Poolburn, 27 to 29 December 2009

27 December 2009
269881kms, 12:00, 16°C and sunny. Maggie has new back “feet”! – and we’ve already noticed a difference driving into the driveway – she doesn’t “rock and roll" – particularly the "roll” nearly as much, so it’ll be interesting to see what it’s like today as we are off to Poolburn for a couple of nights. The weather forecast is for hot weather (finally!) for the next 2 days. Got to the “rock spot” at 13:37 after stopping for a feed of chips and sausages from Muddy Creek Café – usually the food here is really good, but today the chips were yuck – soggy and greasy! Tried our luck at fishing but none to be had. A large crowd of people arrived from Alexandra Backpackers – watched 2 of them swim across to the island!!! Brrr – idiots. They moved to round by Whippy’s hut to try and catch some freshwater crays (we’d told them that’s where they might be as they were all foreigners and keen to try them and there are no rocks here).

Pretty much just as they left the wind got up so that even Maggie didn’t provide any shelter, so when they left we moved round, just in time to watch the news on the old “bus” 12V TV – which works perfectly! Thought we’d try it as it weighs half of the other black and white TV we’ve had ‘til now, and it actually gives a better picture. So bonus all round – we don’t have to start the gennie to watch TV, just run it off the cigarette lighter. Oh, and Maggie’s new back tyres have made a huge difference – all the glasses were still upright when we got to Poolburn. Up to now, the unevenness of the road has always meant we would roll so badly that everything upright in the cupboards would be on its side – the old tyres must have had very soft walls from day dot. We had often thought we needed to upgrade the shockies to heavy duty – turns out it was just the tyres! So much more comfortable ride. We had left over pizza for tea, and seeing as Mike was still recovering from a bad shift run, we were in bed really early – 20:00!!

28 December 2009

Alternately hot and no wind to windy. Up at 6:30, tried fishing all morning. Mike caught a beautiful fish, about 3-3.5lb on the worm. At that point Marielle had tried everything on the fly without any success, so threw a worm in and proceeded to catch 2 fish in the space of an hour – both not legal, but still 2 fish. Both got burnt despite plenty of high cloud – quite hot at times (T shirt and shorts weather). Bed at 21:30 after tea of Xmas ham and salad.

29 December 2009

Up at 07:00 – tried fishing, again nothing. Sunny and flat calm and hot until midday when the forecast wind arrived and we decided that, seeing as the forecast is not good, we would head home. Howling wind on way home, 19°C when we left, 29°C when we got home at 13:09. 269998kms (117kms this trip).

 

Poolburn, 10 to 11 December 2009

10 December 2009

Mike's 50th birthday!!!  269726kms, 12:59, 21°C.  Off to Poolburn.  Weather has not been great, but might be ok for next couple of days and we are tired of sitting around at home waiting for the weather to come right!  Filled up with diesel (52L, 269735kms), got some more beers (only $14.99 for a 15 pack!!) and got some reading material from the Alexandra library before heading off up the road. 
Stopped at Muddy Creek and got some fish and chips for a late lunch, at them beside the Manuherikia just over the bridge outside of Omakau and got to where we hoped to park overnight at 15:00.  A van parked up already, so asked them if they were staying (one of those spaceship type things, so if they had said they were I would have asked them where their toilet was!!!) but they said they'd move on, so we left Maggie where we'd driven up and got the rods out.  Not bad temperature - out of the wind it was T-shirt material. 
Decided after a couple of hours that the fishing wasn't working here, and the breeze blowing from wrong side for fly-fishing, so moved to beside Whippy's hut.  Fished some more but then breeze turned on-shore so called it quits. 
Talked to Linda and Danny Stephen for a while, had some more drinks and played some cards (Mike won 3 to 2).  Been around 22°C and not too bad - a bit changeable, windy then calm, sunny then cloudy but definitely not bad for up here!  Had whitebait patties (thanks again Darrin!) and salad for tea and amazingly (because Mike was tired at 18:00!) went to bed at the later time of 22:30.

