Knew there would be a few hills today, but the first exciting part was the crossing of the Haast River - a wide area, mostly of rocks with only a small channel of water at the moment, but obviously it seriously floods at times... so a narrow one lane wooden bridge crosses it and those travelling north have to give way to those coming down the coast... in theory that is! there are two passing bays, so if you're going north and someone appears on the other side, you're supposed to get into the next passing bay to allow them to pass... for a cyclist this is great because you can stop and take photos on your way across the bridge. but it seems for the motorist, the cheekiest wins! if one motorist doesn't pull over, those following them also continue onwards...
but onwards for me, past beautiful forest on one side and the sound of the sea on the other. Eventually there was a road down the sea at Ship Creek, where bits of an old wooden ship hull was found in late 19C and eventually tracked down as being wrecked off the Victorian (Australia) Coast and then the sea brought it 2000 km across to NZ... The beach was littered with old tree trunks and according to an info panel, the rushing flooding rivers uproot the forest trees and wash them out to sea, but the sea returns them to shore... Wild country for sure. So then the climbing begins, to climb over the Point - so up and up. Well, it gave me plenty of opportunity to stop and look over the cliff at the sea and marvel at its beauty... there were memories revoked of Japan but thankfully there was only one point to climb over. and from then it was basically downhill and continuing through heavily forested country and even tho it looked like rain, it didn't - so another great day riding through a little slice of heaven!
Eventually I arrived at Lake Paringa Motel... one might say a bit rundown, but friendly and comfortable enough and right on the edge of the rather still and beautiful Lake Paringa. quite a mix of patrons as well... the older couple next door were yearly visitors - staying for a week of fishing on the lakes around. There were a couple from Sth Aust travelling around in a little motor home, plus 3 young people - 2 Austrians and 1 Pom in a car and a couple of young Polish guys as well as some locals staying here for fishing on the weekend... so Good night!
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| Resting on the one-way bridge over the Haast River |
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| Wind beaten forest |
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| Beach at mouth of Tauperikaka Creek (Ship Creek) |
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| Looking down near Knight's Point, whilst catching one's breath back! |
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| Lake Paringa |
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| Lake Paringa |
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