9°C, just starting to get sunny! 279516kms on the clock, and YAY we are off again - finally! Amazing how life gets in the way of having fun, isn't it? Since our last trip we have repainted the lounge, reduced several trees around the section to half their original height (thanks to Mike finally buying a chainsaw!) and also the weather just hasn't been good enough anywhere else to go anywhere, so we have literally been stuck in Central! Went to go to the West Coast last weekend for a night or 2, but that got cancelled due to a cracked (from Maggie sitting around and freezing, freezing temperatures) pressure switch on the water pump. Can't go freedom camping without water - so now, $100 plus later (the whole replacement pump cost $200 delivered, just the pressure switch over $100!) and with Mike not starting work 'til Thursday, we can finally go! Not to the West, as weather forecast not good at all for there so we are off to the Catlins somewhere (not great this side either, but better!). Stopped in Balcutha and got Chinese (combination chow mein) for tea - and some cooked oysters and a queen scallop each for afternoon tea.
Got to Cannibal Bay at 16:30 - had thought we might go somewhere else, but getting a bit late in the day to go somewhere on the off-chance that it's a good spot, and we know here is nice, and good. Lovely mild, sunny afternoon - so we actually managed to take a photo when we got here (last time it was pouring with rain!) Met up with Naomi, travelling around in her Subaru station wagon from Te Anau, so we invited her in for a drink and had a good night. Didn't eat any tea in the end though - too full from afternoon tea! Bed at 22:00.
17 August 2010
Marielle up at 06:20 to let Roxie out - and then back to bed 'til 07:50 as it was too cold (-0.5°C) and too early to be up! Had normal breakfast of bacon, eggs and Mike's mushroom mixture and on the road at 09:56. Now clouding over but not too cold at 5.5°C! 11:00, stopped at Florence Hill Lookout and the Spouting Cave. New territory now as last time we turned around before we got here.
Florence Hill lookout gives you stunning views over Tautuku Bay. Went down and checked out Taukuku Beach - very sheltered spot in amounts the bush with a short stroll to the beach. Would be good spot if it is blowing. From there on we carried on southwards over very windy roads - with the scenery very, very similar to the West Coast it reminded us of the bit of road between Fox and Franz - windy, slow, hilly, steep etc. Went and checked out the NZMCA park at Niagara - a park in the middle of nowhere, seemingly, but it is beside a small stream, and the Niagara Falls are somewhere around here, but didn't go looking for them because we thought we should maybe empty the toilet given we had extra users last night! 12:15 - at Tokanui where we dumped the loo and now of towards coast again to explore some more and to eventually find somewhere to park.
Florence Hill lookout gives you stunning views over Tautuku Bay. Went down and checked out Taukuku Beach - very sheltered spot in amounts the bush with a short stroll to the beach. Would be good spot if it is blowing. From there on we carried on southwards over very windy roads - with the scenery very, very similar to the West Coast it reminded us of the bit of road between Fox and Franz - windy, slow, hilly, steep etc. Went and checked out the NZMCA park at Niagara - a park in the middle of nowhere, seemingly, but it is beside a small stream, and the Niagara Falls are somewhere around here, but didn't go looking for them because we thought we should maybe empty the toilet given we had extra users last night! 12:15 - at Tokanui where we dumped the loo and now of towards coast again to explore some more and to eventually find somewhere to park. 
Went from Tokanui to Haldane and on to Slope Point -
we are obviously here on a good day, because there are road wind warning signs everywhere and the trees are a dead give-away to the wind!
And we drove on past the track to Slope Point (no dogs allowed) and got to a car park, with signs saying "Beware of Cliff". So Mike walked to the end, and here's what he saw: a massive drop off, with a ledge where there were seagulls starting to nest, and very, very raucous about being disturbed!
The petrified forest at Curio Bay is really amazing. Had originally talked about staying at the camp here - but there a "No Dogs" signs everywhere - and once we got down to the beach we realised why - it's a yellow-eyed penguin breeding and nesting area, so fair enough. Anyway, the site looks pretty unremarkable from above, but once you figure out what you're looking at (thanks to lots of DoC signs) and get up close, it is truly wonderful to see all these old tree stumps, that have been turned into rock by the silica bought down in floods (80-100 million years ago). Didn't see any penguins though - wrong time of the day and we couldn't stick around 'til dusk 'cause now we need to find somewhere to park overnight. There is a whole bank of sea fog out to sea, and the temperature is starting to drop. 14:45 - been round the Waikawa Museum - pretty cool - and after uhm-ing and ah-ing for about 20 minutes, have decided to park at the Waikawa Domain, as we know the next stop is the NZMCA park at Niagara. 
We are now pretty tired of driving and although it's not the prettiest spot, it's not bad either. So after settling in, we decided we'd go for a walk to the other end of town (not a town really, but off the main road!) to check out the jetty and see what's happening. 
At the end of the road, the old coach road takes over - we'd read about this at the museum - but to this day you can walk it at low tide. Hand made by locally quarried stone, it crosses the mud flats and is truly a step back in time when you walk it. All in all, that filled in another hour and a quarter. Finally sat down and read the paper, played euchre (5-3 to Mike for this trip) and chilled for the rest of the afternoon, evening. Had Chinese for tea and at 21:30 it was still 8°C outside - tropical! Did the dishes and hit the pit at 21:50.
18 August 2010
Up at 07:38 - rained off and on during the night, but still balmy at 8°C. We've had Maggie 2 years today! And off home this morning, as Mike starts work tomorrow for 2 morning shifts (so hoping we might be able to get away over the weekend, weather depending!). Started to rain again, and a stiff southerly blowing, so headed for home at 09:20. Very grey and very wet everywhere. Stopped for delicious cheese rolls from newly opened (Easter) cafe in Owaka, topped up the diesel in Balclutha (35L, 279933 kms) and for home at 13:05 having done 565kms this trip - final odo reading 280084kms.
