Houston! We Have A Problem!

inside of motorhome flooded with water ingress during torrential downpour - we think it was combination of being on a slope, rain + wind direction — *_{inside of motorhome flooded with water pouring in through driver’s door during torrential downpour – we think it was combination of being on a slope, rain + wind direction}*

Water! Water! Everywhere!

#smilingontheinside – Friday 04 July 2025

We were loading up the van (motorhome) this afternoon – rushing to get everything stowed before the heavy rain and thunderstorms, forecast, arrived. We almost made it and were patting ourselves on the back until we turned around and saw water pouring – as in pouring! – in through the driver’s door. It was flooding everything. The photos here don’t show the true extent of how much water actually got in.

We think – hope! – it was a combination of the fact that we were parked on a bit of a slope at the time, together with torrential rain and wind direction – the perfect conditions for whatever it was to happen.

Day 3/3 = (10 x 84) x 3 steps = 840 = 2,520

I gotta say I’m feeling very pleased with myself this week – considering my throat has been sore since Monday.

I’m super-pleased to say I can feel the improvement in my fitness. I’m also a lot stronger, and probably more confident too, in walking down the steps faster. Today I was walking down holding my trekking poles aloft – I wasn’t using them.

This week I’ve also been going all-out-fast … well as fast as I can which isn’t very … on the last ascend. This week – whether it’s because 10 repeats is a lot of stairs – or because I haven’t been very well, but I’ve started to feel it on the 9^th repeat. By the time I got to the very last one, it was onehelluva effort!

Today’s Friday, which in my step-climbing world, means I take the long way back to the car.

Because of the weather warnings in place for the Waikato, I parked my car closer to the steps than I usually do on a Friday – just in case I needed to get to the car in a hurry and the long route wasn’t an option. What am I talking about…? I went out without a jacket – dugh!

The Mighty Waikato was close to bursting its banks along the Ann Street Reserve. One section of the Ann Street Walkway was closed because of flooding.

Alan Back from Tonga

This is Alan’s third tour to Tonga and the third time he’s come back uwell! This time he has virtually no voice… and he has a sore throat. He says he sounds worse than he feels (apart from the throat).

I’m wondering whether my dreams of spending a couple of nights at Pauanui are going to be thwarted – if not by the weather, then because we’re both not our usual bright eyed and bushy selves.

I picked up the keys to our van and worked in it parked up on the side of the road until Alan’s flight was due in.

While Julie waiting for Alan's flight to land from Tonga, she worked in the motorhome - in a wild storm - wind and torrential rain! — *_{While Julie waiting for Alan’s flight to land from Tonga, she worked in the motorhome – in a wild storm – wind and torrential rain!}*

Because I enjoy the Hot Chocolates at the CBD Cafe in Pokeno, I ducked in for a super quick one – complete with marshmallows, before driving out to the airport.

Pauanui

I wasn’t sure whether we’d actually get away this weekend or not – what with Alan not having much of a voice and the weather warnings all over the country.

But we looked at the weather forecast and both decided that it looked like it would be wet on arrival in Pauanui, that it would rain overnight Friday and Saturday but both Saturday and Sunday should be fine. We’re going to find out!

We opted to stay at the Park Over Property for Friday night ($20pp/night) – the Pauanui Recreation and Sports Centre – alongside the airstrip.

Tomorrow we’ll check out the other freedom camping places. While we’re in this part of the world in the middle of winter (read: not as many motorhomes freedom camping) it’d be a shame not to be closer to the ocean.

Dinner was fish and chips – which I’d give a 5/10 for – in Pauanui