Day 7: Clyde - Cromwell then to Smallburn Farm

So this is summertime in the desert country of New Zealand – cool to cold at night, nice and dry and hot in the daytime.  When I was ready to leave around 9am it was already 26… so I made sure I had my 3 water bottles full to the brim.

Old building in Clyde built approx 1856

Old PO, Clyde, now a restaurant

I rode out to the dam wall to get some photos, before trying to ride up the sharp pinch up to the highway – failed – so had to walk the last 20m.  I then launched myself onto the sealed road – at last – but had to share with fairly constant traffic including trucks of all shapes and sizes.  Thankfully, the drivers were very considerate and I only had one really close one, a 4wd towing a trailer that was a bit wider than his vehicle.  But nothing bad happened, so on I went.  

Lake Dunstan, just above the dam wall

The views along the gorge are pretty terrific, still waters with steep bare hills. I stopped several times to take photos where there was a safe ledge to do so.

I had forgotten the distance to Cromwell, so at a miner’s memorial I thought I would stop for a breather.  I was feeling pretty pleased with myself as there had been some sharp rises, I had managed all of them without totally gassing out. 

Looking back to Clyde

then around the next corner there was Cromwell, so easily made it well before lunch. 

We didn't see him - Cromwell

I crossed the bridge on foot – the pedestrian part was very narrow – and then turned left towards Old Cromwell. 

Old newspaper office - now museum

It was a really nice arty precinct so had a poke around in the shops and found some really nice and different earrings for myself.  Lunch was a BLAT with cheese subs for bacon – CLAT?? It was really yummy and the coffee was pretty good also. 

I got the tip that there was a path all along the lakeside right out to where I was heading that night – near Pisa Moorings, so now that I was so good on rough gravel paths, I set off again.  

The water did look so tempting and it was pretty hot, so at one isolated beach I took off my shorts and shirt and waded into the water in my knicks and bras.  It was pretty chill first up, but quickly became very pleasant, so I sloshed around there for a bit, before dragging myself out again, dripped dry pretty quickly and back on my bike again. 

Pisa hills near Pisa Moorings of course

Good place for a dip - quite shallow

I arrived at Smallburn farm at 4:15pm but there was no-one around, so following the note on the door, I made myself at home and poured myself a juice and had a slice of extremely yummy banana cake iced with choco icing.  I sat on the verandah and chilled out, listening to the sparrows chirping away, watching a thrush catch worms under the sprinklers that were keeping everything cool and green.

Waiting for Sue

Sue arrived home around 5 and we went out to feed the chickens and chookies – 70 of them, racing around - all different breeds from Rhode island reds, bantams of all varieties and a couple of speckled ones as well.  Wonderful!! 

Not even a day old!

There were little chickens only a couple of days old and one that had hatched that day – a beautiful yellow and brown striped one – could almost have been a baby emu – only bantam sizedJ

We were disturbed by a ram running around in the next paddock – where he shouldn’t be, so we tried to divert him towards a gate, but he had other ideas.  

We then walked up to the shearing shed, where some yearlings had been brought in for crutching the next day.

It was great to walk thru the shed, smelling the smells of my childhood.  For some reason, I like the smell of shearing sheds – yeah I know it’s mainly sheep shit, but there’s other smells as well, the lanolin and probably the diesel that runs the equipment. 

There I met Peter and we went up to inspect the progress of their son’s home that’s being built.  There will be 3 generations living on the property then, as Peter’s father is still alive. 

I got well and truly licked by about 10 sheep dogs of all shapes and sizes – all friendly, until they were closed up for the night in their pens.  A couple were having very serious discussions on what had happened during the day…

Peter loading the ewes

 Later a truck arrived to take away 100 ewes for sale the next day.  They weren't heading for the slaughter house just yet, as they still were young enough for another couple of years of lambing - hopefully....

So back to the house, where a very pleasant evening was spent sharing stories and histories and generally feeling like I was spending the evening with close friends.  I was so pleased that I had found this spot – a place to re-awaken my farming past.

Riding stats for the day:  47.76km, 13.8kph avg and 39.3kph max - ahhhh  hills on sealed roads - yay!!