6 September Sunday: Day 13 (Fathers day)
Stats: None …a rest day !!!!
Woke to pouring rain. Which didn’t stop until lunchtime,
then the sun came out and it was quite warm. The gardens here have lemon trees
growing in them, so no frosts here!
Had a restful, longer than usual
sleep in. Then went to the supermarket for breakfast/lunch things and some wool
wash for our laundry. Just a lazy morning really, got our washing washed and
dried, Noel adjusted Heaphy track hut bookings, paid some invoices and caught up on some
correspondence. We’ve been using the Lilliput/community share libraries to get
and exchange books as we go , works out great although the overall choice is
based on book size more than subject!! (ie our bikes can't handle carrying a full set of the Encyclopaedia Britannica)
After lunch we went for a walk
down the street. Then followed a walkway to the sea. A very rough looking sea
and a wood/tree/driftwood strewn beach showing a rough sea is not unusual. The
tide must have been mostly in, and the Buller river was flowing full with some
sizable tree branches flowing out to sea. The waves were wild. There were a lot
of people, mainly locals, driving the spit to watch the sea/river, a Sunday
pastime perhaps??
Interesting to note, although completely understandable, the rather sad memorials to the fishermen/boaties lost at sea. Epitomised by a memorial on the end of the Westport spit, where the Buller river meets the Tasman sea.
Back to the hostel for a cuppa. We’ve booked to go to the movie RAMS this afternoon, a Father’s Day special screening, we’d seen the shorts in Arrowtown recently and thought it would be funny. Turned out to be not so funny and not what we expected but it was quite good.... as well as a sum total crowd of 4 people watching, so not such a special result for the theatre.
Had dinner at Johnny’s restaurant
which was busy with father’s Day diners but starting to empty out by the time
we arrived there. This place was recommended by Graham as it is run by another
FIL company person and his wife. It was a lovely meal, and we had a quick chat with Johnny (and his wife) before heading home.
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| The rather imposing YHA hostel in Westport |
That was our rest day, tomorrow a 50km ride to Seddonville awaits.
7 September Monday: Day 14
Stats: Westport to Seddonville:
52 kms 16.2 kph.
Back to our 7am starts, and to
the supermarket to sort breakfast.
We were packed up by 9.30am and
after chatting with the owner, an ex fisherman, we left. We cruised the main
street op shops looking for a saucepan we could use on the Heaphy track. Found a
$5 one in the SPCA shop, perfect!!!
Headed north through farmland and
life style blocks. We could see Denniston Plateau in the hills to the east. A
historic area open to the public however up a steep road. Coal
is still mined at the nearby Cascade mine and Stockton which is NZ’s largest open cast mine. We were being passed by, and could see, truck and trailer units going up to the mine. But it seemed like one hill too many so we rode on past the turnoff,
…one day maybe when we have a motor attached!!
Once we got to the township of
Granity we followed the coast. Granity is right on the coast and the school has
been on TV as they are losing their grounds to coastal erosion. The town has
houses all along the seafront and huge rock reinforcing has been done. There
didn’t seem to be any public beach access until we were out of town. Not much
in the town itself, a closed down café was about it’s lot.
Continued to Ngakawau (merges with Hector), and
stopped at it’s visitor centre and then at an old pub for lunch. Lunch options
were limited so opted for wedges and sat outside in the 'almost' sunshine to eat.
The town is the northern point of the Stockton open cast mine. It still is
a huge coal mining operation, big
buckets of coal being moved by gondola down the hill. The coal then being transported
by rail to Lyttleton.
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| Stockton mine processing plant, look closely to spot the large gondola's bringing coal down from the mine |
From Ngakawau we followed rugged sea/coastline for a bit then lifted into native bush clad hills. There was some very smart new housing between Ngakawau and Mokihinua. Rode into Mokihinua as it was off the main road. It is a small beach settlement mainly holiday houses and a campground. The beach/sea doesn’t look the most hospitable for a holiday settlement.