11 December 2009

Up at 07:00 and YAY! it's dead calm and a mild-ish 11°C, so straight into fishing.  Mike caught a nice fish on the worm at about 09:30 but nothing at all after that,  The sun did try a couple of times and then very pleasant, but mainly cloudy with about 20°, until 15:00. 
Then it started to get darker and darker with a few spits of rain.  And then all of a sudden the wind got up, and then the rain really came.  And the associated temperature plummet - in a couple of minutes the temperature had dropped to 13°C!.  And the rain kept coming, so decided at 16:00 that Poolburn is an awesome spot, but not in this sort of weather, so headed home.  Got home at 17:00 - much warmer and calmer and no rain at home!  269855 kms.

Lake Aviemore, 28 to 30 November 2009

28 November 2009

269313kms, 11:20am. 12.5⁰C – brrr – cold but at least it’s sunny! Off over the hill somewhere. Filled up at Cromwell (47.79L, 269338kms) rather than in Alexandra because we had 25 cents per litre off voucher. Got to Lake Aviemore (269479kms) – just below the dam but further down than the last time we were here – at 14:40. Mike caught his first fish of the season – YAY! – a nice little rainbow. Nice warm afternoon (21.5⁰C) if you stayed out of the wind. Warm enough to sit outside in shorts and T-shirt. Watched TV for a while – no problems at all with the generator, in fact, it seems much easier to start now with just one gentle pull firing it off. Had lamb chops, asparagus and mushrooms for tea – yum. Mike fished after tea – a first, because it’s now 21:15 and he’s still fishing!!! Bed at 21:40.

29 November 2009

Up at 07:00, 7⁰C out, offshore breeze and light cloud around. Mike caught another 2 fish – 1 chocolate sized one, and another nice little rainbow. Marielle tried, on both fly and spinning, but nothing. The season’s total is now 6 to Marielle, 3 to Mike (not counting the ones Marielle has caught when fishing on her own!). Had ham/avocado/salad for lunch. Lots of people around, enjoying a reasonable day until the southerly wind really got up at about 15:00. Then it got cooler quickly! Because it got too cold to sit outside we had showers etc at around 15:30 and then read, played cards etc until news time. Again no problems with the gennie, so it’s obviously fixed. Oh, and we have super cold beer now too – Mike fixed the plug on our plug in chilly bin and it’s doing a great job. Had chicken and asparagus for tea and hit the pit at 22:00.

30 November 2009

Up at 07:00, overcast, blowing and 7.5⁰C. Forecast is for cloud and maybe rain all day and a maximum of 11⁰C. Will see what happens in the next little while and then decide what we are doing. 09:15, still only 8⁰C with a bitterly cold breeze so doing the dishes then going to dump and head home – the forecast is for this weather to stick around for the next couple of days, and there is a possible road snow warning for 1-2cm of snow for the Lindis Pass. 09:25 – battery dead, as in the truck battery. Too much radio and beer cooling!!! So out with the house battery and jumper leads – trouble is, the battery slide was stuck fast. CRC contact cleaner worked – not ideal but at least it released the slide so we could get the battery out. Then start Maggie off the house battery – just! Thank goodness for backup systems, otherwise we would have been sitting here waiting for the AA. Lesson for future: cool the beer when you’re driving and don’t use it all the time! 11:10 – at Ahuriri Conservation Park at the end of Birchwood Road. Decided to go and have a look, we’ve always wondered what is at the end of this road. Amazing scenery but oh, so cold – like winter with it still only being 8⁰C! Had a cup of soup and some bread and then carried on. 14:00 – checked out Kane Road (when you get to Tarras you are just about there, so we thought we might as well, in the hope that it’s sheltered and warmer down there), but still only 11⁰C and still blowing a southerly. So even though we don’t really want to, we are on our way home. Tomorrow is the start of SUMMER – YEAH RIGHT!!!! Got home at 16:37 after stopping in Cromwell for a commiseration drink. 269725kms – that’s 408.6 for this trip.

