Month: February 2018

After breakfast we set off from the farm for our overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound hoping the weather would hold for a good trip.  It was very windy still.

We drove to Manapouri via Te Anau (not really via as it was a 60km diversion) to get money and lunch.

The tour departed at 12.30 and we were in good time.  It is a number of steps to get there 1) a boat across Lake Manapouri 2) a coach for 30 mins over the hills 3) the overnight boat.

The cruise was lovely, but with 70 people it seemed so busy.  We did talk a bit to an American couple who were nice but mostly it was on deck enjoying the scenery.  The tour normally has kayak and small boat trips but it was too windy for these.  It was sunny mostly with a few showers.  Doubtful Sound gets over 7m of rain a year and got 11 last year. Wet. We sailed up the sound and were very lucky to see dolphins, an albatross, an amazing rainbow, some seals (at a distance) and experience windy gusting to 100kms per hour.

Dinner was excellent and we retired to a noisy night of rain.  Not sure cruising for us but so pleased to have visited this wilderness.

 

It is pouring with rain when we wake. Predicted but disappointing.  We decided to make an early start and were off southwards by just after 8. Breakfast to be had somewhere south.

After about an hour and half we stopped at a Cafe in a small town in Milton and had toast, eggs and coffee.  By the time we set off again the weather had brightened and we decided to drive the Southern Scenic Route. Lots of driving but worth it.  It was very windy with the start of Cyclone Gita.

We arrived at our Airbnb about 6pm.  Upson Downs Farm. 500 acres, sheep and some cattle, run by Phillip and Rebecca.  We were shown our room for the night a converted shed which was made for farm workers in the 1950’s. Nice.

we were shown round the farm by 4 wheel drive, assisted by middle daughter Kate (about 8).  Very interesting.

we then were ready for dinner which we shared with Phillip, Rebeccca, Kate and youngest daughter Georgia.(7).. who also showed us her 3 lambs and her horse!  Lovely roast lamb and we shared some of the beer I bought and they shared some wine.  A very easy couple to chat to and a super evening.

We the retired to our shed and the sunset.  Nice evening with a lovely family.

We got up for breakfast to say goodbye.  Everyone was leaving at 8 or 8.30, the Canadians to Clyde to cycle to Otago Trail, and Carol, Marion and Gunner to Christchurch Airport.

There were some tears in eyes saying goodbye to Carol and Marion and Gunner.  We will meet again and have talked about cycling West Canada, Patagonia and other places too.

We tidied our bags and got them downstairs and arranged for them to be dropped at the station but no one seems quite sure where the train to Dunedin leaves from!  We had a nice time exploring the Sunday Market, walked down the Quay and saw lots of birds but not the famous Blue Penguins, bought lunch for the train and had a drink at Scott’s (again).  We saw someone dressed as a trainman and got chatting just be for the train was due.  It turns out that he is Harry and has been for 30+ years the station manager, rail yard main and general all things for Oamaru Station. It is private and this is the only station in NZ where a public train goes onto a private track.  He built the track and the platform. The introduced us to Lyle the train conductor who loaded our bags in the goods bit of the train.  We felt quite special.

The train journey was about 3.5 hours and lovely views

.  Fun.  Much better than a bus.

Our car hire guy was at the station when we arrived.  Magnificent station building full of Royal Doulton. He drove us to our hire car and after the paper work was done we drove our Nissan Note to the Airbnb for the night, a nice self contained flat in easy walking of central Dunedin.

We had booked dinner at Etrusco at the Savoy which was an Italian in the old Savoy hotel. Super meal in a lovely old room.  Dunedin has a lot of street art and we walked to dinner following a trails.  See all the photos.

Off the the Deep South tomorrow.

 

 

 

We were a bit late for breakfast and walked into a very quiet room.  Alison dressed up as a Victorian maid serving breakfast and no one quite sure what to do.

Well I sorted that out helping myself to what I needed coffee, cereal, etc and sat down and then realised everyone seemed to be waiting. Whoops?  Nope Ok everyone relaxed then and we had a good breakfast.

After a brief wait for Marina, who had the chance to spend the evening with her ‘sweetie’ boyfriend/I think to be fiancée and we were off again.  Not surprisingly as a 5 Carol, us and Marion and Gunner. I’ll miss cycling with them!