Carried on to Seddonville, a small settlement of a pub/motel and a campground in a farming (dairy) valley. Originally a coal mining area, then a timber milling area and now it’s the nearest civilisation to the start/finish of the Old Ghost Road cycle/hike trail.
Sat and ate our bread while we
waited for the pub owner to open at 4pm. A quite nice motel unit attached to the hotel. Dinner tonight at
the pub at which the owner/motel manager/barman cooked. Talked to a few locals and 3 others also staying, 1 Queenstown, 1 Christchurch and 1 White baiter. The pub is for sale (like many we have seen) but we imagine it is probably a reliable business being just on the end of the Old Ghost Road trail... particularly over summer.
The day off yesterday didn’t seem
to do either of us much good, we’re both a bit achy in different bits tonight.
I’m a bit disappointed that with nearly 2 weeks cycling and a day off I’m
feeling a bit lethargic today, when does the fit and strong feeling kick in???
Apparently we have a big hill up and down, up and down tomorrow morning…well
we’ve been warned!!!
8 September Tuesday: Day 15
Stats: Seddonville to Karamea:
57kms 14 kph
We’ve been gone 2 weeks today
,wow!!
Our owner/barman etc (literally chief cook and bottle washer!) cooked us
breakfast and then we left at about 8.45 am. Back down the road we arrived on
yesterday afternoon's turnoff after about 2 kms. Saw a roadside squashed Weka about the
same spot that we stopped yesterday and photographed a live one …hmm??
So a climb up the Karamea Bluff,
which was what we were warned about last night. It was just head down and
pedal, quite brutal zig zags to 420m
above sea level and we literally started at sea level!. It’s a bit ominous when you could hear a vehicle coming down toward us then
silence as the sound got lost in the corners.
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| Puff is right, can only agree with the wag who changed the summit sign from "Karamea Bluff" |
At the top you could see where we had been yesterday, Mokihinua, and also lots of white baiter’s on the river below. Whitebait season on the West Coast only started 1 September and ends 30 October so white baiters have been out in force on the rivers, on the roads with Utes loaded with 4 wheelers, nets and chilly bins . We’ve even managed to eat some, yum!! The lady in the last nights next door motel unit was booked in for a month and whitebaits 5am to 5pm every day…serious stuff!!
After conquering the Bluff we zig
zagged down to the flat of Corbyvale then up again over Taffytown hill, and
then thorough bush and out onto dairy country .
Stopped at Little Wanganui tavern
for lunch. A very tidy pub with a campground attached. Recently though by an
English couple, very nervous having taken it over in these Covid times when we chatted to them. A
really nice place so good luck to them!!
Continued along flat road with
the coastline in view. All dairy farms , very tidy and the stock looked great,
lovely looking farmland. Smarter/newer homes too so maybe a prosperous area.
Arrived in Karamea about 2pm and
went to the visitors centre to enquire about the caves/arches of Oparara basin
in the Kahurangi National Park’. A very informative lady helped us, she was
shocked at our bike expedition, thought we were totally mad!! Anyway works out the way to see the most is
to drive to the trailhead, then take a guided tour of the Honeycomb cave in the
morning, the only way to see the cave is with a guide. We can then do the arch
walk and a bit of exploring by ourselves in the afternoon. She booked us onto a
tour and organised us a rental car which will be delivered to our accommodation
tonight. Easy!!! Turns out Karamea has been busy with NZ tourists all winter
which is usually their quiet time.
Biked down to the Karamea Village
hotel, our accommodation for 2 nights but it was closed until 3pm so biked to
the end of the road to an estuary track where we ate our vegemite sandwiches.
Back to the hotel and checked in to a motel type unit, older and roomy. While
Noel showered I biked back to the towns 4 square and purchased some breakfast
supplies.
The rental car was delivered to
our door, so we were able to drive to the towns main beach to watch a stunning
sunset. The beach is a long stretch of sand and round rocks of various colours.
