Forest Park. I highly recommend the nature walk for a picnic or an outing. ckw.nz/doc-pirongia The highlight of my visit was exploring the village, going to the heritage centre, the walks, seeing the future site for the Pirongia Wellness Centre where I had a picnic with my cousin, and the Sunday Food and Craft Market, on the last Sunday of the month at the community centre, where I got some fresh veggies and something crafty and small for my bus. Cafe 77, Manawaru Another great place to go to is the Community View Motorhome Caravan Park and Cafe 77 at the heart of Manawaru. It’s a lovely rural spot 15 mins from Te Aroha and 20 mins from Matamata. They have a lot of visits from cyclists doing the Hauraki Rail Trail and tourists. It was lovely seeing our All Points Camping sign on their park over property, in the cafe window and the flyers inside. They make good coffee and yo yo biscuits the old fashioned way —super yummy. Booking is essential to park in the self-contained camping area. They can fit up to 20 vehicles (for a group) but normally there are 10 spots to park-up on the grass. Open all year around. For $10 a night per unit, you have access to the toilet block, power points to recharge your bikes and wifi, as mobile reception is bad here — ask for the wifi password at the cafe. Bookings can be made at reception next to the toilet block or online. A post box is provided to pay after hours. Also on site are bike racks, a bike tool kit and an air compressor. Cafe/reception is open from 8am–3pm with the kitchen closing at 1.30pm.There’s a large event area with a climbing wall and plenty of seating onsite. Lovely spot to either stay, visit the historic old dairy company, historic churches, or have a beverage or something to eat. ckw.nz/camp-cafe77 Rosie and Brian’s, Reporoa What a hidden gem for a POP. I now know why it was recommended to me by members. Is it worth staying here? 100% yes! When I rang to book my stay I got Brian on the phone, with a huge welcome and the directions of 2 yellow vegetable signs and where to park in the 2nd paddock with the caravans. Of course his directions were spot on, but I still managed to overshoot the drive — if you’re heading either way and see the Reporoa sign you’ve gone too far. I tell you, what a welcome! I think why people stay is due to our lovely welcoming hosts Rosie and Brian. They have been operating this site in their paddocks for 8 years, back then it was a gold coin to stay and to help campers out. Brian is a master grower, not bad for 79, 80 this year. Their market vegetable shop and Rosie’s knitted clowns are for sale for cash only. It’s been a delight to stay here for a week learning about our hosts and having homegrown fruit and veges on the doorstep. People travel from Taupo to get their fresh produce here. Though not classed as organic with a certificate, it’s pretty close without that label attached. The vege shop is open Tuesday to Saturday from 8am– 5pm-ish. So what does this POP offer us? Well where does one start? The longer I stayed more I discovered. The cost is $5 per unit per night. ■ou need to be fully self-contained. Tents are welcome, but you need your own toilet. Generators are allowed but please be considerate. Vege shop is open to pay 7 days a week please put money in blue container if they are not in the house or garden. Open year round and no time limit on your stay. Pumice ground for winter stay overs. Potable water. Book exchange. Shelter hut and stage with a piano and couch. Compost bin. Fire pit and bbq area —firewood is available for a donation. Dogs welcome, on a lead. All ages and groups welcome (groups: book in advance). Members and non members welcome. Book your spot by contacting them by phone but please be considerate and don’t ring too late. Nearest dump stations: Rotorua, Wairakei BP (often blocked), Taupo and Kinloch. What’s in the area Fishing at the bridge or by boat on the Waikato River (Brian knows all the best spots); shopping or tourist activities in either Taupo, Rotorua or even the mountain. If you go to bookme.co.nz you may get a bargain of 20–90% off activities and food. Butchers Pool The best kept secret in the area is 19km away, towards Rotorua: Butchers Pool, a free thermal pool. It’s so secret that you think the Google Maps are wrong as there is no sign, but someone’s house numbers are on the fence. It seems the locals don’t want you to know their secret and the sign often disappears. Coming into the dirt road is like a tankers track narrow and rough, me poor girl got shook up a bit (the bus not me); I was praying that no-one took us on coming the other way as there is no room to pass. Toilets, changing rooms and rubbish bins are onsite. Hot thermal pools according to my thermometer sit between 40–42°C. Beware when you climb in as the steps are slippery and pay attention to the signs saying not to put your head under (to avoid bacterial meningitis, a danger at all natural hot pools). Reporoa is 21km away. Another delight. Reporoa Valley Traders & Post Shop; Awaken cafe (8am–5pm Mon–Fri), I highly recommend their coffee and food and the staff are so welcoming and helpful — I ended up asking umpteen questions on the area. The op shop behind the playground on the main street is open 11am–4pm Thursday only. There is a fish and chip shop (11am–7pm, every day). Bake House (5am–5pm/6pm); Reporoa Food Market plus Lotto (7.30am–6.30pm, every day.) The Woolshed Tavern offers drinks, meals, a bottle store and takeaway meals (11am–8pm or 10pm, every day); there is a car mechanic, a tyre shop, police, health centre, vet, and playground. Though Taupo is the same distance from Rosie and Brian’s as Reporoa, Reporoa is not as busy, you can find a carpark, find a seat at the cafe and you can relax way more. Bliss. Plus the Butchers Pool is free just up the road. Up Up 11 autumn 2025 , p 30

