AntiCouncil Sept 2007

Life in Whangamata continues at its usual gentle pace as I prepare for travelling to Neslon later this month.
A couple of times in the past three weeks I have had motorhome people directed to stay overnight on our property as there is a dispute with the local council on whether private properties can be used as “Park over Properties”
All over New Zealand the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association has arranged with members and clubs for association members to be able to park overnight on their property. This brings revenue to the clubs and townships as the motorhomers usually spend money on drinks and food, plus because there is always limited storage in a camper local businesses benefit through the visitors re-stocking. For members such as us it is a way of meeting like minded travellers. Regular readers of this blog will know that we use these POPs in our travels.
The Thames Coromandel District Council discourages motor homes from visiting the district. It provides no camp sites like other councils do and it seems to have a policy of trying to stop any visitors.
The case in point is at Whangamata where I understand a Motor camp proprietor who cannot cope with large motor homes anyway, complained about a club allowing motorhomes to park in its car park. This club stopped allowing overnight parking. The same club expressing the attitude “If I can’t you can’t” complained about the RSA allowing campervans in its car park. Remember that only members of the Motor Caravan Association whose vehicles are completely self contained were allowed to park, and many of these people are members of RSAs in other places. Some of these people asked to stay on our section and I welcomed them, for their company and to repay the hospitality I had received in other places. I was told I could not do this! This is a council which is allowing camping grounds to be sold for development and is spending large amounts of money on useless disruption to parking in the main street of Whangamata. I hope the coming elections bring some people into the council who have some reasonable insight into the needs of the community.
Rant over.
I have discovered that I can set a long line from my Kayak, but the weather turned bad before I could actually put it where it might catch fish.
I am now in Auckland putting in some quality grandparent time before heading south again. I am also attending a course to improve my coaching skills, which will help me to give better value to my students.