13:50, 4.5°C and partly sunny/cloudy. 291338kms and we are off to Dansey's Pass Coach Inn for the night for Contact Energy's Mid-winter Christmas do.
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| Looking towards the pass. |
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| Looking towards the hotel. |
26 June 2011
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| Fog in the valleys! |
Dansey's Pass, 25 to 26 June 2011
25 June 2011
13:50, 4.5°C and partly sunny/cloudy. 291338kms and we are off to Dansey's Pass Coach Inn for the night for Contact Energy's Mid-winter Christmas do.
We were supposed to go to Naseby first so that everybody could go luge-ing or curling, but because it's been so warm, there is no ice to do either. So it'll just be dinner - should still be good though!
Taking Maggie so we don't have either a long boring bus trip there and back, or have to pay $160 for accommodation at the Hotel. Stopped at BP Alexandra to fill (291348) with 66.2L of diesel, using our 20c per litre discount voucher - just as well, because it was $103.87 on the pump! Got to Dansey's at about 15:45, just ahead of the rest of the troops. Found ourselves a nice level spot beside the river, and headed off inside to have a thoroughly enjoyable night. Early night though, considering we were out - back on Maggie at 11:15, bed soon after. Oh, and it was only 1.8 degrees and raining when we walked from the hotel to Maggie!
26 June 2011
Up at 08:40, 1.6°C but the sun is coming up! Had bacon/eggs/mushrooms for breakfast, did the dishes and ready to hit the road at 10:20. And it became evident as we were travelling along that the rain had finally deposited some snow on the hills! Yay! And it also became evident as we got closer to home that we would be decending into the fog - yet again! Home at 11:44, 291577kms, 2.5°C and foggy!
13:50, 4.5°C and partly sunny/cloudy. 291338kms and we are off to Dansey's Pass Coach Inn for the night for Contact Energy's Mid-winter Christmas do.
26 June 2011
Haast Beach, 16 to 18 June 2011
16 June 2011
290892kms, 1.5°C and sunny, 10:47 and yay, finally we're away. It feels like ages and ages since we've been away! Stopped to get ice and to mail a letter and now we can go and park on a beach.
The house is as sorted as we're going get it until spring (still have some wardrobe doors to paint in spare rooms, but seeing as we need to be able to work outside that'll wait 'til spring (thank god, I am over re-decorating for the time being!)) and although we've still got a garage that needs sorting out, we've got a date with a beach! Had a pie from BP at Lowburn, and had a quick stop at Boundary Creek. 13:50 - at DoC Haast getting water. 14:20 - all set up and jug's on for a coffee. Bit of a "oh shit" moment as Mike was turning Maggie around as the area seems to be quite soft and he cut in really quick, but quick reactions means we didn't get stuck! Our normal parking area is hard as, so no worries there!
Oh, we've got the thermometer from home with us now - we bought a newer, more upmarket model for home. So we can now tell the temperature in and out again, but also see what the barometer is doing. Anyway, lovely afternoon - very mild (around 14°C), no wind and sunny. Weird sun though - suspect it might be because we've still got an ash cloud down here from the Chilean volcanic eruption a week ago. Spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach enjoying the fresh air and nice temperature - and the fact that the black bitey bastards are not nearly as thick as normal. Went for a wee stroll up the beach and just chilled for the rest. Had Mike's meatballs and spaghetti for tea, watched TV and went to bed around 22:30.
17 June 2011
Up at 8:20, 4.8°C and overcast. Had a very lazy morning, which we both enjoyed. Had bacon, eggs and mushrooms on toast for brunch, didn't even have showers until 11:30! Now 12:10 and still only 8.8°C - been outside a couple of times and it's very, very cold because there's a breeze blowing making it feel much colder.
12:45 - just been for a short walk (about 1/2 hour) and we stopped earlier than normal simply because the wind is just biting. But we did take the time to remember JD - it's a year since JD died today, and it's been on our mind all last night and today. We miss you, wee man, and always will!
Spent the rest of the afternoon reading and x-stitching, 'til 15:00 when we decided we should see if we could find some dry firewood.
Everything's very wet. Temperature got to just over 10°C but then started to drop and only 8°C when we were collecting wood. Brrr!
Mike got tea ready once we got back inside the warmth - have had gas heating going pretty much all day and evening since we got here. We're having tea cooked in the fire tonight - baked spuds and chicken wrapped in bacon, mushies and garlic butter - YUM! Played monopoly - which Mike won, again. Remind me never to go into property - I loose just about everytime! Watched the rest of the news (the game didn't finished 'til about 20 past!) and tea at about 21:40 and then hit the pit not long after.
