30. The Road to Hobbiton - Day 1

Day 1

The day in numbers:

501 km traveled.

Clouds in the sky when I set off : 0

3 hitchhikers ignored.

Hitchhikers picked up: 1

317 sandfly bites.

Bottles of insect repellent bought: 1

Map of Day 1:

A- Oamaru (home). B - Wanaka. C - Haast.

Well I set out from home only an hour and a half later than planned, which meant my detours for the day were limited. With five hours of driving ahead, the tank was filled to the brim, and then after I had eaten my breakfast I set off. 

I managed to call in a few favours from the big guy upstairs and get some perfect weather. The sky was cloudless, and road conditions perfect. I took a few practice 'snapping-while-driving' shots through relatively familiar Lindis Pass, and they turned out OK. This is a skill that is necessary for this trip because if I stopped at every photogenic view it would take me a matter of years not days.

My first stop was scheduled to be at the lakeside town of Wanaka, but I stopped about 30 km before the town to pick up a hitchhiker. She was Brazilian and was called either Margo or Marlo, I am not sure. She asked me what I was doing in NZ, I explained I was milking cows out here so I could learn the Kiwi way of dairy farming. She asked me what the difference was between NZ and UK dairy farming. I think she very quickly regretting asking me that. After 10 minutes of low input vs high yield she tried to change the subject but I wasn't having any of it!

At Wanaka, a word not to be rushed, Margo/Marlo jumped out of the car before I had even put the handbreak on. It is a nice little town and I ate my lunch and took a few photos of the lake.

Driving between Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea, I spied a seal out of the corner of my eye. Unfortunately it was not the marine mammal, but the rubber door seal falling off. This brought about the first bit of Top Gear style roadside maintenance.

Tail tape is probably the most useful thing that exists. In my relatively short farming career I have used it for everything, from bandaging burns to waterproofing ex-waterproofs. 

In my opinion Lake Hawea is much better than Lake Wanaka, I drove along a very bumpy gravel road with signs that warned of my immanent death. I took some pretty awesome photos here.

Once back on the safe main road, it was prime conditions for snapping-while-driving. The photos of the lake with mountains behind can be added to my already massive collection of lake + mountain shots. It's as if I have never seen a lake and a mountain together before. 

Once past the two lakes and onto the exciting and winding road that is Haast Pass, the mountains become very treey/forrested/woodish. The clouds ahead looked ominous, and threatened a turn in the weather. Either the road rose to nearer their level, or the clouds decended to the road, I was worried I had had the best of the weather already. It started trying to rain, that kind of heavy mist that isn't really rain yet. When it is at the point between having the windscreen wipers off or on the lowest wipe rate setting.

I think we will find Gavin the Avenir posing in front of quite a few impressive vistas as our journey progresses. 

The worst of the did weather hold off thankfully, and I got to enjoy swinging the station wagon around the corners. Overtaking campervans became a major highlight of the drive.

I pulled over at a sign that said 'Blue Pools' and thought I'd take a look. It is good to get out of the car and stretch the legs. After a short stroll I came across the pools, that were as advertised, very blue. 

Although the walk was nice, going into the beech forest, in shorts and t-shirt and lightly perspiring from sitting in a hot car has its dangers. I was immediately attacked by the force of nature that are sandflies. I was savaged by them, insect repellent was the first thing I bought at the shop in Haast. The nasty little buggers are tiny black flies that you don't notice are on you until they bite. Once one has bitten, it releases chemicals into the air attracting his mates to come and sample the buffet.  

I drove on and crossed a bridge with a very dramatic name, 'The Gates of Haast', it was one of the many single lane bridges that have a right of way sign. It seems as though your average Haast Pass driver does not understand the concept of right of way, and drives on when it is not theirs, and waits when it is. 

On the subject of bridges, and water passing below the road, I have noticed whilst driving in NZ, that every stream, creek, culvert and ditch that goes under the road is named and signposted as such. As there are so many, I can understand a lack of imagination. I drove over 'Fish River' today. I wonder how they came up with that one.

Eventually I reached Haast, where there is literally nothing. I checked into my hostel, and went for a bit of a drive to the beach and to have a look at the Tasman Sea. Here it is from the point of view of a grain of sand. I had eventually reached the West Coast!

Driving back to the hostel, I saw a little way ahead, a huge hawk feeding on some roadkill (my favoured term is actually road-pizza, but I wasn't sure how many of you would appreciate it). It, I think a Harrier, flew off as I approached. I badly wanted a photo of it, so I parked the car near the dead possum and waited for it to come back. It didn't so here is the picture of the poor chap.

Don't feel sorry for it, they are an invasive introduced species that carry bovine TB, and are very highly populated with no natural predators. 

Although I have just said there is nothing in Haast, there is actually a very good pub/restaurant called Hard Antler. I had an excellent venison casserole there, if you are ever in the area check it out. 

I went to bed early to get a good night's sleep ahead of another days peddle to the metal. The bed was about a foot too short (and I am not a tall man), and the mattress was pancake thin. I could feel all the slats of the bed through it. If I was a princess, I would have definitely felt the pea. 

Right I should go to bed now. I may write up Day 2, which is just ending now, tomorrow. It will include more impressive scenery, lots of ice and a kayak. 

I'll keep you posted.

(Follow me on Twitter for regular updates: @FLawder)