Ohau C, Lake Benmore, 31 October to 5 November 2009

31 October 2009

10:45, 268778kms, 11⁰C and sunny. Haven’t been away for a wee while, had planned to go away Labour weekend, but weather forecast wasn’t good, so stayed home and did chores instead. Oh, and installed a new water pump on Maggie, as the old one decided to stop working after the last trip! Fortunately we discovered it wasn’t working before we went anywhere – could have been a bit of a hassle arriving somewhere only to find we had no access to our water! Anyway, now off to shop and fill with diesel and then off over the hill. Put 55.88L in at Caltex Truckstop (pump at BP broken). Had lunch beside Lake Dunstan at Lions Creek – beautiful day and getting warmer. Now 12:45 and on our way again. Got to Ohau C at 14:25 – and there is now a “no camping” sign as you drive past the power station – but we figure it doesn’t apply to us as it shows a picture of a tent and anyway, we don’t camp – we are just parked up! Coolish breeze but not too bad – temperature has varied between 17 and 19⁰C. Read and relaxed for the rest of the day. Oh, and we have bought the wee black and white TV with us to watch the news and weather while the generator is running – and it worked perfectly! So we watched TV until it was time to cook tea – chicken and asparagus – YUM. Have not had any heating going at all today – first time in months and months that it’s been warm enough not to have to turn the gas on. Went to bed just after 22:00.

1 November 2009

Up at 06:40 – a mild but cloudy 11⁰C. Odd wee shower came through during the night, but now dry. Marielle caught a beautiful brown – and remembered to take the camera along this time, so there is proof! Fished, read and relaxed – beautiful day once cloud burned off – and it’s still 23.5⁰C outside at 18:00. Norwester starting to pick up now though. Started the gennie at 17:50 – overload light on with nothing plugged in and it won’t reset – SHIT, no gennie – again! Still watched TV though – just started the motor to keep the battery charged. Had beef stir fry with Thai green curry sauce on salad for tea – different! Bed at around 21:30.

2 November 2009

Up at usual time. Now 09:40 and it’s 17⁰C already and sunny. The forecast was for rain, but they got that wrong! Off to Twizel to dump etc. and then we tiki-toured around Ruataniwha before heading back at 14:00. Southerly has arrived, but still gorgeous and warm enough to sit outside ‘til news time. Chicken Kiev and salad for tea, bed at 22:00.

3 November 2009

Up at normal time, fished, relaxed – cool breeze until around 15:30, when once again it was warm enough to sit outside and enjoy good weather. Mike has tried all day to catch a fish but no luck – the lake is very, very milky and the fish just aren’t interested. Marielle fished the little river beside us with the same result – plenty of fish to be seen, not interested though! Had Mike’s spaghetti and mince for tea and bed at usual time!

4 November 2009

Into Twizel to dump at 10:30 – been very, very windy this morning and during the night, but at bit calmer when we travelled in. Had a gourmet Chicken Burger for lunch at Hunters Café – should have only had one, as they are huge – but very good and worth it. And while we were in Twizel the wind arrived again – with a vengeance this time. Marielle nearly got bowled by the wind carrying the shopping across the car park, where we were parked exactly side on to the wind – the result was that Maggie was rocking from side to side quite heavily – and that was sitting still! Back to the Lake – and the little stretch along the main highway was an experience – once we were out of the wind break created by the trees Mike had to hang on for dear life to keep us on the road – and a bus coming the other way didn’t help. Anyway, good thing was once we turned off down the canal we had a tail wind! Parked in the shelter of the trees around the back, simply to get out of the roaring wind. Few branches down around the place, but gorgeous where we parked. Spent rest of afternoon keeping an eye on the dogs – JD loves it here because it’s grassy underfoot and he is over running on river rocks and now he’s running everywhere at full speed chasing hares and having a ball! Had salad for tea – still full from lunch – and hit the pit at 21:30.

5 November 2009

Up at 07:15 (sleep-in!) and beautiful day but much cooler than other days - 5⁰C when we got up. Moved back to our normal spot so we could go and have a fish, but river up (snow-melt) so Marielle couldn’t fish the river. So we both tried spinning in the canal, again no luck. Left at 11:00 to go to Wanaka to drop the gennie off. Had thought to maybe stay somewhere round Wanaka, but the wind is back again so ended up just going home.  Got home about 14:00-ish (forgot to look at the time!) and have done 511kms this trip - final odo reading 269289 kms.

