30 May 2014 - 1 June 2014
Left home just after 10:20 to head off to Quail Shooting weekend. Mike following in truck and we are meeting Kirsty, who is travelling to Christchurch for the weekend, at The Wrinkly Rams for lunch. Got to Otematata at 13:40. Did the usual hunting weekend stuff, got 5 pigs and 2 deer and had a blast, despite everything being incredibly muddy wherever we were! 'til lunchtime on Sunday when Mike and I left to go to Max Keith's 60th birthday dinner at Ohau Lodge. Got to Ohau Lodge at about 14:30 and chilled for a while (both a bit tired!) until Max came and said they were getting together for drinks in their unit. Had a great night - awesome food, awesome service and good company getting to know Max's now grown up kids.
Left home just after 10:20 to head off to Quail Shooting weekend. Mike following in truck and we are meeting Kirsty, who is travelling to Christchurch for the weekend, at The Wrinkly Rams for lunch. Got to Otematata at 13:40. Did the usual hunting weekend stuff, got 5 pigs and 2 deer and had a blast, despite everything being incredibly muddy wherever we were! 'til lunchtime on Sunday when Mike and I left to go to Max Keith's 60th birthday dinner at Ohau Lodge. Got to Ohau Lodge at about 14:30 and chilled for a while (both a bit tired!) until Max came and said they were getting together for drinks in their unit. Had a great night - awesome food, awesome service and good company getting to know Max's now grown up kids.
2 June 2014
Up at 07:40 to a chilly minus 4.5 degrees. Oh well, it is winter. Had breakfast with everyone and left at 09:45, after paying a bill of $210. $88 for dinner, $44 for breakfast, plus $39 camping fees (which was quite steep, especially given that we couldn't get level!). Went to Twizel to fill the water, but had to hang around a bit as taps were frozen. Parked beside the headworks of Ohau B for afternoon trying to catch the elusive "big" salmon. Both of us caught a few tiddlies, but not anything worth keeping. At 15:30, both a bit knackered and over hurting little fish, so moved to the NZMCA park by the salmon farm (there's a first time for everything). Mike had a wee fish, but got too cold. Oh, and I should mention that everywhere, once things thaw out, is muddy! And at 19:17 we get a low battery light. Have been plugged into power since leaving home, so this is a good indication that the batteries are definitely fucked! So, we'll be heading off tomorrow, as we need batteries. It's currently minus 1.1 (at 20:00) and we need batteries to run heating! Mike cooked tea (pork steaks) on the bbq though - in 2 degrees! Bed early as we are both tired after 4 late nights in a row.
3 June 2014
Up at 06:44 to minus 4.7 degrees! And with no heating going overnight, a cool 1.1 inside!! No wonder the dogs were a bit restless. And as I've been sitting here having a coffee the temp has plunged down to minus 5.1! Had showers and then decided to move to Ohau B headworks - if not for the fish then at least for some sun. Well, we caught heaps of fish - chocolate ones! So moved to Ohau C headworks. No luck there either but it was nice in the sun (max of 5.3 though). Mike caught another couple of tiddlers but nothing else. Left there at 16:00 and back to NZMCA park for the night. Great day! Had chicken on the barbie plus mash spuds and broccoli for tea and hit the pit at 21:30. Oh, and not sure what's going on with the batteries as we seem to have enough power - just the low battery light coming on all the time!