We cycled off ahead of the others and quickly got to the old Elderslie Estate, which burnt down in 1959! Beautiful old driveways and a few stone steps remain. Sad. If we had waited we might have learnt more, the group behind us got 30 mins of history from a local caretaker of what is left. However I am happy to see what remained and refelect on a life long lost gone of 1920 grandeur!

The cycle was short 20km but quite hilly and we kept expecting, well I did!, to see the sea.  We got there in the end with a super slow ride through the Oamaru Gardens.  Lovely!

We finished! A great sense of accomplishment. A trail finished and not just a holiday! Different feeling from Cuba.  See the photo finish!

We visited the Vertical Ventures shop, bought T shirts, were given old stock freebie T shirts. Then then others arrived.

Lunch was in Scott’s Brewery across the road, pulled beef rolls and chips, washed down with beer or cider. Excellent.

Our B&B was not far away and we walked there, with yet another coffee stop at Steam Cafe. The B&B was Oamaru Creek run by Linda and Paul. Nice place but again for sale!

When we arrived they showed us the rooms and I made 2 mistakes 1) I went into their bedroom saying it would be nice to stay in (hearing aid malfunction) 2) fell asleep on the sofa whe they showed potential buyers around.

The house had a nice veranda and just before we were picked up for dinner Carol produced drinks ….. her Tasmanian bubbles for Marion’s birthday. Very nice.

Dinner was at Riverstone Kitchen a 15 min drive north.  The lady who owns it is building a castle in view of the restaurant. It seems she is the “Delia Smith” of NZ however seems to have a strange taste in buildings. We had an excellent banquet especially for us.  3 starters, a main and pudding.

The food was excellent.  Only the behaviour of the head waitress spoiling it with poor customer behaviour after a minor mistake.  Al and Dave ordered an expensive Pinot Noir and mistakenly one of the young waitresses bought 2 glasses and not a bottle.  After some discussion Al and Dave thought they had negotiated both glasses of wine for 2 for 1 as the glass price would be more than the bottle price. About 10 mins later the head waitress comes across saying this was not possible and that she would bring a bottle but they would need to give back the two glasses already poured…. which by this time were half drunk.  She was quite forceful about it despite all discussion. What made it even stupider was that afterwards we worked out the glass and bottle proces were the same.  So they ended up throwing some Wien away for no reason and upset customers.

Anyway nice supper followed by a comfortable bed.

 

This was the last long day.

We were doing two stages today.

We left Western House slight later then normal at 9.15 not 9 to allow the other part of the group to catch up from Kurow.

The route was initially through a vineyard and then along the river and we needed to cross on foot a few dried riverbeds which gave the opportunity to eat some of the wild blackberries.  Yummy. We also stopped to see some Maori rock art.

Our first stop for coffee was Duntroon. Not much there but some nice historical buildings and an old gaol.

The ride then went through some lovely changing countryside but also some more hills.

Our stop for lunch

was after all the hills but before an old railway tunnel.  No pictures of that but we needed to walk through it. We then sneaked in a coffee in a old church in Windsor.

It was then about another one hour to Bunside Lodge and we were well behind everyone when we arrived.  What a house!

Bridget and I were in the old coach house with Marion and Gunner. The house belonged to one of the people who started the frozen lamb trade to the UK.

We had pre dinner drinks in the conservatory followed by dinner in a room full of old Scottish furniture surrounded by candles server by Alison the owner dressed in her Victorian finest! A bit surreal!

 

 

 

Today should be the longest day but thanks to yesterday’s efforts will seem easier even if a little longer.

Both a bit weary but we had an excellent breakfast next door in The Wrinkly Ram and were off by 9.

The day was lakes and dams.  However almost immediately we found out why the pub had been so busy last night.

22,000 lambs for sale, apparently about NZ$100 each so about £1m of sheep being sold to farmers with more grass to fatten for market.

Nice flat ride.

We had a quick tea stop before climbing up to the top of Benmore Dam. A hard climb.