Omarama and Ohau C, 11 to 15 October 2009

11 October 2009
268373kms, 18.5⁰C, 13:30. Have watched the start of Bathurst and now off to get supplies and then over the hill to watch the end of the race at Neville and Wendy’s place in Omarama. After that we’ll head off to one of our favourite spots – Ohau C!. Have to be back Thursday afternoon as Mike has work Friday/Saturday/Sunday and then he’s off to Wairakei for an audit for the week. So here’s hoping the weather’s good as it’ll be a while before we can get away again! Oh, it’s a beautiful day – sunny as and temperature’s not too bad. Filled up with 58L at 268383kms. Got to Neville and Wendy’s at 15:45. Watched end of race and chatted and decided to stay for more drinks and a BBQ tea, so parked Maggie on road, filled with water. Got to bed at just before midnight!. Oh, a first this trip - we have bike rack on the back. Everytime we have been to Ohau C one of us has to walk quite a distance to get to their chosen fishing spot - so now we have our mountain bike so that we can cycle there instead!

12 October 2009
Up at 07:20 and it’s minus 0.8⁰C. 08:00, rolling into Twizel for some more salad supplies. Got to spot at 09:30, fished (nothing – plenty to be seen but not interested in anything), read and relaxed. Wind turned around 2pm and nice and balmy 21⁰C in the shade after that – so sat outside and read. Whitebait – YIHA!!!! – and asparagus for tea, bed at 21:30.

13 October 2009
Up at 07:30, 5⁰C and cloudy. Now 09:30 and been for a fish – same result as yesterday. Sun did come through and now temperature at 9.5⁰C. Going to have showers etc and then into Twizel to dump/fill etc. and then on to Lake Ohau. Didn’t go to Lake Ohau in the end – the weather became absolutely glorious so we didn’t see any point in moving. Wendy and Neville arrived and bought a beautiful picnic lunch – the quiche was lovely – recipe please! – and bought salad stuff and bread – YUM. Fished some more – still same result so we bought out the beers instead. Should have gone into Twizel though – the old motto is “when you think the toilet needs emptying: do it”. Well we hadn’t and Marielle decided it was not going to last the night, so poor old Wendy had to drive Marielle and toilet cassette into Twizel. A huge thanks – we would have been somewhat stuck! When Marielle and Wendy got back Mark and David (a couple of fishermen Marielle had met yesterday) had taken up Mike’s offer of a beer – so we had Maggie full – 6 people and 2 dogs on board. The wind had come up a bit by then and made it too cold to sit outside. Great afternoon! Whitebait and salad for tea and be at 22:00.

14 October 2009
Up at 07:50 (sleep in!). Cloudy but balmy 7⁰C. Marielle went for a fish while Mike went back to bed and read. And Marielle was extremely happy that she went fishing – caught 2 nice brown – and one was the biggest fish she’s ever caught, no matter what method. And because she’d stalked this one, and it was on the fly, and it was about 6lb (based on the one at Poolburn being 4lb, well, this was WAY bigger!), she was very happy. The other one was about 3lb. Both caught on size 16 dark nymph. While we were out fishing, the Iriquois helicopter that has been flying around here since we arrived flew down the river bed - freaked Roxie out so much that she hightailed it across the river back to Maggie really fast! Bacon and mushies on toast for breakfast, now still cloudy at 11⁰C at 11:00. Sunny/cloudy all day, but not too bad considering they said it was going to rain. Chicken stir fry for tea, bed at 21:30.

15 October 2009
Up at 07:30 and 6⁰C out – and not a cloud in the sky, beautiful and sunny. Went and had another go at catching some fish – but not interested in anything again. Had breakfast (same as yesterday) and now 10:15 and off to Twizel to dump before drive home. Got home at about 13:30 after stopping in Cromwell to do some shopping. Great trip! 268757kms – 384kms trip.