The beach seemingly not as wild as Westport or Mokihinua beaches.
Back to the hotel for a lovely meal.
I’m feeling better on the bike
today. Noel is really suffering, his bony bum not having enough padding :), so
finding his seat very uncomfortable after a short time riding. Saddle soreness,
chaffing, I’m goggling seat settings to see if height, angles and such should be
adjusted.
Looking forward to tomorrow. The
info lady was reassuring about the Heaphy track too, so feeling better about
our lay day booked. There will be options if the Heaphy is too ambitious for
us.
9 September Wednesday: Day 16
Stats: None!!
A day in the Karamea area with a rental car.
Left hotel at 8.40am for the
Oparara Basin about ¾ hour north, firstly up sealed road then 16 kms of winding
gravel road bordered by bush.
Arrived at the top carpark and
our guide Cliff was already there as was an American couple. A UK couple turned
up soon after. Both other couples were Covid refugees, having been in NZ from shortly before lockdown and making the decision to stay touring for an extended stay rather than return to their home countries.
We walked into the Honeycomb Hill
Caves, which is guided tour only access, which took around ¾ of an hour to reach. Our guide
pointing out all the NZ natives trees, Coprosmas are from the coffee family …who knew?? The USA lady on the
tour putting the NZ natives to shame with her plant knowledge!!
Entered the caves with our
helmets and lights on and spent about an hour underground. It was stunning,
nothing too tight to squeeze through. We saw stalactite's, sink holes, elephant
feet (bacterial growths), moa bones, deer bones (fell through tomo’s), giant
snail shells ( also fallen through tomo’s) and glow worms. Amazing big cave
system, some tributaries fenced off for research purposes.
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| Moa skeleton, would have fallen through a Tomo (hole) into the cave system hundreds of years ago |
Walking back to the carpark we watched a helicopter bringing in a water tank for a new toilet block. Back at the carpark we were given a cup of tea and cakes, Anzac biscuits, Louise square and other NZ treats.
After our cuppa we were on our
own again. Walked into the Oparara Arch, a huge open ended cave with river
flowing through and a separated arch at one end ….stunning!! Walked the Moria
gate/mirror tarn link track (1 hour), The Moria arch was just stunning seen by
climbing down underneath it. We then walked over it but you couldn’t tell until
you got a distance away and looked back. It’s a much photographed area that
often appears in NZ calendars. Continued on the Mirror tarn loop which is a
reflective lake, but it’s very dark from all the tannins.
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| Time to reflect! |
We caught a glimpse of a pair of Whio (blue duck) disappearing around the corner of the river we were following. Then we were out on the road and crossing a bridge when we spotted another pair cruising under the bridge, bums up feeding off the bottom ….we were soo close to them, a highlight to see such a rare species!!
Drove up to the far carpark and it was a 5 minute walk into Box Canyon, which is a huge open sea like cave. Then to Crazy Paving Caves where the bottom of the cave is like a dried mud pattern.
Back to the motel to make up a
shopping list for the Heaphy. And down to the 4 Square on a shopping
expedition, food to last the next 2 ½ days, there’ll be no pubs in sight!
Mission accomplished we came back to the hotel and rang the rental car people
to return it… no hurry as they advised it’ll be picked
up in the morning. Dinner at the hotel again but out of roast dinners so burger
it had to be.... the hardship!
Desperately trying to dry bike
shorts that we washed last night. Today was coldish (10-12C) with no sun, so
nothing dried at all. We’ve cracked up the heater now to speed things up.
A fascinating day off the bike,
the muscles still hurt a bit if stretched though?? The Heaphy tomorrow, with a
forecast of rain tomorrow morning or all day depending which forecast one
reads, but looking fine for the next 3 days after …here’s hoping!!!
Our motel unit doesn’t lock and
we’ve been told to leave the rental car keys in the visor …must be a reasonably safe place to
live!!!
