7 Autumn 2024 7 Autumn 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Waipu Caves ©2024 Fiona Thomson Waipu Caves ©2024 Fiona Thomson Waipu Caves ©2024 Fiona Thomson Waipu Caves ©2024 Fiona Thomson Waipu Caves ©2024 Fiona Thomson Waipu Caves ©2024 Fiona Thomson Waipu Caves ©2024 Fiona Thomson Waipu Caves ©2024 Fiona Thomson up close to the stalactites and stalagmites Hidden gem Fiona Thomson Recently when we were traveling south from Whangārei on State Highway 1, we spotted a sign for Waipu Caves. It was a spur of the moment decision to investigate further, as we turned onto a gravel side road. The road took us on a short journey through a variety of scenery including wetlands, farmland and native bush. On arrival, we were meet by the friendly staff who were just sending a group of school students off with their guides to explore the caves. We enjoyed our hour or so guided walk through the Milky Way Glow Worm cave, where our guide taught us about cave conservation, its geology and ecology. The concrete path, and stainless steel handrails, made for a nice experience as we got up close to the underworld cave formations of stalactites and stalagmites. This is a wet cave system, with water flowing deep below us. This provided just the right habitat to see New Zealand’s world-famous glow worms. There are a number of other activities available at the 320-acre park, including; caving, mountain biking, bush walks through naturally sculpted limestone formations, orienteering, abseiling, rock climbing and archery by arrangement. There are also campground sites set aside for tenting and parking motorhomes, at this newly opened attraction. Up Up 7 Autumn 2024 , p 25

2 Summer 2022 2 Summer 2022 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption A coddiwomple to Tanners Point Paradise is when you coddiwomple to a pristine tidal bay for a swim and discover what the locals already know. Tanners Point, Katikati, Bay of Plenty. ©2022 Bette Cosgrove Park with a view at Tanners Point A stunning freedom camp parking spot. Tanners Point, Katikati, Bay of Plenty. ©2022 Bette Cosgrove Pohutukawa at Tanners Point A stunning freedom camp parking spot. Tanners Point, Katikati, Bay of Plenty. ©2022 Bette Cosgrove Bush and pohutukawa boughs, Tanners Point Bush and pohutukawa boughs reach down to the water along the coastal reserve walkway. Tanners Point, Katikati, Bay of Plenty. ©2022 Bette Cosgrove Out on the water, Tanners Point Fishers drift in to throw a line from the jetty, or putt out from the boat launch for a day on the water. An old time local wanders up the track, bare feet following his old terrier. Clear water on the bay track, Tanners Point Seniors meet to share the local gossip, retirees leisurely trek around the bay track and the clear water sparkles as the tide pulls up. Tanners Point, Katikati, Bay of Plenty. ©2022 Bette Cosgrove Recharging at Tanners Point Everything is greener and bluer than you've seen for ages, and the light recharges your soul batteries. Shhhhh don't tell too many people. Tanners Point, Katikati, Bay of Plenty. ©2022 Bette Cosgrove Tanners Point Bette Cosgrove Paradise is when you coddiwomple to a pristine tidal bay for a swim and discover what the locals already know. At a stunning freedom camp parking spot, bush and pohutukawa boughs reach down to the water along the coastal reserve walkway. Fishers drift in to throw a line from the jetty, or putt out from the boat launch for a day on the water. An old time local wanders up the track, bare feet following his old terrier. Seniors meet to share the local gossip, retirees leisurely trek around the bay track and the clear water sparkles as the tide pulls up. Everything is greener and bluer than you've seen for ages, and the light recharges your soul batteries. Shhhhh don't tell too many people. Katikati, Bay of Plenty. Photos ©2022 Bette Cosgrove Up Up 2 Summer 2022 , p 34

7 Autumn 2024 7 Autumn 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Celebrating Summer Celebrating Summer Editor Six pages of stories from around the country and the season. EXPLORE THE STORIES Up Up 7 Autumn 2024 , p 5