Piano Flat, 5 to 7 October 2009

5 October 2009
12:57, sunny but only 9.5⁰C. 267971 kms on the clock and we are off! Mike rang at 11:00 from work to say he’s coming home because the weather looks good for the next couple of days (and the way it’s been going, you take every day of good weather when you can – snow everywhere this last weekend!) and we are off to Piano Flat (inland from Gore, past Waikaia). Have to stop in Alexandra on the way through as Roxie has an appointment with the vet for her annual jab. Filled up with diesel (45L, 267982kms). 14:07 – have just had a smoke break at the rest area beside Black Jack’s Creek just outside of Roxburgh – lovely spot. Trouble is, it’s beside water (the Clutha River) and Roxie just can’t help herself, can she? Always straight into the water – which isn’t normally a problem but a wet dog on a camper and another couple of hours to travel? Anyway, we’ll survive! Travelled on via Tapanui to State Highway 1 for a bit, then ducked onto side roads again to Knapdale. 17:00 On our way again after stopping in Waikaia – quite a cool little place really – the store as old Arkwright’s bike on the roof. Stopped at the pub for one – lovely pub, really friendly and has a beautiful garden bar where we played petanque. Mike won – of course! – 10 to 4. 17:30 All set up at Piano Flat – beautiful spot (268197kms) . Lots and lots of space to park, beautiful bush all around and the river is lovely – parked right beside a couple of likely fishing spots. Sat and listened to Kevin Bloody Wilson and had a good laugh. Had left over roast chicken and first asparagus of the season for tea (YUM). Like Roxie and water, so is Mike with fire - and he just couldn't resist building a fire in one of the fireboxes by the playground (cool playground here - lots of good "old" things like a roundabout and a bucking horse). Getting colder and colder outside – only 2⁰C while eating tea! Hit pit at 22:05

6 October 2009
Up at 07:40 after a great night’s sleep. And relatively warm, given that we were expecting a frost – it’s 3.9⁰C out. The cloud came in during the night and stopped a freeze, trouble is, now we have cloud – probably would have preferred sun and frost! Showered, looked for fish but no sign of any fish. And it’s clear enough to see everywhere, except the really deep holes and there isn’t 1 around. Had bacon, eggs, mushies for breakfast and at around 11:30 thought we’d take the dogs and go for a walk along the road. And lovely it was too, until we got to the climb, and Mike decided that he was going to get to a view – “just around the next corner”. Trouble is, each corner was another climb, and we got no closer to the bushline (which was the only way we were ever going to get a view. Eventually we came to a downhill bit before the next climb, and at that point Marielle was NOT going to go down only to go up again – so we caught our breath, and turned around! And then the downhill and associated jelly knees, thighs, backs and ankles! Oh well, 2.5 hours later we were back at Maggie – dogs buggered, we’re buggered! Spoke to a local for a while and had a good yarn about the area and its flora and fauna, and also fishing. Seems it’s still too cold for the fish to have come down yet. While talking to him Mike got “attacked” by the strangest looking beetle – never seen anything like it, and nor had this guy (and he knew about all sorts of insects that are specific to this area!). The cloud had cleared while we were coming downhill and it’s a lovely afternoon – but still need merino and polarfleece – its 11⁰C but with a chilly breeze. Started up the gennie to charge the battery in anticipation of a cold night. Then went for a quick stroll down past the cribs to the swingbridge. Nice out of the wind. Sat and talked, had tea at 20:45 (stir fry beef schnitzel with honey soy sauce, frozen veggies and rice) and went to bed at 21:45.

7 October 2009
Up at 07:30 and it is minus 1⁰C and not a cloud in the sky. Now waiting for sun to clear the hills so that we can warm up a bit – although, to be fair, we’ve had worse! While we were standing having our coffee and a smoke we both saw what Marielle had seen yesterday morning – a parry duck nesting in a hole in a tree! Neither of us knew they did that. Took the dogs for another walk – yep, uphill again! This was the Piano Flat Loop Track and fortunately only an hours’ walk! Left at 11:24 and decided we would take a shortcut – missing the main roads altogether and go from Waikaia to Waikaka and then on to Heriot. Mostly dirt roads in good condition and some neat scenery. Home at 14:28 – 268373 kms. The trip back was definitely shorter than the trip in 176kms versus 214kms! Great trip – really pleased we finally got to go to Piano Flat after Mike heard about it a couple of months ago, definitely worth doing.

Poolburn, 1 to 3 October 2009

1 October 2009
15⁰C, 13:44 with 267842 kms on the clock (the difference between this entry and the last is that in between time we used Maggie as a moving van, to move Kirsty to Queenstown. Very handy too, as there is no way we could have got all the boxes, heaters and other junk on the trailer or in the Terrano!) and we are off while the sunny weather lasts. It’s supposed to turn really, really cold on Saturday (today is Thursday) and it’s the first day of the fishing season – so we are off up to Poolburn. Shopped and filled the gas bottle (only 4kg needed – gosh, that Truma heater is efficient!) and then up to the Dam. Stopped at the same spot as back in March, but bugger, there’s a bus parked there. So round to between the ADC hut and Whippy’s hut. And that turned out to be a good choice in the end, because Whippy’s veranda is a good wind break (of course it’s blowing – its Poolburn!) and Marielle caught a beautiful 3.5-4lb brown trout. YAY! On the worm, just off where we are parked. It’s been cloudy with occasional sun breaks in between and 13⁰C most of the afternoon. Now 18:15 and 11⁰C, getting cloudier and wind picking up. Bed at 22:30 after going to visit Goldie after tea (slow cooked pork and salad). Had a good time chatting with him – good yarns.

