Day 60 - Monday 4th March 2024

Sixty days gone; it doesn't feel possible! And 4th March when I left home on 4 January, but not even half way yet. The scale of this trip still takes some mental gymnastics to understand! Today had been an unexpectedly good day given the forecast of end to end rain that I saw yesterday.

Awake at stupid o'clock (even for me) to the rain pounding on the roof of my room; I gave up on the prospect of more sleep at 05:30 and started to prepare for my departure later this morning. A very leisurely self catered breakfast and a couple of cups of tea before finishing the packing and getting ready to leave.

The rain was still hammering down, but my room had a porch area that I could reverse the car up to, so a quick dash to the car and then the loading of the boot was all under cover. I checked out and left Mount Cook at 08:22, and drove the road back to Twizel in heavy rain. A brief stop at one of the overviews I stopped at on the way into Mount Cook to see the difference in the conditions, and then my first planned stop this morning was at the Omarama Clay Cliffs. 

I took the turn off the state highway, and almost immediately had a fallen tree to drive round, then a left turn onto a sodden gravel road. I followed this for about 6km, and then after turning left there was a closed gate with a fee for progressing further.

It was still chucking it down with rain, so I declined that opportunity, and retreated into the town of Omarama where I stopped for a coffee (and a muffin .... it would have been rude not to!). It's funny how things can change, but in the half hour that I sat in the cafe I watched the rain stop and the clouds clear, so when I returned to the car it was in bright sunshine.

Onto State Highway 83, and a couple of stops for scenic views at Lake Bowmore and Lake Aviemore (they think they are Scotland it would appear!).

Lake Bowmore

Lake Aviemore

The next spot I entered into the satnav I had no recollection of at all; perhaps given the name was Elephant Rocks I should have had some idea. This place was a most wonderful surprise; the limestone created in a shallow sea has now been uplifted and eroded into the most wonderful shapes. I spent a while exploring through the field of rocks in the sunshine.

Back onto the road, and the next target was Moeraki Boulders, which was something I definitely did remember planning. parked up at a DOC car park, and a 10 minute wander along the beach bought me to a number of spheres, mainly buried in the sand but one in the process of emerging from the cliff face. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like these, and I was far from being alone in exploring them.

Onto the road once more, and the final stop before Dunedin was at Shag Point for a view down the coast to the south. 

Then back onto the road for the final 60km of the day into Dunedin. Google Maps once again delivered me straight to my hotel where I have one night; I did originally want 2 nights here, but Pink (or should that be P!nk) is playing a concert here tomorrow so there was no chance of getting a second night.

My accommodation tonight is a bit unusual; I've found myself in a suite of two rooms .... one bed in the one I'll use, and two in the other. I'm guessing that this is something to do with the scarcity of rooms due to the concert, but it does feel a little odd!

Today has been unexpectedly excellent; I was expecting a total washout and just a report of driving from A to B, but my luck seems to have held for another day. After laying in bed listening to the rain pour against the roof of my room well before sunrise I could not have imagined seeing the sun. Instead I've had a fantastic day. Let's hope his continues (although I'd take a couple of rainy days now for the next couple of days if Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound are nice sunny days!) 

Tomorrow I come the closest to the antipode of home, so it'll be the furthest I'm ever likely to be away from home!