5 Spring 2023 5 Spring 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Cooking 1.webp Cooking 2-F.webp So many outdoor enthusiasts Cooking with Fire Cooking with fire Jonathan Collins NZ Fun Adventures was pleased to see so many outdoor enthusiasts join with us for this, now annual, event in our events calendar. Cooking with Fire or bbq outdoors was all it took to encourage families, pros and 1st time outdoor cooks to give it a try. We had some of the people camp with us for the weekend as well which is always a great way to get to know people in our group. Our very own celebrity master chef Lance was a great asset to have on site as well to help the cooks expand on their own meals and techniques. We look forward to seeing what everyone brings to the table for the next round. Hit us up on Facebook if you want to know more, and check for new events, there is plenty planned through to the end of the year. Or contact Jonathan Collins who would love to invite you along. NZ Fun Adventures ckw.nz/fb-cookingwithfireoutdoors ckw.nz/fb-nzfacamping Up Up 5 Spring 2023 , p 13

5 Spring 2023 5 Spring 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption New caravan The Desert Road Margaret Earle The Desert Road On our first road trip with our new caravan. We made it successfully from Wellington to Whangarei. ©2023 Margaret Earle Up Up 5 Spring 2023 , p 8

7 Autumn 2024 7 Autumn 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Visitors ©2024 Gary Hitchcock Visitors ©2024 Gary Hitchcock Snoozing in the shade ©2024 Gary Hitchcock Shady walks ©2024 Gary Hitchcock Enjoying the shade Gary Hitchcock Great place to enjoy the shade. Orton Bradley Park. n Banks Peninsula, Canterbury. Gary Hitchcock ©2024 Gary Hitchcock Banks Peninsula, Canterbury. ©2024 Gary Hitchcock Up Up 7 Autumn 2024 , p 9

9 Spring 2024 9 Spring 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Product photo All you need is a solar panel, a solar controller, and a battery. Solar basics for dummies Wayne Ravelich The sun is a wonderful free resource that provides, heat, warmth, and with the use of modern solar panels, also power. Solar power for us campers is a simple process. All you need is a solar panel, a solar controller, and a battery. The panel converts the sunlight into electricity. The controller takes that electricity and transforms it to a source of energy that can be used to charge the battery. The battery then stores that electrical energy until it is required to be used. Effectively the solar panel and controller are just a fancy battery charger. The battery supplies your power to run the lights, the inverter, if you have one, and any electrical devices. During peak sun hours some power will be supplied directly from the controller. Saying that, the important thing to remember is that most of the power you use comes from the battery. Solar panels Solar panels are the first link in the power chain and come in a variety of styles. • Rigid, the most common style and most efficient. • Flexible, light weight. • Portable, either folding ridged type or blanket, with built in controller. Solar panel output deteriorates with age and dirt, so keep the panels clean— just a light wash, don’t scrub. Panel output has improved greatly in the last few years. An old 75W panel may only produce 40W but a new 150W panel could fit in the same space (from experience). The biggest problem I come across is not enough solar to keep the batteries charged. Solution is ADD more solar, either fixed, if space allows, or a portable panel. Solar controllers Controllers come in two types. • PWM (Pulse Wave Modulation): the least efficient but cheaper and good for small panels. • MPPT (Multi Point Power Tracking): the best by far but more expensive. Batteries Batteries come in lots of types for different uses. In a solar power system, we use the “deep cycle” batteries. A car battery is not deep cycle but would work, for a while. Car batteries are designed