Waitaki Valley, 28 to 31 July 2011

28 July 2011
13.5°C, 291835kms, 15:10 and YAY, we're finally away again. Hopefully all the recent snow will have disappeared off all the roads and we're off over the hill for the weekend. Mike has been on day work for the last 3 weeks, and will be again for the next couple of weeks, so between the weather (heavy snow everywhere but at home) and his being on Monday-Friday, 8am to 5pm "normal" working hours we've not had a chance to get away. 16:44 - stopped at Omarama at Mobil to fill up with 51.99L of diesel (291963kms). 

At Wilderness

Then we stopped at Sailor's cutting for a few minutes to let Roxie have a run, because we'd decided that we were going to have a couple of beers at the Otematata Pub before parking somewhere for the night. Got to Wildlife Reserve at just after 18:00 - didn't park in our "normal" spot because it's blowing and we wanted to be sheltered but still able to get TV reception.   Sitting watching TV we swore we could hear something or someone outside. Now, we're the only ones here (everything's locked up) and there is signs of boy racer activity all around the place, so Mike got the gun ready. 

Sheltered at Wilderness

And then we heard something again, so Mike grabbed the gun and the torch and went to investigate. Couldn't see a thing - but did try to shoot the rabbit though! Missed. Had pork and veggies in hoisin sauce for tea and watched TV, Marielle until 21:30, Mike until he'd finished watching "Justified" at 22:30. Oh, and it's been a very, very mild afternoon and evening - not what you'd expect for the end of July, at all.

29 July 2011
Marielle got up at 08:00, but we were both awake much earlier due to the cars that arrived at the campsite, while it was still dark. Have no idea what they were doing, but certainly woke us up.  And then the road to Benmore got so busy with everyone off to work that it was difficult getting back to sleep for a while - like a super highway! Anyway, 8.7°C - once again, very mild. Forecast is for wind, rain and snow to 500m this evening, but for now we'll take this! 

Along the lake walk

10:00 - been for a walk along the lake towards Otematata, and now just about to have a cuppa - the sun's out and it's warm: 12.5°C in the shade! 11:09 - going to find another spot further away from the Divide to see if we can avoid the bad weather that's meant to be coming as it's supposed to be better towards the East Coast.

YUM!

Had lunch (home made sushi) beside Lake Aviemore at Akatarawa Campsite - outside!! Gorgeous weather with 16.6°C and sunny. A bit windy, so not quite good enough for no sweatshirts! Thought about staying here because it really is a lovely spot, but then decided we should carry on as it's not that much further than where we were this morning! But in the end, we didn't get much further - it was just too nice to be driving, so we stopped at Waitangi, by the boat harbour. 







At Waitangi

Initially Mike couldn't get TV reception, so he drove a bit further out from the trees, with the TV going and dish up, until he got it! Funny to watch! Went for a walk to explore the area a bit and then spent the rest of the afternoon sleeping and resting (Mike) and cross-stitching (Marielle) with the doors and windows open! Clouds came and went, and it wasn't quite nice enough to sit outside due to the wind, but nice enough to let the fresh air in until 15:00, when the wind changed, and the temperature started to drop. The rain arrived at 17:00 and the temperature started dropping too. Had chicken stirfry with veggies and chinese bbq sauce for tea. Now 21:15 and 3.2°C. Which is not bad when you consider what we've had at home recently (minus 3.2 at this time of the night!), but compared to last couple of nights it's getting cool! Doesn't really worry us though - we're always snug as a bug on Maggie! Hit the pit at 22:00.

30 July 2011
Up at 08:10 after a restless night from 01:00 onwards thanks to a gaggle of noisy, chattering, having a party around Maggie, geese! It sounded like there was heaps and heaps of them, and they were seriously interested in telling each other all about whatever it was they were talking about, all bloody night long! So interspersed with Mike occasionally snoring and some hefty winds dropping twigs on Maggie, it wasn't the best ever sleep! And with the overnight winds the temperature rose - it was 7.4°C at 01:00, and now it's still a balmy 6°C.



Nothing like relaxing in bed
playing games!

10:49, sunny day, but very cold southerly blowing now (although it's 11°C) and we are ready to move to ??? We'll see when we get there! 12:18 - in Oamaru. Thing is, we did need to dump the toilet etc., and there is nowhere open anywhere between the Lakes and here. We tried a few places, but everything's locked. Quite amazing really - everybody goes on about people needing to be more responsible when freedom camping and then they lock all the dump sites.  Ok, not many people out and about at this time of the year - but we certainly weren't the only campervan on the road.  And although we enjoyed chinese for lunch in Omarau,



It is called Fisherman's Bend!

we were hoping to eat at Fleur's "other place" (The Merc & Loan) except for the fact that they still only just do Ploughman's - we were hoping for something better than that, so hence we ended up with Chinese.  13:47 - heading back up the Valley!  Nowhere nice to park from Oamaru south, so we're just heading back.14:59 - at Fisherman's Bend. Lovely sunny day and when you're out of the wind it's not bad at all. In fact, in full sun and with Maggie as a shelter belt we sat outside !!!! 'til 17:00!!! YAY, spring is showing signs of arriving! Mike made a awesome venison stir-fry for tea, watched the AB's beat South Africa and when we went to bed it was just on freezing.

31 July 2011

Up at 07:50, 2.4°C and blowing a stiff NW - and has been for much of the night.  Which is good, because it was forecast to be minus 3 this morning!  Had bacon, eggs and mushrooms for breakfast and now 10:50 and on our way home.  And then we get to Sailor's cutting - absolutely no wind, and obviously hasn't been at all as it's minus 1°C here.  So obviously the NW almost gale we had is very localised! 

Called it to see Neville and Wendy but they weren't around, so on to Mobil to fill up with a slurp of diesel (30.94L) before heading back over the Lindis.  13:22 - just done our weekly grocery shop at Cromwell New World.  Got home at 13:42, 7°C and sunny, 292371kms.