Way Down South

We spent three nights in the car park. On the Friday night some of the local hoons decided to do wheelies at midnight and then at 2.30AM . Oh well the price of cheap accommodation! On Tuesday Lewis took us for a drive out to Aramoana - past port Otago. Aramoana is a forsaken run down village at the northern entrance to Otago Harbour. We were also shown the sights of Dunedin. We left Beth and Lewis's on Saturday morning and visited Judith their oldest daughter and her husband Paul where we had a shower and bath. They have more room than Lewis. From there we moved on down the coast to Taieri mouth and called in to a motor camp at Taeri Beach. When I enquired abpout the tariff I was told $9 00 per person and no discount. The facilities did not look very good so we headed back to the main road at Lake Waihola where we booked in to the camping ground - nice spot - facilities only OK - $16 00 for two. Dinner at the Waihola Hotel to celebrate our 39th wedding anniversary was marvellous. Next morning we followed state highway 1 towards Balclutha, diverting off to Kaitangata, the site of N.Z.'s worst mining disaster. Balclutha was where we arrived back on State Highway 1. The next part of our journey took us into the Catlins to Owaka where we stopped for aftenoon tea watching a local rugby team practice. The coach had all the ideas but the team didn't have the skills. We then drove on looking for a place to stop, after doubling back to pick up some cash at the Four Square. We passed Catlins lake which is really a big estuary - there are lots of them in this part of the country- we left the sealed road and headed into the bush. Suddenly we came upon a short sealed strip with a sign saying Purakaunui Falls Parking Area. there we met up with three other movanners and all decided to stay the night. Happy hour was good! The falls are well worth te 10 minute walk to see. Next day we drove a further 20 or so k.s to the end of the metal and then another 10 or so to Fortrose with diversions to Waikawa bay and Slope Point - the southernmost point of the South Island. I am surprised at how much country roung here looks like parts of the North Island. We had decided that we would spend two nights at Fortrose which was just as well because the weather packed in and we spent a drizzly day cleaning dust and grime from the inside of the bus. Wednesday morning we drove to bluff for Morning tea and then back to Invercargill where we are now settled in at the Coachmans Inn Campground - $18 00 for two. The weather is now brilliant sunshine and warm.

Waimate on

We did not leave the Olds's on Sunday but stayed another night because Jon was tied up at the yacht club. On Monday morning our host took us for a drive out to Pleasant Point where they have a crib. this is a delightful little spot beside the river. We drove on to Waimate after lunch and managed to find the flats that we lived in when we met. the town has not changed much in 40 years. After visiting the Waimate aerodrome (?) we spent the night at Waihao Box. This is an interesting construction at the mouth of the Waihao river intended to control the shingle. On the way back towards the main road we drove through Morven. This is a derelict town which may once have had a hundred or so residents. There are now five or six empty shops and vacant sections. The is also a mansion which is still occupied - some ineresting history here? We then went on to Oamaru where our married life started. We looked up the houses we lived in and then found the airstrip where the aircraft were kept. The same owner was still there so a couple of hours were spent catching up. That night we stopped at All Day Bay near Kakanui where we spent a quiet night in the company of another NZMCA member. We then checked out Moeraki Township. If you wanted to make a movie in a little fishing village this would be a good one. Waikouiati beach is an appealing sandy ocean beach with a sports ground across the road that looks as though one could stay there. Another side trip we made was to Karitane beach which has a small estuary. It was then on to have lunch in Pack and Save Dunedin's car park before heading out to Lewis and Beth's. We seem to lunch in supermarket car parks often. The pad at their place is too small for our bus so we spen the night in the car park of the ice skating pavillion at the end of the road. We are back now doing washing etc.

At Oldsys

We left Tinwald in the morning and drove to Geraldine where we looked up Mike's uncle and aunt's graves. We now know when they died - sad eh? From Geraldine we drove to Timaru Airport, where Mike passed his commercial pilot's licence 40 years ago - more nostalgia. we then drove on to the Olds's place at Otipua just out of Timaru where we have been set up for the last three days. The South Island Optimist Championships are on and Mike made his presence known to assist. There has been no wind so at 9.30 on the Sunday it looks as though there will not be a contest this year. Mike also took the opportunity to do some maintenance on the plumbing in the bus. The pressure acccumulator now works well. Today we will move on towards Waimate for more nostalgia.

Charteris Bay

After doing all the water things we drove towards Christchurch to refuel. In light rain we began to look for a Mobil Station. After driving for about 20ks we stopped on the side of the road and looked on the interenet. We eventually got diesel at Prebbleton. The servo also sells Race gas at the pumps! We then drove back towards Akaroa to go over Gebbies Pass to Charteris Bay. Lorna stayed in the bus up on the road while Mike went down and made contact. Paul and Pat pritchett invited us to spend the night at their place. We accepted and spent an evening catching up on Optimist stuff.
On Monday we drove round the head of the Lyttleton Harbour before setting up at the Charteris Bay Yacht club for the two evening coaching sessions. it was quite windy on Monday, and the wind died on Tuesday. On Tuesday Paul and Pat took us for a cruise in their 1930s traditional Launch Mapu. We saw Quail Island and another secluded bay in the upper harbour and Paul told us some of the history and a little geology. On Wednesday Morning we set off with Mike suffering from a cold and drove to Tinwald on the southern outskirts of Ashburton where we spent the afternoon and night. It seems that I can only put photos on this site when we can get 3g. I will keep trying though.