18 June 2011
Up at 08:00 - the rain woke us up. It did rain a couple of times during the night, but it seems to have set in. Warm though: 10°C and although we're fine where we are it must be really blowing out at sea because the sea is really stormy! Normally, of course, we don't get to see it like this - we only come here when the weather's good, so it's quite spectacular.
Oh, and when I was turning on the radio, noticed a car parked in the middle of the road - between us and the road. Random. Had breakfast (b&e&m) and as we were doing the dishes, the guys from the car came past, collected rocks and went back. Pretty obvious they were stuck. HOLY CRAP - they're between us and the road, they are in an ordinary car and they are STUCK. Shit! Mike went and helped them get free, and it's now 10:10, and we've got our running shoes on to get through the "man&car-made" sandpit - according to Mike, there's only one way through and that's SPEED!
And it worked - safely through the other side and on tarmac - phew!! Anyway, we're on our way home as Mike starts work tomorrow, and anyway, it's raining. Rained all the way to Hawea, and got down to 1°C over the pass. Had lunch in Wanaka at Relishes Cafe - wonderful and we'll go back there again! Got colder as we headed into Central and it was obvious the fog had only just lifted. Home at 14:05, 3°C 291338kms!
290892kms, 1.5°C and sunny, 10:47 and yay, finally we're away. It feels like ages and ages since we've been away! Stopped to get ice and to mail a letter and now we can go and park on a beach.
The house is as sorted as we're going get it until spring (still have some wardrobe doors to paint in spare rooms, but seeing as we need to be able to work outside that'll wait 'til spring (thank god, I am over re-decorating for the time being!)) and although we've still got a garage that needs sorting out, we've got a date with a beach! Had a pie from BP at Lowburn, and had a quick stop at Boundary Creek. 13:50 - at DoC Haast getting water. 14:20 - all set up and jug's on for a coffee. Bit of a "oh shit" moment as Mike was turning Maggie around as the area seems to be quite soft and he cut in really quick, but quick reactions means we didn't get stuck! Our normal parking area is hard as, so no worries there! 
Oh, we've got the thermometer from home with us now - we bought a newer, more upmarket model for home. So we can now tell the temperature in and out again, but also see what the barometer is doing. Anyway, lovely afternoon - very mild (around 14°C), no wind and sunny. Weird sun though - suspect it might be because we've still got an ash cloud down here from the Chilean volcanic eruption a week ago. Spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach enjoying the fresh air and nice temperature - and the fact that the black bitey bastards are not nearly as thick as normal. Went for a wee stroll up the beach and just chilled for the rest. Had Mike's meatballs and spaghetti for tea, watched TV and went to bed around 22:30.17 June 2011
Up at 8:20, 4.8°C and overcast. Had a very lazy morning, which we both enjoyed. Had bacon, eggs and mushrooms on toast for brunch, didn't even have showers until 11:30! Now 12:10 and still only 8.8°C - been outside a couple of times and it's very, very cold because there's a breeze blowing making it feel much colder.
Spent the rest of the afternoon reading and x-stitching, 'til 15:00 when we decided we should see if we could find some dry firewood. Everything's very wet. Temperature got to just over 10°C but then started to drop and only 8°C when we were collecting wood. Brrr!
Mike got tea ready once we got back inside the warmth - have had gas heating going pretty much all day and evening since we got here. We're having tea cooked in the fire tonight - baked spuds and chicken wrapped in bacon, mushies and garlic butter - YUM! Played monopoly - which Mike won, again. Remind me never to go into property - I loose just about everytime! Watched the rest of the news (the game didn't finished 'til about 20 past!) and tea at about 21:40 and then hit the pit not long after.
18 June 2011
Up at 08:00 - the rain woke us up. It did rain a couple of times during the night, but it seems to have set in. Warm though: 10°C and although we're fine where we are it must be really blowing out at sea because the sea is really stormy! Normally, of course, we don't get to see it like this - we only come here when the weather's good, so it's quite spectacular. Oh, and when I was turning on the radio, noticed a car parked in the middle of the road - between us and the road. Random. Had breakfast (b&e&m) and as we were doing the dishes, the guys from the car came past, collected rocks and went back. Pretty obvious they were stuck. HOLY CRAP - they're between us and the road, they are in an ordinary car and they are STUCK. Shit! Mike went and helped them get free, and it's now 10:10, and we've got our running shoes on to get through the "man&car-made" sandpit - according to Mike, there's only one way through and that's SPEED!
And it worked - safely through the other side and on tarmac - phew!! Anyway, we're on our way home as Mike starts work tomorrow, and anyway, it's raining. Rained all the way to Hawea, and got down to 1°C over the pass. Had lunch in Wanaka at Relishes Cafe - wonderful and we'll go back there again! Got colder as we headed into Central and it was obvious the fog had only just lifted. Home at 14:05, 3°C 291338kms!
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