4 June 2014
Up at 06:45 to minus 4.7 degrees. No, this is not a copy and paste from yesterday! And even though the low battery light has come on again as soon as we start up the water pump while the heating is also going, when you press the test button it says we have 70% power left in the batteries? Go figure. Went into Twizel for breakfast at Shawty's (Mike had zucchini and corn fritters with poached eggs and an Indian tomato relish and I had eggs benedict - good, but not as good as Wrinklies!). Then went to dump - but alas. Couldn't rinse toilet as the water supply was frozen and couldn't empty the grey as our pipes were frozen! That's a first. Oh, well, there's always later. Back to the Canals for a fish - but hang on - the fog's come in and although it was clear at Ohau B it was still freezing, and Ohau C was obviously in the fog. Not keen to hurt more little fish, so after sitting there for a little while, we decided we might as well head home, seeing as the weather is going to pack in tomorrow and there's no point in sitting here for a few hours waiting for things to warm up! Got home around 12:15, after stopping in Omarama to fill up with some diesel, and in Cromwell to dump - yes, things had thawed out by then! Oh, and both Mike (in the truck) and I had a wee little back wheel tango at the first obviously really frosty corner on the Lindis, despite both going really slow. Not as bad as the dude behind Maggie though - who came up at a great rate of knots and had to hit the brakes - just as he got to the ice. Dickhead - he ended up almost facing the wrong way on the other side of the road - another accident waiting to happen!
Up at 07:40 to a chilly minus 4.5 degrees. Oh well, it is winter. Had breakfast with everyone and left at 09:45, after paying a bill of $210. $88 for dinner, $44 for breakfast, plus $39 camping fees (which was quite steep, especially given that we couldn't get level!). Went to Twizel to fill the water, but had to hang around a bit as taps were frozen. Parked beside the headworks of Ohau B for afternoon trying to catch the elusive "big" salmon. Both of us caught a few tiddlies, but not anything worth keeping. At 15:30, both a bit knackered and over hurting little fish, so moved to the NZMCA park by the salmon farm (there's a first time for everything). Mike had a wee fish, but got too cold. Oh, and I should mention that everywhere, once things thaw out, is muddy! And at 19:17 we get a low battery light. Have been plugged into power since leaving home, so this is a good indication that the batteries are definitely fucked! So, we'll be heading off tomorrow, as we need batteries. It's currently minus 1.1 (at 20:00) and we need batteries to run heating! Mike cooked tea (pork steaks) on the bbq though - in 2 degrees! Bed early as we are both tired after 4 late nights in a row.
3 June 2014
Up at 06:44 to minus 4.7 degrees! And with no heating going overnight, a cool 1.1 inside!! No wonder the dogs were a bit restless. And as I've been sitting here having a coffee the temp has plunged down to minus 5.1! Had showers and then decided to move to Ohau B headworks - if not for the fish then at least for some sun. Well, we caught heaps of fish - chocolate ones! So moved to Ohau C headworks. No luck there either but it was nice in the sun (max of 5.3 though). Mike caught another couple of tiddlers but nothing else. Left there at 16:00 and back to NZMCA park for the night. Great day! Had chicken on the barbie plus mash spuds and broccoli for tea and hit the pit at 21:30. Oh, and not sure what's going on with the batteries as we seem to have enough power - just the low battery light coming on all the time!
4 June 2014
Up at 06:45 to minus 4.7 degrees. No, this is not a copy and paste from yesterday! And even though the low battery light has come on again as soon as we start up the water pump while the heating is also going, when you press the test button it says we have 70% power left in the batteries? Go figure. Went into Twizel for breakfast at Shawty's (Mike had zucchini and corn fritters with poached eggs and an Indian tomato relish and I had eggs benedict - good, but not as good as Wrinklies!). Then went to dump - but alas. Couldn't rinse toilet as the water supply was frozen and couldn't empty the grey as our pipes were frozen! That's a first. Oh, well, there's always later. Back to the Canals for a fish - but hang on - the fog's come in and although it was clear at Ohau B it was still freezing, and Ohau C was obviously in the fog. Not keen to hurt more little fish, so after sitting there for a little while, we decided we might as well head home, seeing as the weather is going to pack in tomorrow and there's no point in sitting here for a few hours waiting for things to warm up! Got home around 12:15, after stopping in Omarama to fill up with some diesel, and in Cromwell to dump - yes, things had thawed out by then! Oh, and both Mike (in the truck) and I had a wee little back wheel tango at the first obviously really frosty corner on the Lindis, despite both going really slow. Not as bad as the dude behind Maggie though - who came up at a great rate of knots and had to hit the brakes - just as he got to the ice. Dickhead - he ended up almost facing the wrong way on the other side of the road - another accident waiting to happen!