2 October 2009
Up at 07:20 and a balmy 5⁰C out. Really, really good night’s sleep – we always seem to sleep so well on Maggie, and this one was even more amazing because Mike finished night shift yesterday and normally has a really horrible sleep the first night. Up once during the night due to the wind rattling the vents but that was at 04:00. Sunny but windy. Pork leg steaks, eggs and mushies for breakfast at 09:30. Rods out – worming – Marielle did try the fly but it really got too windy. Turned gennie on for a couple of hours to re-stock battery. Marielle caught another nice fish, not as big as yesterday but still nice – didn’t put up as much of a fight, either. Graeme Sainsbury and Phil arrived to open up the ADC hut, expecting a few more bods to arrive. Talked to them and helped them get their gear organised. Wind really picking up at times. The rest of the gang rolled up throughout the afternoon/evening and spent the evening having a party at the hut. Had chicken korma for tea at 21:30, Marielle then went to bed whilst Mike carried on partying – of course! Bitterly cold by now – only 1⁰C at 21:30.

3 October 2009
Up at 07:30, minus 0.1⁰C. During the night it was minus 1.5⁰C at about 3:30. Southerly hasn’t arrived yet, but we can see the bad weather approaching. 09:10 – SNOWING! 10:15, now minus 1 and snowing heavily. We had decided, about 10 minutes ago, to stay for another night, so Marielle had emptied the toilet into the long drop in preparation for another night – and then the snow came in. Had a smoke while we thought about our options – and decided to head for home. Ok, so there’s plenty of 4WD vehicles here, but it’s snowing heavily and at 3 tonnes empty, if there’s a foot of snow on the ground tomorrow a 4WD is going to struggle to tow us out. So commonsense prevailed! Stopped at Muddy Creek for one of their famous pies for brunch and home at 11:45 (267971kms).

Wainakarua and Aviemore, 8 to 10 September 2009

8 September 2009
267093kms, 12⁰C, 10:22am. Yay, we’re finally off again – it feels like ages since the last trip. Haven’t been away for a while because we’ve been busy re-designing the veggie garden. That’s all done now, and we’ve earned a break from chores so we are off – north and east, as that’s where the weather forecast says we should go! Filled up in Alexandra (267104kms, 50L) and did some shopping, now off to the Pig Root. And once again decided there really aren’t many places to stop – virtually no roadside picnic areas right through until you get to past Kyeburn. Stopped at Palmerston because we’d forgotten to buy ice (again!) and then north towards Oamaru. Turned off SH 1 at Maheno and headed off to Kakanui, as we’d seen some good spots along Beach Road. Unfortunately, the road has been washed away by rough seas, and it was closed. Nevertheless, we stopped at the northern end of the closed bit and let dogs out for a run – and saw 2 Hector’s Dolphins – looked like mother and calf. Really awesome. Nice weather too – sunny and 17⁰C, but a cool breeze off the sea. Anyway, nowhere really suitable to park here, and if we carry on north we’ll end up in Oamaru, so south along Beach Road ‘til on the other side of Kakanui, where we found the mouth of the Wanakarua River and a perfect spot to park. 14:145 – all set up. Lovely spot, right on the beach. Couple of other buses parked a bit further along (whitebaiters) but we can’t see or hear them, so not bothering us. Beautiful sunny afternoon, sat and enjoyed 24⁰C (in the sun) and first day of wearing jandals! Walked the dogs round a bit and checked out the area and then had a few beers and brie and crackers. Played cards and monopoly (Mike won both!) and went to bed at 21:00 (no dinner, the brie and crackers filled us both up!)

