Napier NZMCA

Some of you will have heard of the NZ Motor Caravanner Association (NZMCA), and if you own some sort of RV, whether it be a caravan, motorhome, bus or fifth-wheeler, it's an organisation that is well worth belonging to. One of the benefits is they have a number of excellent NZMCA parks around the country where you can stay for just $3 per person, per night—this one we stayed in at Eriksen Road, Napier was no exception.

It is situated across the road from the Maraenui Golf Course, and although there is no dump station, there is fresh water available to fill your tanks and a number of rubbish bins (including recycling). There was so much space, we were spoilt for choice of where to park.

Much of the day, there was this constant annoying screech of a bird. I eventually laid eyes on one. A spur-winged plover. It has interesting yellow markings around its face that makes it look like it's wearing a plastic mask.

This noisy bird self introduced to NZ from Australia in the 1930s and is usually found in open fields, or near water. When I took Lucy for a walk one evening, I found the water: Two small canals running perpendicular to either side of the road.

I think perhaps it was calling out to its chick all the time. My camera had problems focusing on the chick. At one stage it was trying to shelter from the hot sun under a leafy plant in the garden just outside our rig . . .

. . . but its mother soon called it away from there.

I am ashamed to admit that I think I have paid more attention to the bird life in New Zealand over the past few months than I have in my whole life. No excuse.

The sky lit up in fabulous colours that night.

Some of the sunset reflected in the windows of our van.

While staying here in Napier, we managed to visit relatives in Hastings—ex-motorhomers who, knowing our needs, immediately said to us: "bring your washing" after we'd arranged to meet them for lunch in a nearby cafe. Yay! We enjoyed a coffee and scone (I must try making some of these in the rig one day) at their place while the washing machine did its job, then later went off for lunch and a catch up.

We had a problem with our freezer door in Napier—we just couldn't open it. Of course, this was on a Saturday morning, so we had to do without access to the ice cream until Monday when we could contact the suppliers. They directed us to a local business who checked it out for us. Apparently the catch had frozen shut. The front of the door had to be removed to gain access to the lock, which was broken in an attempt to get inside. We were leaving Napier and heading for Hamilton, so we arranged for a new catch to be sent to a service place in Hamilton.

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