Sweet As, Bro!!... NZ South Island 2016

[glitch]

Pounawea doesn't disappoint!
Right on time...and 11 years later...it puts on another spectacular sunrise that's worth bolting out of bed for...

...and things are getting better by the minute

The place just gets under your skin...

OOPS!! Maybe better leave today...the bin is full

I heard the stuff does strange things to people...

I'll come back one of those days.

With such a cracker of a morning, lets bimble along the coast for a bit.
First up it's a rollercoaster via the gravel ridges along Cannibal Bay Rd and Karoro Creek, hitting the coast again
near Kaka Point.
Another tack south, towards the lighthouse at Nugget Point:

 

[glitch]

What the hell's going on in the bushes?

The slow tootle north up the dead-end road is just as breathtaking...

What is it with those Kiwis....sneakers, bras, hubcaps

Some gravel zig-zagging through the backblocks sees us north of Hwy1 a little later.


Some crest with perfect views across the Southland back-country has the crew discussing "church+politics" under crisp, blue skies...and in the middle of the road, bikes parked whilly-nhilly for half an hour without even a tractor in the fields somewhere. Heaven!

Rush hour in Clydevale-on-the-Clutha

The pace picks up a little for the next half hour or so, the sealed Clutha River Rd. dips and weaves along the water, but just far enough off for only the occasional glimpse of the wide, green river. Along the foot of the Blue Mountains Plantations, the bridge at the Beaumont pub gets us onto the eastern bank and back onto gravel. It rather looks like a service road for the Otago Gold Trail, another of those ever-growing Otago treadly-tracks.
Just picked from the map as a possible alternative route... this one turns out GOLD!!


The narrow gravel road sits just above the waterline, the rapids, the rocks and weeping trees on the banks, the tiny side-valleys....the colour changes from deep-blue to green to blue again are just about too much for the eye to take.

 

[Williamson]

Been browing thru some of the thread on a new Smart TV in our holiday unit at Port Maquarie and learnned two things. First is, I want a Smart TV, viewing these pics on a 42" screen is amazing. Second is, I really, really missed a good trip to NZ

 

[glitch]

Second is, I really, really missed a good trip to NZ

Yes, you did...buuurp!

Then again....some of the days woulda been a bitch on the ST13 and trailer

 

[glitch]

What an awesome, little road

Lunch at the Millers Flat Store....

....before it's back into the hills for the second part of the day.



Lake Onslow Road, this time west -> east....Gippsland will never be the same again

Taieri River Flats near Serpentine

Plucka's family out for a paddle...

Dipping into the farmlands around Gimmerburn

A quick stop at the Patearoa Pub, a fuel top-up at Ranfurly and a short, closing run into Naseby, jumping board for the Danseys Pass the next morning.


"Hansel+Gretel"-cabins at the Larchview Holiday Park...sorta cute... and cheap.

...next, they'll want an icecream!

 

[glitch]

Naseby snaps....

Jeezaz....after 10 days of this caper I'm knackered enough to swap the DR for a day or 2....one of those looks good right now.

...and Doug can print $99.95 bills on this... so one doesn't have to wait for the change at a busy Coles checkout.

The Royal still has a few spare tables...

...in the low, warm sun outside.
Choice day, bro....

 

[John_Johnny]

Been browing thru some of the thread on a new Smart TV in our holiday unit at Port Maquarie and learnned two things. First is, I want a Smart TV, viewing these pics on a 42" screen is amazing. Second is, I really, really missed a good trip to NZ

Smart TVs are great for these pics Willo. My android tablet uses Screen Mirroring direct to the Panasonic 4K ultra with no problems. It's like the old days of slide nights. Remember those?
Android seems to be happy to talk to most devices unlike Apple that insists on going through icloud or signing up to something.

 

[glitch]

Simple is beautiful...
Who needs a whole fusebox, main switch, safety switches, circuit-breakers and all that junk?

Maybe that's why it doesn't want to get daylight this morning, maybe it's the tucked-away corner under those larch-trees, maybe it's the cold or all the shut cafes in town....whatever, let's hit the Danseys Pass for some sparkles, maybe.


Even the lonely Danseys Hotel is locked and silent...

...but there IS some life further up.

Destination: PERFECT!! just ahead.....

 

[glitch]

The drop down to Duntroon in the north isn't any less spectacular

Danseys Lavender Farm

The rock-paintings along SH83 at Otekaieke haven't survived the last few years....but the hollowed out cliffs and sculptured rocks have, heaven for birds and bats nesting and living in the pockets and tiny caves.

Kurow is a welcome sight...and the new cafe in town comes up with a 1.class breakfast, knocking all else before it out of the ballpark.
Scrumptious tucker, and lots of it.


In between, a casual stroll through town...and who says you can't serve 2 masters?
The Kurow pubs makes it loud and clear by half the building being "Speights"-blus, the other half "DB"-yellow...and the totally red pub 100m down the road is the "TUI" variety.
Pick your pub by your beer....

Again, keeping things simple..

"To want owner: Ask Anyone or call sevice station For= Derek Workman"

 

[glitch]

The new bridge at Kurow....

...and a couple of shots of the old timber bridge from 2013

Route for the day...