After travelling through the Catlins (Pictures from Curio Bay will follow: Penguins, Sea Lions and a sormy sea), we reached Invercargill (where Philip is enjoying the “wild life”).
We saw “the world fastest Indian” today.
Tomorrow we are heading for Steward Island (leaving our camper van behind). Since there is limited mobile phone and barly any internet acess, we will write more when we are back in about 4 to 5 days.
Stocking up on fresh food, we visited the famous Farmers market at the Railway Station. The station is considered the most photographed building in New Zealand! and rightly so from the number of people that were there doing just that.
We took the souther scenic route and decided to stop by the Tunnel Beach- a peculiar 1870 man-made tunnel cut into the sandstone cliffs opening to a small sandy cove accessible at low tide.
The walk there is a steep downward slope and the view at the top is uber-scenic. The steep sandstone cliffs are a sight to behold, so are the waves when they smash against them. We took the steep tunnel steps down to the cove and were pleasantly surprised to find the Westlakes there- our paths seems to have been irreversibly entwined! So we had yet some more time with them with Jan trying climbing the different cliff faces until the tide started rising.
To crown our east South Island experience we visited (and ended up camping at) our new found Kiwi friends (though one of them is English:) Cara and Charlie, so warmly welcomed us to theirs and we spent many an hour chillin’, swigs of cider, taking walks, watching movies, lounging in the garden, etc. Chloe, their 9 month old daughter and Philip found friends in each other and it was great watching them together. It was really great to just have that, especially after biking the rail trail.
What made it so great to be with them was the comfort that gave us when Philip had a fever. Cara ran us to the emergency doctors- a surprisingly brief but warm experience with the doctors seeing us as quick as possible, speaking so understandingly to us- no rush, and even being offered that we could call in any time should we even have the slightest feeling that it was not getting better. They suspected an ear infection and gave us an antibiotic prescription. It ended up subsiding on its own, though we spent an extra day in Dunedin observing him before setting off for the Catlins further south.
There were more schist rock landscapes, following the course of Manuherikia River, with some salt pans on the way. It went steadily downhill all the way to Alexandra where we took a long break visiting the Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery – learning all about mining, farming especially the introduction of rabbits for shooting games for the Brits, and how they did not count on them multiplying with such speed. The rabbits became and still are such a pest for the farmers.
After lunch, we set off the last 8 or so kms to Clyde. It was a hot day, the hottest we had had so far, and the trail cut very straight through and near farmlands. All done for the day, we arrived in Clyde being super proud of ourselves on this epic achievement.
We started a little earlier than usual before the winds took up. The trail started to have even more spectacular and uber-scenic views as we biked on from Ida valley on to Lauder station. The valleys, including Ida valley, with the tree-lined river banks were a sight. The stretch from Lauder to Omakau also had the famous 37m high Poolburn viaduct and the longest on the whole trail (the stones that it sits on were hand crafted). The Poolburn Gorge and spectacular schist stone formations, some really high begging to be climbed (well, next time!) were also quite something. We also went through the two Poolburn Tunnels (201m and 229m long), and over the 110m long Manuherikia bridge.
At Oamaru, we stayed at a large cottage having the place pretty much to ourselves. Later that evening we had dinner at the Black’s restaurant (they have a courtesy pick-up and drop off service that we used). The owner took us over the 1880 Daniel O’Connel suspension bridge to and around historic town of Ophir. The Post Office and telegraph house built in 1886 still functions as a post office. The houses were quaint and done in chiselled stone, some looking extremely old. Ophir sort of retains its charms though or mainly because it i on them multiplying in such a rapid speeds far from the main road.
It rained in the night and we were impressed to see that it had snowed all over the hills surrounding the plains we were to bike through.
The Maniototo plains are vast and make an interesting contrast with the hills and mountains in the disatance. It was even more so with the snow over the hills and the sun scorching down te plains.
Still on a steady climb (from Middlemarch), we know that halfway through we would start going downslope pretty much all the way to the end of the railtrail in Clyde. This was a spirit lifter as we worked our ways uphill will the headwinds. We were realising why most people prefer to bike from Clyde to Middlemarch and not Middlemarch to Clyde as we were doing it.
Near Wedderburn, we reached the highest point (618m abobe sea level) and crossed the 45 Degrees South Latitude twice!
We stopped at Oterehua for the night, fighting our way the last 3 or so km battling super strong head winds. The backpackers we stayed at (we got a lovely wooden cabin and Annete, the host was really kind).
Skirting the steep slopes of the Taieri river gorge, it was a lovely sight all the way to the Tiroiti station. We also went over the 32m high Prices Creek Viaduct and through the 152 Prices Creek Tunnel, our first tunnel. The feeling of the bright daylight suddenly immersed into the dark of the tunnel is interesting (we kinda realised the need for brighter torches).
The trail passed what used to be Taieri lake (and was clogged dsue to gold mining sediments and was now farmland). Through/ near farmlands (lots of sheep to see:) we biked on through Waipata to Ranfurly. The last stretch to Ranfurly is very straight and one has the illusion that one is nearing the last stop and it seems to receed away, especially with the head winds we experienced. We got to Ranfurly early enough to shop shower and have a nap and dinner.
After a night in Middlemarch, we picked our bikes and the Philip’s trailer. It was a disappointment because the trailer did nor have a reclining seat and was meant for babies that can already sit up. Despite the fact that he can sit up, the long trip called for something that can recline. Nothing else was available from the other bike hires so with a little bit of ingenuity, we made him a soft reclining seat and support from a pillow and all soft material we had. We were a bit afraid, being that he does not like being in the car seat much, that he would protest and would end up on one of our backs before we got to the start. How wrong we were proved to be. He loved it, singing almost the whole way.
After biking 8 kms, we realised that we had forgotten something and Jan had to bike back the 8 back to Middlemarch and back. (well, no journey is ever without the slightest of mishaps and lessons:) Pretty unspectacular farmlands were the first part of the trip and the best view was the Rock and Pillar range on the west and Strath Taieri gorge to the east after Ngapuna Station.
We also passed the site and memorial of the 1894 rail disaster that killed 21 people. It was rather a bumpy ride and had a bit of headwind and were happy to get to Hyde Station and on to Hyde village.
Hyde was expensive- with no competion from one place offering food and accomodation, it was the most expensive stop-over we were to have on the trail (the buffet was good though).
The Taieri Gorge Railway was constructed between 1879 and 1921 connecting Duniden with the old gold town of Cromwell in Central Otago. It became a victim of the New Zeeland Rail Privatisation and was closed in 1990. Shortly after a private trust with the help of the City of Duniden took over the 77 km from Duniden to Middelmarch and saved one of the most spectacular train rides in the world.
We started our journey from the Station in Duniden, New Zeeland’s most photographed building. The cars are from the 1920s with wooden panels. Due to the steep track, diesel locomotives are used today.
Even though Philip did not have to pay he got his own seat.
The views along the Taieri Gorge are astonishing.
