Ford Capri Club Summer Camp, Waihi.
Waitangi Weekend 6-9 February 2014I had finally gotten around to making and fitting a tow bar to the red Capri.
This one is a 2.8 injected V6, so should pull the TD with ease.
Waitangi Day (6th) was on Thursday, so we had made it into 4 day weekend. The Capri Car Club NZ were holding their 10th annual Summer Camp at Waihi.
As usual we headed of as far as Auckland (161km) the night before to stop over with Dales folks for the night and leave the grand dogs with them for the weekend.
Thursday morning we travelled through to Waihi Beach (171kms away) to meet up with everyone else at the RSA for lunch. We were one of the first to arrive and from the car park on the hill, were able to watch for the cars as they drove into town. After a leisurely lunch we went for a look around Waihi Beach as we had a bit of time to kill, we couldn't get in to the camp until later in the afternoon. The place we were staying is a youth camp situated out in the hills south of Waihi called Waitawheta. Most of the group were staying in the bunk room style accommodation, first in best bed, while we were parked on the lawn with a couple of small motorhomes.
By the time we got set up it was beer o'clock,
and the kids (not ours) had all headed for the flying fox.
With 21 & 1/2 Capris parked around the lawn it made for quite a good display.
William had bought the "Car-B-Que" along,
and once the wheels were securely chocked
the sausages went on to cook.
This pair couldn't resist the chance of a cuddle in the back seat of a Capri, as it had been a long time since....
Truth is, it has probably been a long time since they could even get into the back seat of a Capri.
The next morning was overcast as we headed, in convoy, in to Waihi and up the hill to have a look at the Martha Mine.
We parked the cars in front of the old mine Pump House, just as the rain was starting.
The Cornish Pumphouse
http://www.waihigold.co.nz/history/the-cornish-pumphouse/
For more on the mine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Mine
Just as the presidents car was climbing the hill into the car park, "bang" the clutch cable broke.
We pushed the car into line for the photos, then there were big discussions on how we could fix it.
One thing about one make car clubs, often the parts are to hand, and sure enough one of the members had one in his boot (trunk).
We pushed it back out of the car park, and they drove off into town to find somewhere dry to change it.
The rest of us walked into town for coffee or ice creams, and for quite a few to buy rain coats.
It wasn't a nice day to try and get photos of the mine.
From Waihi we drove out to the Athenree Gorge and visited the mining museum and went for a tour of the site where they used to cook the ore in big brick lined fire pits. We went through the tunnel that goes under the fire pits, it is amazing that people once worked in there.
The afternoon plan was to go walking the trails in the gorge, but some of us decided we had seen enough rain so headed for Pairoa to look at a collection in a big shed where it would be dry. As soon as we left the hills around Waihi we drove out of the rain into a nice sunny day.
This collection was made up of old historic stock cars, farm machinery and other interesting junk, although I probably found it as interesting looking around the rusting old cars out in the back yard.
On the way back to the camp we stopped in Paeroa for a look around the shops.
Paeroa made its name for the world famous (in New Zealand) Lemon & Paeroa soft drink, and is now known for its antique shops. Dale found herself a cute salt & pepper set, not antique, but cute. When we got back to the camp it was still drizzling in the hills.
Saturday everyone lined up with their cars for a group photo, but then the rain came down again so we left. As before, as soon as we drove out of the hills we left the rain behind and entered another sunny day. It seemed that it was only raining in Waihi and the surrounding hills. We headed up the eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsular to our first stop at Hot Water Beach, where you can dig a hole in the sand and sit in terminally heated pools.
Next was lunch at the Coroglen Tavern, and a photo shoot.
The afternoon took us through Whitianga, and a small collection of cars,
then over the mountain range to the western side of the peninsula for a regroup at Coromandel township. One car arrived there with half the exhaust from one side of the car in his boot, and another with smoke billowing from under the bonnet where a gasket was leaking oil on to the exhaust. With some wire to tie up the exhaust, and a top up of the oil, we were soon back on the road cruising our way along the very picturesque drive on the twisty coast line road perched just above the water. This took us through to Thames then back to Waihi. Sorry for the lack of photos on this part of the trip, a bit slack I guess. (We are back that way in a couple of weeks, so will try to rectify that.)
Sunday, after a well organised and thoroughly enjoyable weekend it was time to head for home.
by KCStudly » Sat Jan 03, 2015 11:03 am 
) . I've just re-read your build thread and this one so it's time to start planning in earnest and get this done over the winter for next Xmas. 
Just don't let Brian (Vedette) see it. 
Speaking of whom. 
