We thought we had used up our luck after the simple fix to our brake light issues in Whakatane and we were certainly not expecting our luck to continue in Kopu. The van was booked in to have a troublesome hydraulic jack remove and the suspected bent spike removed and a replacement one manufactured. So early Monday morning the van was duly delivered to the hydraulic repair shop which also just happens to be next door to the RV repair shop where we were going to have a new seal installed around the slide out.
Whilst the van was in the workshop we took the opportunity to go for a bit of a tiki tour along the coast north of Thames. It is a very scenic drive, twisting and turning along the coastline, and I mean right on the coast. We were so enthralled with the road and the scenery that we neglected to take any photos of us exploring the bays along the way. We did take note of the number of Freedom camping areas set aside in most of the way along our route, all duly noted for a return journey at another time. We only went as far as Tapu before deciding we had best return to see what was happening with the van and to make sure we were not going to be haemorrhaging money!!!
On our return we were greeted with the sight of the van all ready for us, oh dear we thought, perhaps the job was soo big that they decided to discuss it with us before going any further but no, we were in luck. Apparently the spike was not bent, all it required was a quick clean and grease before resinstalling and voila, it works perfectly!
The new seal had been ordered but wasn’t due in until Tuesday morning so we were sent on our way with instructions to remove the old seal and clean off all the residue to expedite the job the following day. That we did, although I do have to say that I thought that our work with the sticky black Simsons sealer was messy but this was just as bad if not worse with sticky gunk getting everywhere. The next morning we were back at the workshop where they quickly were onto installing the new seal. Whilst they were dealing with the slide out, we mentioned the fact that the mechanism had been playing up and sometimes it was very difficult to retract the slide out. Again, expecting to be told that something major was wrong, all that was required was a little greasing of the working mechanism, with instructions on when and how to do this regularly. Phew! Another lucky escape. It was then a short wait for the Electrical Warrant of Fitness to be done.
With ticked off the list, we headed off to Waharau Regional Park, one of our favourite places which is just north of Kaiaua ready to settle in for the rest the day to watch the cricket – NZ Blackcaps vs the South African Proteas for a place in the World Cup final. Well, what a game of cricket keeping us all on the edge of our seats right down to the very end. We are avid cricket fans, and we have very fond memories of the 1992 World Cup where we attended most of the games played at Eden Park. We put the win down to good play rather than our luck continuing!
just a couple of nights at Waharau before it was time to head off again, but not before getting all the washing done and household chores attended to whilst Roy went off fishing for the day. He did manage to catch a few snapper but they were all of the “return to sea and grow a little” variety. Next stop is at Ardmore Airport where we are for a few days whilst we help our son Antony put together his new house. This means an awful lot of time spent in shops and on TradeMe looking for everything required for a house from whitewear to furniture to cutlery and kitchenware. It’s exhausting but we are getting there.
The Vanninis' Manoeuvres 