Way Up High

Well we left Middlemarch just before the Anzac Service at 1130 (Lorna did not want to go!) and drove towards Mcrae's Flat. When the road became loose gravel we turned round and drove to Hyde where we followed the Pig Route to Mcraes. After lunch and a beer in the pub - more memories- we paused at the open cast gold mine. What a HUGE hole in the ground - in fact several Huge Holes. It was then on through the light rain to Oamaru where we checked in to a POP at Jim and Norma Hannan's - a really good place to stay with power. It rained and rained heavily all night. In the morning there were puddles all round the bus. We went in to town to dump and wash to find that there was widespread flooding and the roads out North and South blocked. As we wanted to go West we decided to head off. Thirty or so ks up the Waitaki valley the rain eased to cloud. After another nostalgic beer at Omarama we finished up at Twizel. The Combined Services Club has neat grounds which are available to POP members. After a resonably warm night we set out to arrive here at the hemitage for lunch. Unfortunately Mt Cook is hiding under cloud so here is a picture of the Hermitage.