Gem & Bones on Tour: On the Road to Tokaanu (Coromandel / Rotorua Tour)
Gem and I left Hongoeka Bay 8am Friday 20th June (Matariki). We travelled for two hours before looking for a place to stop for a coffee break and rest.
We found the perfect place for us just north of Bulls. A lovely Cafe called Moomaa. Easy parking, dog friendly, great food and very good coffee. Very friendly staff and cater for dogs in their outdoor area. Gem had a run around then I got something to eat and had a drink before checking out what they had in store for travellers to purchase.
Thoroughly recommend you add this place to your list of great spots to take a rest and refuel (The body that is).
The Incident - Blowout
We continued on our journey, heading for Tokaanu and the Oasis Motel (With Hot pools), however as we descended a huge hill that leads into the Mangaweka township, I heard a large pop sound and the car started to jump about, had to slow down and drive to the bottom of the hill (About 900 metres) before being able to pull over and stop.
The left front wheel on Rosanna (The Outlander) had blown to pieces! A little shaken, I phoned the roadside rescue service I belong to, and they arrived about 45 minutes later, were able to get me on the way with the space-saver tyre that comes with the Outlander, and then left. Limited to 80 km per hour due to this space-saver, it was a long and somewhat stressful trip to Tokaanu. We stopped briefly at Taihape for fuel. Another lesson learned: Towing a caravan doubles the amount of fuel you burn on the road.
Oasis Motel - Tokaanu
Arrived at our powered Caravan site later that afternoon.
Oasis Motel's powered site costs $25 per night, which includes free hot pools and other facilities. So, relatively fair value. A lovely wahine greeted me when I arrived and gave me the full rundown.
Once I got settled in, I had a good soak in the hot pool.
The place is a little rundown, but at that price, I am certainly not complaining.
Finding a Tyre business on a long weekend?
Before I went to sleep, I text and messaged a number of so-called emergency Tyre places to see if they might be able help in the morning. I got no response; however, I did a Google search in the morning and found another place that was open until 11am that morning.
Advantage Tyre Solutions - Taupo
Advantage Tyre Solutions is a tyre retail network located throughout New Zealand. They provide Real-Life Tyre Solutions. I was so happy to make it to these guys in time to sort out my car or I was facing a longer stay in Taupo than I had planned.
The team was great; they did not have a new tyre to fit my car, but found two perfect second-hand tyres and replaced both front wheels to ensure the car was well balanced and would see me through the next two weeks of the tour. They gave me a great deal on the price, I would recommend them to anyone travelling near Taupo who needs tyres!
Arrived Thames
So after quite an adventure, we finally arrived at our home for the next week. I am staying at a close friend’s in Thames. Tomorrow (Sunday, 22nd June), I will travel up and check out Coromandel town, then head over to Whitianga so I can get a small glimpse of the major towns on the Coromandel Peninsula.
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Tony Cutting
for Gem and Bones on Tour.
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Lisa was born in Auckland at the start of the 1970s, living in a small campsite community on the North Shore called Browns Bay. She spent a significant part of her life with her grandparents, often hanging out at the beaches. Lisa has many happy memories from those days at Browns Bay beach, where fish were plentiful on the point and the ocean was rich in seaweed. She played in the water for hours, going home totally “sun-kissed.” “An adorable time to grow up,” Lisa tells me.
Lisa enjoyed many sports; she was a keen tennis player and netballer, playing in the top teams for her age right up until the family moved to Wellington. Lisa was fifteen years old, which unfortunately marked the end of her sporting career. Local teams were well established in Wellington, and her attention was drawn elsewhere.