to start cars, high current 400 to 800amps for a few seconds. Deep cycle batteries provide lower current (amps) continuously, a 100ah (amp hour) battery will provide 10amps for 10 hours. A 200ah battery will provide the same 10amps for 20 hours. The more power you need, the bigger or more batteries you require. Two 100ah batteries connected in “parallel,” that is positive to positive and negative to negative, gives you 200ah. Having lots of batteries give you lots of storage and lots of potential power, BUT you will need lots of solar panels to keep the batteries charged. The rule of thumb is twice the amp hours equals the minimum solar panel size. A 100ah battery needs 100 X 2 = 200Watt panel to fully charge the battery. Let’s look at battery types. ◼️ Lead Acid batteries are similar to your car start battery with lead plates and sulphuric acid. ◼️ AGM batteries (Absorbed Glass Mat) is also lead plates and the acid is absorbed into a mat to stop it sloshing around. ◼️ GEL Batteries are designed not to emit gas during charging and are similar to the AGM, but they can be used on their side or standing up. ◼️ Lead-carbon batterie s are an advanced lead acid battery which use a common lead positive plate (anode) and a carbon composite negative plate (cathode). The carbon acts as a sort of ‘super capacitor’ which allows faster charging and discharging, plus prolonged life at partial state of charge. ◼️ Lithium Batteries come in a couple of formats, Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminium Oxide batteries are the more common “cheaper” lithium battery and not as safe as some other forms of Lithium battery. The LiFePO4 (Lithium iron phosphate) batteries are a bit more expensive but are the safest of them all. LiFePO4 batteries generally have a BMS (Battery Management System) built in and will shut the battery down if there is a problem. Controllers and chargers Solar controllers have settings for the different battery types as the batteries charge differently. You cannot mix battery types in your solar system. A lot of solar controllers do not have a Lithium setting so check first. The same applies to battery chargers. Topping up your “house” battery from the “start” battery or alternator is a good idea and can be done in motor homes and caravans. For lead acid batteries I recommend the use of a Dual Voltage Sensitive Relay (DVSR) to prevent the start battery going flat. If you have Lithium “house” batteries, you need to use a DC/DC charger (below, right) set to ‘lithium’. A standard battery charger or car alternator provides 13.8Volts, but lithium needs 14.6Volts minimum to fully charge. A little on inverters Inverters convert 12V DC from your battery into 230V AC to run your domestic appliances. Inverters come in two types, modified sine wave and pure sine wave inverters. Pure sine wave inverters are dearer and far better than modified sine wave. If you are going to be using electronic appliances get a Pure Sine Wave inverter. The inverter needs to be as close as possible to the battery and have BIG supply cables. A 2kW fan heater draws 8amps from the inverter, the inverter draws 170amps from the battery so the battery cables must be large enough to carry that load or you will have a fire. Fuses and circuit breakers for safety need to be everywhere. From the solar panels to the controller, from the controller to the battery and from the battery to the load and/or inverter. Sunlight A last note, solar power needs sunlight. Solar works great in the summer. In winter there is a lot less sun and the cold can affect the batteries. Also, the further south you go the less sun there is to charge your system. Overall having a good solar system in your camper makes for better, easier camping. If in doubt If in doubt, ASK a specialist that knows solar. Facebook is not a specialist. I hope this helps you better understand the magic of solar power. ◼️ Images are product photos. Up Up 9 Spring 2024 , p 9

