09266440kms, 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 coff
ee, 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 ha
d 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.