Banks Peninsula

The night in Kaiapoi was really quiet and we left before 9am and headed in to Hornby to bank some money. We also did some shopping and then moved on towards Banks Peninsula. We stoppped for lunch at Birdlings Flat - a gravel beach on the seaward side of Lake Ellesmere although it is actually the outlet for Lake Forsyth. We then drove on towards Akaroa. After climbing up and over a moderately steep hill we turned left and followed the coast of Akaroa harbour to Wainui Bay because we had seen a sign for motor camp. When we got there it was an outdoor pusuits type place with no appeal to a couple of geriatric gypsies. We retraced our steps to French Farm Bay and set up for the night on the side of the road. A little later on a Maui van joined us. The Nor West wind became really strong with some gusts shaking the bus. I turned round so that the wind was striking us head on. Soon after that there were no more big gusts. After we rose this morning we drove to Akaroa and had lunch. Akaroa is, as they say, a quaint little town with a distinctly French feel. After lunch we drove to Onuku where there is a lovely little church as part of a marae settlement. We then set out to drive over to one of the Northern bays on the peninsula. This was over the steepest and windiest roads we have been on yet. There were a lot of cyclists on the route practicing for "Le Race" which is on soon. We dropped down into Okains Bay with the transmission locked in 2nd and the engine brake working hard. Owryot still amazes us how easily she handles steep roads. After another steep drop we arrived back in Duvauchelle for a drink at the oldest pub in new Zealand. We are now set up in the motor camp and have done a load of washing. Lorna's foot is less swollen and her right eye looks as though it belongs to a racoon. Mike has been asked to do some coaching at Charteris Bay on Monday and Tuesday so we will be staying at another yacht club for a couple of nights before moving further south.

Into Canterbury

We must get on the road earlier! It was after 11 before we left Conway river and drove into Cheviot. We enquired at the Council Office about census forms and were given the 0800 number we had rung the day before. We decided to wait until we got to Amberly which is a bigger centre. On the way we stopped at Motunau Beach 16 Kms. off the main highway. This is a very interesting spot with a river going to the sea and a square island which looks as though a piece of the land has fallen into the water. After eating lunch, and watching Dr. Phil, we carried on to Amberley. Here we phoned the Census hotline and found that we were parked almost outside the local office. We filled out the forms in the office so this pair of New Zealanders have been counted. We spent the night at the Amberley Beach Domain. This is a low cost camp where payment is by an honesty box system. $5 00 for the night is very reasonable to have water and toilets. When we arrived we used the little washing machine, washed and partially dried a load. By the time the washing was dry today it was midday again. we moved on to Kaiapoi where Mike did a shop. Lorna is not yet able to walk round a store but each day is better. We arranged to stay at the Kaiapoi Bowling Club but they had a tournament in progress so we waited until the bowlers went home. While we were waiting Mike went for a walk and found a pub. On impulse he went in and bought a beer. A group of locals invited him to join their group and not drink alone. He had one more beer before going back to Lorna and parking the bus for the night.

Whales!

Drove on to Kaikoura yesterday with numerous side trips down dusty roads looking for a spot to camp. Most were by the roaring sea with misty spray. We eventually reached Kaikoura about 5.30, and pulled in to a Park Over Property in the township. After adjusting our position into the paddock so that they could get their buses out in the morning we had a good night's sleep. This morning dawned cloudy and calm and we drove round to look at seals. The sea was calming down all morning and by the time our boat left to go out to see the whales it was calm with a slight swell. We saw 5 sperm whales! This is unusual as our guide said that normally they only see one or two. 4 of the animals did the classic tail raising thing as they dived beneath the sea. Awesome! This photo is the best I can do with the little digital camera. I have much better ones on film which I will load later. This afternoon we drove to the Conway river where we are settling in for the night alongside another couple from Renwick.

Unsafe at any speed.

Well we have had our first personal injury on our travels. The wind was blowing strongly from the South West this morning. The sailors and Mike were waiting round for a drop in strength and a change in direction which usually happens around midday. Lorna conned one of the local lads into letting her have a ride on his motor scooter. The car park was not quite large enough and she managed to ride into the steel rail fence! There was almost no damage to the bike and no discernable marks on the fence. Lorna managed to take a lump of skin off the bottom of her big toe, bruise her sternum and there is a lump above her left eye. Her left foot is also swollen. There were several comments about acting ones age and not being teenagers. After first aid was administered Mike was able to take the sailors out for a last session, returning to the ramp just as the Southerly came back with a vengeance. Funny weather this Nelson stuff but nowhere near as bad as in other parts of the country.
After filling the water tanks and emptying the waste we are now in the motor camp at Havelock where we (Mike) will do the washing and tidy up before we move on towards Blenheim. We are booked to go whale watching on Tuesday. Hope the foot is better.

Still in Nelson

Well here it is, Sunday and we are still in Nelson. Mike has been coaching each afternoon since Tuesday with a delightful bunch of Nelsonian kids. Yesterday was spent on the water with the racing Optimists. It is a little sad that all yacht clubs seem to be beset with internal politics.
After leaving Derek and Sandra's, with a bag of garden goodies, we drove into Nelson to look for a motor camp to do washing etc. We drove up the Maitai valley to look at the motor camp there. It is just on the outskirts of Nelson in a lovely tree shaded valley. Unfortunately there was no cellphone or TV coverage and we cannot live without those! So it was back to Tahunanui to talk them into honoring a deal with the Motor Caravan Association. Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights have been spent in the car park at the yacht club. Tonight we will move on towards Blenheim.
Saw a really interesting act yesterday. A seagull was soaring above the end of the yacht club building and proceeded to scratch its beak with its right foot.

The photo is actually of Picton but I thought you would like to see it anyway.