7 Autumn 2024 7 Autumn 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption SH 35 is a magical journey Stunning coastal camp site at Maraehako Campground, Whanarua Bay (East Coast).©2024 Bette Cosgrove SH 35 is a magical journey. Stunning coastal camp site at Maraehako Campground, Whanarua Bay (East Coast).©2024 Bette Cosgrove Maraehako Campground Stunning coastal camp site at Maraehako Campground, Whanarua Bay (East Coast).©2024 Bette Cosgrove SH 35 is a magical journey. Bay Church in the distance there. ©2024 Bette Cosgrove Bay Church ©2024 Bette Cosgrove Waihau Bay SH 35 is a magical journey. ©2024 Bette Cosgrove Camping beside the pub in Waihau Bay ©2024 Bette Cosgrove Celebrate-SH 35-8.jpg camping beside the pub in Waihau Bay.©2024 Bette Cosgrove a magical journey Not FREE but truly freedom at its best Bette Cosgrove SH 35 is a magical journey. Put it on your list. Up Up 7 Autumn 2024 , p 7

3 Autumn 2023 3 Autumn 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption South Island lakes: fill in the blanks Rhonda Marshall Fill in the blanks Download a printable pdf Solution Up Up 3 Autumn 2023 , p 29

10 summer 2024 10 summer 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Going for the putt throw, Hanmer Domain ©2024 Marty Ireland Tee off, Taylor River, Blenheim ©2024 Marty Ireland Dual set of golf discs ©2024 Marty Ireland Going for the putt throw, Hanmer Domain ©2024 Marty Ireland Keeps you healthy, in shape and moving HOBBIES: Disc golf Marty Ireland This is an ideal interest to have as campers for individuals, groups and families as its cheap to purchase a set of individual discs and many councils have set up Disc Golf courses in existing reserves where you can already walk, bike or exercise your dog. The discs are lightweight and take up little space and best of all its free to play. I was introduced to it in Hanmer Springs earlier this year in a forest reserve, 9-hole course and later found we have a local 18-hole course along the Taylor river in Blenheim. After checking our local sports shop and retailers I purchased online an entry-level dual player pack in a carry bag with cleaning cloth and marker pucks for around $50. There is an app that lists many courses around New Zealand and lets you keep track of your score during a game. The name of the game is to get your disc, in the least amount of throws, into the chain basket. It has similar drop shots and out-of-bounds penalties as the game of golf. Its a therapeutic, scenic, active walk, with gentle upper body movements to keep you healthy, in shape and moving. Give it go. ◊ Images: ©2024 Marty Ireland Up Up 10 summer 2024 , p 41

8 Winter 2024 8 Winter 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption wave on your way in and wave on your way out STOP and STAY Comfort Zone, Whakatane Angela Bryan Comfort Zone is one of those properties you will just want to keep coming back to, whether you’re just passing through or you really want to stop and stay. Bill and Annette are the classic hosts, welcoming everyone with a smile and a wave and a plethora of local knowledge, and that is before you even get to your campsite. Take your pick from harder stand sites to the comfort of the grass. The large areas are sheltered by towering trees to keep you sheltered in the windiest of weather while still enjoying all day sun. But bring a torch, there are no street lights here to worry about, it is truly DARK. Just the stars to sit out and watch. Located near the Whakatane Airport with easy access for the largest of vehicles for travellers seeking a quiet place to park up. Back country roads make it easy to take a quiet bike ride into Whakatane township and for the more adventurous all the way to Ohope Beach. And the bonus, this is a free park over property. That’s right, no charge. Bill only has two rules. You must wave on your way in and wave on your way out. Once you’ve been to Comfort Zone, you will definitely be back. FREE 105 Aerodrome Road, Whakatane bill.matheson@xtra.co.nz 027 499 3981 Images ©2024 Comfort Zone A list for travellers and campers in NZ — use it, share it, add to it. View, download or print: stopandstaynz.org Add your spots for stopping: ckw.nz/add-one-now Open to all, courtesy of NZ's national camping club, All Points Camping . Up Up 8 Winter 2024 , p 41

9 Spring 2024 9 Spring 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Fix-a-Potty™ © 2024 Teresa Hall Ignore the bad press that still pops up on Facebook. Kiwi ingenuity & insults Miriam Richardson With the new regulations for self containment, Kiwi ingenuity has been handily exercised on a number of fronts. The Black Moa™ toilet has been designed and manufactured from scratch, the Australian Gotta Go toilet , with a choice of composting or chemical toilet cassette has been brought to NZ ( ckw.nz/gottago ), the Fix-a-Potty™ people have worked on a simple and clever way to fix existing portable toilets to the vehicle in a way that satisfies the regulations, and Fix’n’rail is due out in October. While the new toilet-makers have been welcomed with interest, the Fix-a-Potty™ people were faced with severe scepticism, not to say unfair condemnation, that still continues to pop up on Facebook and confuse people. To be clear: the mechanism has been thoroughly evaluated and it complies. The controversy arises out of very poorly written law and equally poorly written regulations, neither of which went through an appropriate evaluation process with campervan and motorhome professionals before being enacted/promulgated. The base of the matter, is that a toilet must remain fixed to the vehicle while the toilet cassette/holding tank is removed for emptying. The Black Moa™ toilet has a bottom box fixed to the floor that holds the toilet up while the cassette is removed. The Gotta Go opens at the top so cassettes can be removed while the toilet remains fixed. The Fix-a-Potty™ bracket and the Fix’n’Rail fixes the top of a previously portable toilet to the floor, in a way that allows the cassette to be removed from beneath it for emptying. Whew! We can celebrate having a choice of reasonably priced options for complying with a patently absurd law that defines the non-fixedness of toilets as a problem. ◼️ Images: Black Moa™ © 2024 mystenterprises.com Gotta Go © 2024 joolca.co.nz Fix-a-Potty™ © 2024 Teresa Hall Fix’n’Rail © 2024 mystenterprises.com Up Up 9 Spring 2024 , p 24