SOLD

The rig and truck have sold. 

The new owners are very happy with their purchase and we are relieved to see it go to a lovely North Island couple (Len & Lesleigh).

There's a bit of a story attached to the sale. Len & Lesleigh owned a smaller fifth wheel 

(a Keystone Bullet) which they towed with a Ford Ranger. They wanted to buy our fifth wheel and truck by giving us their fifth wheel and tow vehicle plus a cash difference. When they first suggested this we weren't keen because we didn't really want another fifth wheel. Our plan was to buy a block of land and a small bus. However after we had time to think over the idea we decided to go ahead with the swap because we figured we could sell the smaller fifth wheel & ranger ourselves. Being a smaller and less expensive unit we thought there would be a bigger market for it and perhaps easy to sell on. So we agreed to the arrangement.

Then .... we got a phone call from Len saying as he was towing his fifth wheel to Wellington (so our friends Paul & Amanda could have a look at it on our behalf), he was hit by a massive gust of wind which pushed him off the road and flipped him into the ditch.

Fortunately Len was not injured although his poor wife who was following him in another vehicle saw the whole thing happen and was pretty shaken up! 
The insurance company wrote the rig off. But there is a positive side to the story - Len was paid out by his insurance company, and then able to do a straight cash deal. Perfect for us!

So it's farewell to our rig. 

Great memories!

Onwards and upwards. We've just bought a stunning block of land (smothered in native bush) that we both fell in love with. Bernie is fizzing with ideas of what he will build on it and I'm busy hunting for a small bus or caravan so we can continue exploring.

You Never Know What's Round The Corner

Here's a post to explain why there's been a lack of posts.

As many of you know, three years ago we began planning and organising to begin a life on the road. There was tonnes of stuff we had to do ... buy and import a fifth wheel, find and purchase a suitable towing vehicle, save heaps, get the house ready i.e. store or sell furniture and find a tenant. We did all that and 6 months ago we waved goodbye to Nelson to begin this exciting new gypsy lifestyle.

We loved everything about living on the road. Exploring new places, meeting new people, walking tracks we'd read about, taking loads of photos, I loved the lack of housework and we adored our new found sense of freedom.

The rig and truck didn't miss a beat. Bernie had set everything up to make life a breeze. The washing machine in the shed on the truck meant we could do washing whenever and wherever we wanted. The extra tanks on the truck gave us ample water and when it was time to refill or dump we didn't have to move the rig as well. We could pump the water from the rig's tanks into the truck's tank and just use the truck. Life was sweet!

But then Paddy became unwell again. Really unwell. And out of the blue, our long-term tenant emailed to say she'd bought a house and would be moving out. Throw in a couple of personal circumstances that had sprung up at the same time and it seemed everything was indicating that we head back home.

We'd chatted about traveling back to Nelson over winter to find work (while still living in the rig). We had tickets to go to Warbirds over Wanaka at the end of March which we were really looking forward to so we thought we'd make our way to Nelson in April after Warbirds in Wanaka.

However, sometimes things don't go to plan - and by early February we found ourselves back in Nelson. So it was with mixed emotions that we moved back into our house. Although we were thrilled to be back with our family, there were other feelings in the mix ... we felt deflated, disappointed and quite unsettled. But time rolled on (as it does) and after several weeks, we were both working and life ticked along as before.

Meanwhile Paddy's health had deteriorated, which made us grateful to be back home near our local vet providing his treatment. Being in one place and on our own property made managing an unwell pet that little bit easier. 

Although we're both really keen to get back on the road again, it looks like it might be a couple of years away. We've had many discussions regarding the rig and although we love it, we've come to the realisation (ever so reluctantly) that it's not viable to have it sitting unused for a few years.

So last weekend we listed it on Trademe.  
Now some lucky person/couple will become the owner/s of an amazing unit that's had all its teething problems sorted and is basically only a few months old. 

It deserves to be out there exploring, traveling and being lived in! 

Hamiltons & Leaving Waipiata

Most of the places we stay Bernie says it's his new favourite place. After we'd been at Waipiata domain for a week, it was time to move on - even though Bernie wasn't so keen. For us, the domain was easy to stay at.
Oodles of space.
Dog friendly.
Great weather.
Loads of places nearby to explore.
And I think the most amount of campers there at one time were five!

The evening before leaving Waipiata, I drove up to Hamiltons. I'd heard about an historical gold mining cemetery with magnificent views across the Maniototo plains. When we visited the old tuberculosis sanatorium a week before we'd driven further along the road to see the Hamiltons but because we didn't have a map we weren't sure how far along the road it would be. We turned around after a couple of kilometres, and it turned out, we had turned back only a few hundred metres short of seeing the sign to the Hamiltons!
Just as the sun was setting, I set off, the golden hour was approaching making it a lovely time of the day for sight seeing. This time it was easy to find.

