Southern Katipo and a house warming

In anticipation of the beginning of this massive military exercise in our area, Timaru now called Mainlandier, we got up early on Saturday to see the HMNZS Canterbury and two other navy ships out in the bay in front of our window! We watched two landing craft transport various troops and vessels ashore - to take over the port from the baddies. A large French helicopter did a pretty close low fly by our balcony as well.

After a couple of hours fun we headed to a place north of the Waimakariri river for a house warming. We went through the Rakaia Gorge where we lunched and then stopped at the Waimak. Gorge for a look. Both are awesome and the rivers such grand examples of NZ braided rivers. The photos are at the Waimak. Gorge.

Late afternoon we arrived at Rebekah and Ryans house and 10 acres. Their first property purchase and a very good one. We had our own power site complete with power cable already in situ!

And it was Rebekahs birthday. They all got up early while I slept in - very easy in the van! She got her pressie before heading off to the market with extended family who also stayed the night.

Stephen and I left and returned the same route with a detour into Methven which I hadn't been in to since mega skiing trips in the 70s and 80s!! Could only recognise the Blue and the Brown pubs...
We stopped at the back of Timaru Airport beside the runway to see what planes we could see - here for Southern Katipo. A hercules landed and took off and 4 huge helicopters flew in in formation. The airport was surrounded by soldiers, who camp out etc - having taken control of the airport from the baddies! After a couple of hours we headed home and now we want to see a Globemaster land and without knowing when, we take pot luck on checking out the airport.

Danseys Pass April

Dog to the kennels - she gets car sick! and loves the kennels... We headed to Danseys Pass Holiday Park to check it out for warmer times. It is about 20 minutes drive on tarmac from Duntroon - between Oamaru and Otamatata. We were pleasantly suprised to find such a sheltered and well, fantastic camping ground. The river does a semi circle around it and while most of the cabins and power sites are on the upper part there are loads of non power sites right by the river and one cabin. The river is awesome with small and large swimming holes. They have a rope to swing out over the river and a canvas chair to chill on by the river. We didn't have fishing gear but you can fly fish and someones supper was swimming and feeding right beside us!

The next day we decided to go over Danseys Pass and rejoin SH1 at Palmerston. This meant going from the Waitaki district to Central Otago and on to Otago. The road was somewhat single lane in many places and pretty rough and I am glad to say very little traffic. It would be hideous in the summer! It is an epic journey through magnificent NZ high country and wow. I was hanging on so much I didn't get pics of the road when it was marginal.

We had a great lunch stop by the sea just north of Moeraki and then to Hunter to pick up Poppy and home.

Fishing at the Waitaki March 2013

A couple of weekends ago Stephen and I checked out the campsite up Kaik road on the south side of the Waitaki river mouth. We also walked to the mouth and checked out the fishing! The campsite was fantastic and the fishing, well no one caught anything. We did however buy a rod and join AJ and Janice the following weekend at the same place! AJ taught me a few tricks and while Stephen did some work and Janice read her book, AJ and I went fishing. Most fisher people have quad bikes which they put on a ute or trailer and zip along the stopbank on. It was a lot of fun but all that happened was that we watched a guy real one in and nothing for us. We then had lunch on the bank and as it was our second day we went to another spot along a rough road and walked to the river from there. Again nothing. We however both have rods now and intend to fish at Easter, which is the end of the season!!

You can see the pics enlarged by clicking on them

I thought the guy on the chair with his sounds had it about right.