1 Spring 2022 1 Spring 2022 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Firth of Thames Wayne Ravelich Our view last night of the Firth of Thames. Parked a couple of km north of Thames at a wonderful free site on the water front. Wayne Ravelich ©2022 Wayne Ravelich Up Up 1 Spring 2022 , p 10

11 autumn 2025 Autumn 2025 ISSUE 11 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption Early at Waihora ©2025 Linda Butler GO TO Here & there last summer We came early Linda Butler The weather was so nice that we came out early. All that is missing is you.©2025 Linda Butler Up Up 11 Autumn 2025 , p 36

11 autumn 2025 Autumn 2025 ISSUE 11 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption Mavora Lakes ©2025 Tony Kissel Piano Flat My home for the next few weeks. Piano Flat ©2025 Tony Kissel Piano Flat A busy day here today at Piano Flat. A long weekend. They will all be gone tomorrow ©2025 Tony Kissel Laundry, Lumsden ©2025 Tony Kissel Mavora Lake ©2025 Tony Kissel Mavora Lake ©2025 Tony Kissel Mavora Lake ©2025 Tony Kissel Mavora Lake ©2025 Tony Kissel Pleasant flat Downsized my tent for tonight, getting everything packed this afternoon ready for a quick getaway in the morning. ©2025 Tony Kissel Native orchids Heaps of native orchids growing above my tent, the smallest variety in the world, if my memory is correct. ©2025 Tony Kissel kissel_weka.webp ©2025 Tony Kissel Laundry day again. Hokitika. I still can’t bring myself to walk away and come back when the cycle is finished, someone might pinch my undies, so it’s sit here on Facebook for the next 35 minutes ©2025 Tony Kissel Bike clean and repair time It has been fun having my bike with me on this trip but I hadn’t taken into consideration the fact I’d be travelling nearly 200km on gravel roads, which turned out to be very dry and dusty, my poor bike was caked in it. The dust set like clay on my chain and sprockets, playing havoc with my gears. Bought some cleaner and lube in Hoki this morning. All sorted I hope. ©2025 Tony Kissel The memorial to the seven men who were slain in the Stanley Graham ‘incident”’in 1941. Visited the memorial to the seven men who were slain in the Stanley Graham ‘incident”’in 1941, New Zealand’s first mass murder. If you look through the hole in the middle you can see the place where the first men were shot ©2025 Tony Kissel Biked up to Dorothy Falls for my daily exercise, a lovely spot… The sandflies thought so too. ©2025 Tony Kissel A typical West Coast day, not a cloud in the sky. It’s nice to see the Southern Alps from the “other side’. ©2025 Tony Kissel Hans Bay, Lake Kaniere ©2025 Tony Kissel Hans Bay, Lake Kaniere ©2025 Tony Kissel A perfect morning for my last day at Lake Kaniere. ©2025 Tony Kissel GO TO Here & there last summer Late Summer journey: Southland & West Coast Tony Kissel 8 feb: My home for the next few weeks. Piano Flat. A busy day here today at Piano Flat. A long weekend. They will all be gone tomorrow. 20 Feb: Mavora Lakes. 27 Feb: Pleasant Flat. Downsized my tent for tonight, getting everything packed this afternoon ready for a quick getaway in the morning. There are 38 vehicles here at 8am, some had already gone, most with multiple occupants, yet I didn’t see a single camp-fee tag on any tent or vehicle. No wonder DOC is always crying poverty. Heaps of native orchids growing above my tent, the smallest variety in the world, if my memory is correct. It’s a beautiful country we live in. 1 Mar: Laundry day again, I wish we had one like this in Oamaru rather than the Liquid Laundry which requires you to pre-load a proprietary card that can only be used at their outlets, and supply your own detergent. This one in Hokitika does it for you. I still can’t bring myself to walk away and come back when the cycle is finished, someone might pinch my undies, so it’s sit here on Facebook for the next 35 minutes. Bike clean and repair time, it has been fun having my bike with me on this trip but I hadn’t taken into consideration the fact I’d be travelling nearly 200km on gravel roads, which turned out to be very dry and dusty, my poor bike was caked in it. The dust set like clay on my chain and sprockets, playing havoc with my gears. Bought some cleaner and lube in Hoki this morning. All sorted I hope. 2 Mar: Visited the memorial to the seven men who were slain in the Stanley Graham ‘incident”’in 1941, New Zealand’s first mass murder. If you look through the hole in the middle you can see the place where the first men were shot. 4 Mar: Biked up to Dorothy Falls for my daily exercise, a lovely spot… The sandflies thought so too. 5 Mar: A typical West Coast day, not a cloud in the sky. It’s nice to see the Southern Alps from the “other side’. 10 Mar: A perfect morning for my last day at Lake Kaniere. On to Karamea in the morning. ©2025 Tony Kissel Up Up 11 Autumn 2025 , p 13