9 September 2009
Up with the sun just before 7am – beautiful sunrise. Only 2⁰C outside, but fortunately the temperature rose as quickly as the sun. Had showers, breakfast and walked the dogs along the beach for an hour or so and then headed off to Oamaru at 11:25. Weather fun and sunny, and to start with it was warm enough in just a T-shirt, but then the breeze got up so now feels at bit cooler. We were going to stop in Oamaru to do some “shopping” (we didn’t need anything, but Mike fancied buying something) but we overshot the parking spot so carried on. We did have a look round the Blue Penguin Colony centre before leaving Oamaru though. We put some more diesel in Maggie (267377kms, 35L) and then headed off down a bit of road we’d never been on – from Oamaru to Weston, Enfield, Ngapara and then Duntroon and discovered some country like we’ve never seen before. Pretty much the whole valley is limestone, with lots of fossils along the way. Stopped to check out one site, and it was just amazing. Whale fossils, kilometres inland – this area was once upon a time a seaway and the scenery really is something else. Got to Kurow at 14:15 and stopped for late lunch. Then checked out the 2nd hand shop – can’t move round it for all the junk in there! – then had a jug at the pub (Mike hadn’t been in there since his apprenticeship!) and on to Fisherman’s Bend for the night. Parked up in our usual spot and did some fishing – and Mike got a nice looking fish first cast into the lagoon! Had pork korma for tea, bed at 21:00-ish.

10 September 2009
Up at 07:50 (sleep in!), 5⁰C and nice to start with, but then the wind got up, so decided to make tracks home. Stopped at Wendy’s for a cuppa and then in Cromwell for some shopping, home at 12:21 – 267641km s, which makes for a 537km trip this time.

Te Anau and Mavora Lakes, 15 to 17 August 2009

15 August 2009
266440kms, 10:00am, 4.5⁰C. Off to Te Anau - decided that even though the weather forecast is not that great, we'd go and catch up with Chris and get away for at least the night - nothing to do at home so we might as well have a change of scenery! Stopped at Frankton to do some shopping - just the essentials in case we do stay somewhere else for the second night. Seeing as Chris was away hunting with Simon and wouldn't be back home 'til around 15:30, we detoured off the main road and went and checked out Mavora Lakes. Beautiful spot, good road in but oh boy! are there some mean sand-flies around - huge, hungry buggers. Decided that despite the black bitey things it was definitely worth coming back here as the scenery is just awesome, and so are the potential parking spots. Got to Te Anau about 16:00. Had a couple of beers with Chris and Simon, then we all went down to The Ranch for a few more. Left there and on to The Moose - had another beer and then had tea there. Second time we've had tea at the Moose - and definitely the last, as it was crap - again! We left Chris and Simon to it and walked home - don't know what time we got home, but think it was before midnight!

16 August 2009
Up at 07:40, 7⁰C so not cold, but very, very dewy underfoot - so bad it actually looked like it had rained! Had a coffee, then Mike went back to bed while Marielle took dogs for a walk - got back around 08:45 (dogs looked like they'd had a bath they were that wet from the grass!) to find Chris up and at 'em - and ready to cook us breakfast! Had big feed of bacon, eggs, toast, sausages, spaghetti! Relaxed until around midday when we decided that we would go off to Mavora again - the weather wasn't anything like the forecast - was meant to be raining - and although it was very thick, fog-like low cloud in Te Anau we were hoping it was only in the Valley. Got to Mavora Lakes around 13:30 - beautiful sunny afternoon. Enjoyed the scenery, the warm sun, some fishing and the sandflies (not as bad as yesterday but still pretty thick!). Once the sun went down the temperature started to drop, so played cards while we have a few drinks then had tea (mousetraps - we didn't feel like a full feed) and hit the pit at 20:40 after spending a bit of time outside listening to the moreporks.

17 August 2009
Up at 07:30, 2⁰C and once again very, very damp. Back to bed again 'til Maggie had warmed up, then tried some more fishing until the sandflies arrived. Left Mavora at 09:45, stopped at Mossburn for a smoke and then had lunch at Thaitanium in Frankton. Got home at 14:00, 267090kms - another 650kms clocked up. Most enjoyable trip and have both decided that Mavora Lakes is worth another visit. Also decided that we shouldn't take so much notice of the weather forecast or models - it was meant to rain and blow down here all weekend - and instead we had lovely weather! We seriously thought about not coming down because of the forecast - just goes to show. Oh, and this was pretty much the one year anniversary of getting Maggie - our first trip on her was 19 August last year. In that year we have done 15,105kms and spent 92 nights on board. The shortest trip just 1 night at Galloway, the longest trip 22 nights round the South Island.

