25 February 2011
285632kms, 15:32, 13.5°C. Off to 12 Mile Delta for the weekend. Mike has the truck and the boat (Miss Torque) and Roxie and I are in Maggie. We need the truck over there to launch the boat as the boat ramp is loose gravel! And we rang Kirsty and Cody last night to confirm that we were coming (as always, it was weather dependant) and Kirsty will join us tomorrow - not sure about Cody as he said he might have a job for a few days.
Got to 12 Mile, after bad delays with road works just after Frankton and again all the way along The Esplanade, at 17:04.
Mike arrived just after us and suggested that, instead of our normal spot, we move round to the supposed "picnic" areas as these were sheltered. All set up at 17:23 - pretty much in front of where we used to park right on the lakeshore, only now it's all been redeveloped. We are nice and sheltered from the stiff breeze, anyway. Sat outside for a while - only 15.5°C so not too hot, which was a good thing in a way because it meant you could have clothes on to protect you from the very, very itchy sandflies! Once it got too cool we moved inside and watched TV and talked.
It's been a very bad and tragic week in NZ - the 6.3 aftershock caused so much death and devastation that it's left all of us reeling with shock and sadness. So it is good (and yes, we realise that we are extremely lucky!) that we can hop on Maggie and go and sit somewhere nice and relax. We have always known that we are fortunate in having Maggie, and events of the last week have only reinforced that feeling. Had pork and corn for tea and went to bed much later than normal - 23:17 (too much talking!).
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| Miss Torque tied up at Bob's Cove |
26 February 2011
Up at 8:07 and only 8.5°C! It was quite windy when we arrived last night, and it seems to have died down overnight, but there are still whitecaps on the lake, so we're hoping that the wind will die down even further so we can go boating. Kirsty will be joining us today and staying the night (Cody can't make it due to work commitments). Kirsty arrived and we have a yummy bbq brunch - sausages, eggs, lambchops, bacon and muffins! Launched the boat after that and cruised around the lake. Wind completely gone and it was beautiful, if still somewhat nippy at the start!
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Just above
Mt Nicholas Station |
Stopped in at Bob's Cove and checked out the limeworks (never made it quite this far on our walk in January!). Beautiful weather - cruised over to the other side of the lake and played on the "beach" (read: stones!) for quite a while, skipping stones.
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| Kirsty's fish |
On way back (via the bay of Walter's Peak) we trawled - and each of us caught a fish - all nice ones. Kirsty was most excited at catching her one - she has finally realised how exciting it is to catch a fish! All put back so we can try and catch them again another day. Got back to shore about 14:30 and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening relaxing and enjoying the beautiful weather - with plenty of insect repellent on!
Neil (Camp Mother) joined us for a drink later on (we've asked him every time we've seen him - he's a nice guy with a permanent smile, very helpful and always laughing) just as Mike and Kirsty were playing a dare game of jump across from one pole to the other! Had salad and bbq steak for tea and crawled into bed at 22:20. Great day!
27 February 2011
Up at 08:50! Low cloud around, but it appears to be lifting and the sun is coming out and it's 10.5°C. Some had a good night's sleep (Mike and Kirsty), other's not so - too many snorers (Mike, Kirsty and Roxie) and farters (Benny) on board - ha ha ha! Oh, well! Would probably all have been asleep longer if it wasn't for Benny demanding to be let out. Had bbq breakfast again - same as yesterday. We bought way too much food as we had thought Cody might come and join us regardless - but we're not complaining 'cause we're eating well! Out in boat again - a bit cooler and much breezier than yesterday but still good. Marielle caught a chocolate fish - foul hooked at that, but it jumped off just before she was about to release it. Stayed close to home as we only have 1/2 a tank of fuel left on the boat and Lake Wakatipu is too big and nasty to take any chances. Kirsty left at about 13:30 - no more fish being caught so we thought we might as well call the fishing quits. Mike and I sat and read the paper, had naps etc. the usual relaxing afternoon on the Maggot, you could say!
Which was good, as we heard that Cody had been done DIC and pranged Granny's car. We are not at all impressed, very disappointed and angry - but we also decided it wasn't going to ruin our otherwise perfect weekend! Watched TV and had bbq steak (yep, again - it's all thawed out so we might as well eat it!) on toast for tea and once again seemed to alternate between watching TV and talking until we went to bed at 22:48 - another late-ish night (well, for us on Maggie, anyway!).
28 February 2011
Up at 08:20, 13° Remarkables Park. Bought some hopefully decent walking sandals for Marielle who is tired of going for a walk and the terrain being such that jandals just don't cut the mustard! Had lunch at Thaitanium; our usual pinto which was delicious (Marielle had the beef black bean one and Mike the roast duck). Home at 13:25 - 285828kms (196kms for this trip). Good trip - and next time we won't have to take the truck unless we want to, as Neil offered us his 4WD to launch the boat if we just want to bring Maggie across! Thought that was super friendly of him!
13:12 - just had lunch at Lions Creek beside Lake Dunstan - yummy seafood salad and coleslaw. Beautiful weather - puffy clouds along the ranges with full on sun overhead - very picturesque! 15:48 - spent the last couple of hours visiting Wendy & Nev in Omarama. 16:21 - at spot right on canal below Ohau C powerstation. Sat outside 'til newstime, watched TV, had steak, corn and coleslaw for tea and went to bed early at 21:30 - both tired!
She's got his routine going of going from one bush to next, checking for (and sometimes catching!) skinks - and once she's got to the last one she starts at the beginning again - just like JD used to do! Anyway, we are off to dump because the toilet is a little too full to last the night and early morning. 
Really lovely spot here - get view of Mt Cook, no cars on this side, so very peaceful and no worries for Roxie. It's also much, much warmer here than "down below". Even though it was lovely weather sun wise, there was a cold southerly blowing all day - and it's not here and it's 21°C - as opposed to only 17°C where we were today! 