The Hamilton's township was situated on the northern slopes of the Rock and Pillar range above Patearoa. It was named after Captain Hamilton - the owner of the sheep run where the gold was found in 1863. 

To begin with the gold deposits were rich, providing excellent returns. Near the end of 1863 around 2000 miners worked there, as time passed more hopeful miners arrived until the population peaked at 4000! At one stage the township had 25 hotels and 40 different stores. Unfortunately due to a scarcity of a constant water supply for both gold-mining operations and the community, the Hamilton's township didn't last long. And by the early 1900s there was little evidence left of the town. 

The Hamilton's cemetery has been restored by a local group, the 'Friends of  Hamiltons', and lies behind a stone wall. The cemetery commemorates many pioneers of Hamilton's community and records the hardships and tragedies that occurred.

A memorial plaque recording the names of those that are buried there.

I didn't stay long - it's probably silly, but I felt as though I was intruding not knowing anyone who had been laid to rest there.

It was only 10kms back to Waipiata so I was home in no time. There was very little packing up that needed to be done for our departure the next morning.

Our plan was to call into Ranfurly to fill up with water and empty the tanks - our destination was Butchers Dam, 10kms south of Alexandra.

First Day On The Road

What a busy few days. Even though we’ve been preparing for this day for months (actually two years!), the last week has been hectic. We’ve stuck to our ‘To Do’ list and as we’ve ticked things off, we’ve added more. And then made extra lists! It seemed to go on and on.

But, it was worth all the effort as we drove away knowing the house was left spotless for the tenant to enjoy.

Saying goodbye to family was something I wasn’t looking forward to. But as someone said, ‘It’s not good-bye – it’s see ya later’. I like that. I’m so grateful our family is excited and supportive of our new adventure.

It was hard to sleep the night before we left. We were both excited and eager to get going.

By 10am we were sorted. The house was tip-top and we were packed and ready to leave. We said good-bye to the neighbours and then I went to say good-bye to Becs. I kept it brief because I knew I’d sob like a baby!

After filling the rig with water, we were on our way. I stopped at Wakefield to give the dogs a run and then stopped at the top of the Spooners to catch Bernie to check all was going well.

We arrived at the NZMCA park in Murchsion around 1 o’clock. What a great site. Lots of space to park on flat gravel. It’s $3/night per person, max. 7 nights.

It didn’t take us long to set up and put the dog fencing around. Then we made a cuppa and relaxed for half an hour before heading out to take the dogs for a walk beside the river.

After dinner we had a visit from Charlotte who is traveling with her dog and two cats in her 11.5 metre bus. She tows a dolly which transports her car behind the bus. What an inspiring person. She bought the bus in June and had never driven a larger vehicle like that before. After buying it she got her HT licence and ever since has been learning as she goes.

A Dinky Awning

We can tick another job off our 'To Do' list. Bernie wanted an awning that would act like a porch in wet weather. A place we could take off our jackets and boots before stepping into the rig. Also it would be a place to feed the dogs when it's raining.
Bernie drew up a design of what he wanted and 'Scott & Williams Canvas & PVC Ltd' in Nelson made it.

All the windows have blinds and can be unzipped to allow air flow. Plus there are insect screens on all windows.

Calibrating The Automatic Leveling

Last time we stayed in the rig we noticed the bedroom door wasn’t able to stay open. The rig wasn’t level. It was 0.03 degrees out!

We read the manual and discovered it could be calibrated manually. It looked like an easy process.

First we put the jacks down on wooden blocks.

Then we used a level to check how much it seemed to be out. It was only slightly out (just as the monitor stated).

The manual said to over-ride the automatic leveler. We jiggled the front and rear jacks until our level read flat. It had to be flat from front to rear, and from side to side.

Once it was even both ways, we pressed the front button ten times – and then the rear button ten times.

The monitor came up displaying that the calibration was taking place. It beeped and then all was done.

All Level 

And The Door Stays Open Now!

As easy as 1…2….3!

Takaka Hill

Takaka Hill is the longest hill in New Zealand and rises to 791 metres at its highest point. Bernie was confident the truck would tow the rig up without any problems and he was right. It sailed up effortlessly.

The hill is littered with many strange forms of weathered marble and among these are sinkholes and limestone caves.

Some scenes from ‘The Lord of the Rings’ movie were filmed on Takaka Hill.    

The road zig-zags and twists its way up the hill and for those that wonder if the constant winding will cause travel sickness you can be assured there are many pull over areas where you can take a breather and admire the breathtaking vistas.

I took this photo of the rig traveling down on the Takaka side of the hill, from Harwood’s Lookout. 

Harwoods Lookout is the perfect spot to pull over and enjoy the panoramic view over the glacier-carved Takaka Valley.

Just after driving through Upper Takaka I came across a fence smothered in all types of sneakers and shoes.