We then cycled round Aviemore Lake for lunch …. lovely place to stop. And a coffee van had been arranged… with a lovely cocker spaniel called Emma.

the next bit was the worst bit of all the riding down the highway.  Some big lorries.  The group was again split and we were staying outside Kurow in a beautiful B&B called Western House run by a lady from Somerset originally. After freshening up we had a wine tasting in Kurow in a place called The Vintners Drop which had wine from Ostler and superbly tutored by a guy called Jim Jerram – nice Rose, Pinot Gris and superb 2015 Pinot Noir followed by a super pizza dinner opposite in the Valley Cafe (which looks awful from outside) done in a pizza oven in the garden.

Woke early and we had both remembered Valentine’s Day! 😍

Today was a longer planned day which due to a navigation error was a lot longer than planned!

After a good breakfast we all set off for what was billed a climb and Marina was due to meet us after 2 hours for a tea break. To cut a long story short we took the wrong turn at the hotel and headed up to the Ohau Ski Lodge. 1000m climbing over 8+ km of zig zag path, very rough, and into cloud.  It was freezing at the top and we only realised after a phone call!  What a view however!Vertical Ventures were very good and after and hours cycle down we were back were we started at about 12.45 having set off a 9 and were offered lunch at the Ski Lodge.  After some discussion we all decided to start again.  After a few minutes one of the Canadian’s Judy decided she had no legs left and her husband, Bruce, also stopped.

After 13km we reached the summit we should have reached.

The ride from this point was lovely with a long stretch of paths some streams and we reached Marina after about 2 hours.

we then had the choice to cycle another 25km or stop and so in the bus.  bridget and I were the only ones who cycled!  Hard work but we can say we cycle the who trail! We were only 10 mins behind the bus. Over 63km rather than 43!

After a quick change we were off to the famous  Omarama Hot Tubs. This was followed by a well earned dinner at the local Omarama Hotel which was full of lots of local agricultural types.  We understand why tomorrow.r

We (B and I, Carol and Marina) had breakfast at a cafe in Twizel https://www.facebook.com/hydrocafetwizel/. I had a fry up but the girls all had muesli. We then joined the others at their B&B which did breakfast and set off for Ohau.  We were staying at Lake Ohau Lodge which is meant to be nice.  It was a good day of canals

and Lake trails and just over 40km (25 miles).

We stopped off for coffee where the canals enter the lake

and had a nice picnic lunch  beside another lake Just alongside Lake Ohau.

The hotel was in a lovely site just above the lake.  We went for a very cold swim in the lake with Gunner and Marion.

The views as the sun went down were lovely.

We rose early after a bad nights sleep, it had been raining had and still was. Not a good omen for a weeks cycling.

Rob from Vertical Ventures picked up us and warned us that we might not be able to do the classic start as the weather was so bad and to cloud so low the helicopters were not running to allow the river crossing.

That proved to be true, sadly. We had a very rainy drive up, stopping in Geraldine for coffee, at a nice cafe called the Running Duck. http://therunningduck.co.nz. I also bought so chilli sauce. What a surprise.

We then stopped for lunch at Tekapo http://www.run76laketekapo.co.nz/. We also stocked up on booze for dinner.

This was the start to our ride, the alternative start. Bikes were sorted out, bags given out, and the rain stopped. We had a 30km ride to Braemar Station part of the Mackenzie Farm in the Mackenzie Valley. farmside.co.nz

It was lovely to be riding, the weather did not spoil anything except the view.

On the tour are

2 Canadian couples, the husbands were at school together. They are very quiet and keep to themselves.

A great fun Oz couple, Hilda and Steve, it is here 60th the same day as Marion.

Marion and Gunner

Carol

And us.

Total 11.

Our stay was at the Shearer Hut, the Hut used in the past and was a a few rooms all inter-connected and a shower room, a separate bathroom, kitchen, and a living room. Rob got a fire going in the sitting room. Some summer!

We had tea and biscuits at 4 and dinner at 7. Dinner was steak and fresh salmon and was excellent. After dinner we sat and chatted after dinner. The Canadians were very quiet.

Then plan for Day 2 was fluid! We might we able to start at the beginning, if the weather clears and we have time or we WGT a more relaxed start at 10. What ever it would be an early start.