Day nine began with all buses emptied and the windscreens washed at the excellent facilities of the Ohakune Club. With Val and Don leading us we went to the old Ohakune Village and viewed the old buildings, railway station and to sites to be seen. We then left Ohakune and drove to Whakapapa Village and the Chateau Tongariro. While driving we came to the Makatote Viaduct where a train was crossing. All buses were quickly parked and cameras employed to catch the train crossing. We managed to get several photos. While there a rental motorhome arrived with the top cupboards fallen from the mountings. Everything within the cupboards had crashed to the floor. We helped clean up and lifted the cupboard remainders onto the floor for safer travel. We tried to phone the company for the people but no reception was available. Our good deed for the day. The cupboards were fixed to the ceiling of the van with very short staples and a few screws close to the very edge. If the cupboards had broken free in a crash it would be very serious for the driver.
We then drove on towards the Chateau and spent time viewing the area. We had our lunch in our vans there. We continued on towards Turangi and while driving along we struck the biggest problem/question of our trip. What do bees and bugs say just before they smash into the windscreen? Hundreds of bees smeared our screens. Our number plate is BUG309 and I am sure there were many more bees than that splattered on ours. Many comments or thoughts were given over the CB's of what bees say - 'Oh Sh.." "Bugger" etc.
While we could still see or perhaps it was when Don couldn't see we drove into an old maori village that had been excavated. It was the site where Te Rauparaha wrote Ka Mate! Ka Mate! Ka Ora! Ka Ora! haka.
We drove in to Turangi and then to Tokaanu at the yacht club for the night. We enjoyed the company of other vanners at happy hour. Later in the evening we helped a guy smoke his trout.
DANGER GAS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Train on viaduct
The last few carriages
Makatote Viaduct
Buses quickly parked to photograph viaduct
The Chateau and Tongariro
At the Maori village
The view towards Turangi
Happy hour at Tokaanu Yacht Club
The happy winner of the Wally Award. Barry was emptying his cassette when he dropped a piece down the hole. He had to reach deep down to retrieve it. We thought his brown arm was from stirring but perhaps it isn't!!!!!!!!!!!!
The view from our motorhome windscreen at Tokaanu
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