Te Anau and South, 18 to 21 July 2009

18 July 2009
11am, 1.5⁰C, 265552kms. Sunny but a bit chilly still. Off to Te Anau to check out Chris’s new house. Went via Alexandra to fill up with diesel (265562, 58L) and decided we’d carry on that way. Turned off SH 8 at Ettrick, through Moa Flat and stopped at Heriot for a smoke and to let the dogs have a run. And despite all previous visits, it was incredibly warm in Heriot - 8⁰C! Blowing a stiff wind though – wouldn’t you know it, a bloody head wind! Carried on to Waikaka, where we went right to continue on the back roads towards Lumsden. Thing is, we should have turned left, as we got to the end of the tarseal and no matter which way we went, every road became gravel. It had been years and years since Mike last went this way, but he knew for sure the road wasn’t meant to be gravel. Granted, we could have got there across gravel roads, but it was wet, windy and none of the roads looked inviting for a camper! So back-tracked to Waikaka and the moment we went round the corner, Mike knew we were on the right road again. Stopped for fish and chips (BAD!) in Lumsden and got to Te Anau at around 15:00. Head wind the whole way – usual story, flat to the floor and going nowhere fast! Raining when we got to Te Anau, and Chris not back from furniture buying expedition to Invercargill, so we made ourselves at home by cleaning and erecting the double bed we’d bought with us for Chris’s spare room. Chris got back just in time to head off down to the Moose to watch the rugby. Had great night there and got to bed at around 01:00.

19 July 2009
Woke up to frosty but sunny morning. Spent the day helping Chris get some stuff sorted – slowly, as we all felt the effects of last night! Ended up having a garage party, and by 17:00 everyone was well and truly topped up form night before. Mike and I went to The Ranch for some tea, got back to find everyone still partying! Hit pit at 22:00.

20 July 2009
Another frosty start to the day – minus .5⁰C, so not as bad as what we’ve been used to. Mike finished getting the washing machine going, then we went round to Jess to say hi and bye! Also did some groceries, filled water, got some more diesel (40L, 265834km s – shows how bad the head wind was coming down – 40L for 272kms!) and headed off to Lake Monowai. Checked out the powerstation (of course!) and then headed off to check out the lake. Absolutely beautiful weather there, but the only place to park was on the wrong side of the Lake sunwise – if we’d stayed we would have lost the sun 10 minutes after setting up, and we thought that was a waste of such a beautiful day. So carried on, and just outside of Clifden we saw a sign for Lake Hauroko. Neither of us had ever been there, and it was supposed to only be 22kms off the road. Ended up more like 30kms, and the only place to park was on the carpark. By this stage it was 16:00, and wind picking up again so decided to carry on. Stopped in Tuatapere and bought some of the world famous sausages and at the suggestion of the friendly lady behind the counter, carried on to Monkey Island Bay for the night, as this was right on the beach and you are allowed to light bonfires. When we got there though, it was blowing a howling gale, so no night on the beach. Warm though, 9⁰C when we went to bed (early) at 21:00 after chicken stir fry for tea – both tired after the last couple of nights, hence the early night.

21 July 2009
Up at 06:50, after a very, very warm night. Still dark and when we went outside for a smoke we saw lightning in the distance. Quite spectacular, but we should have realised this meant bad news for later on! Left camp at 08:30, and tiki-toured our way to Riverton via the backroads. On the way we checked out Cosy Nook (THE most unusual little place – some tiny wee fishing huts stuck on side of hill overlooking Mullet Bay) and also stopped at Colac Bay, where we could see the front coming in from the South. By the time we got to Invercargill it was starting to rain, and by the time we had got to BK for brunch it was pouring down. Filled up with some more go-go juice at BP Truckstop (42.25L, 266155kms) and decided to run for home. Stopped in Alexandra for a drink at the Stadium after picking up the piston and rings for the scooter and got home at 16:15. The weather followed us all the way up, and raining when we got home. To our amazement we have done 824kms this trip – final odo reading 266376kms!