Mar 2 Dunedin to Lake Tekapo
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It rained hard all night and was still raining hard when I got up. Not even the dog seemed interested in going out, except for essential purposes. I had a slice of toast for breakfast, aided by the dog who stood with his chin resting on my knee, dribbling profusely, while I ate it. The problem with such a large creature is that it isn’t possible to shove him away easily. Left: Dull & dismal in Dunedin |
Just after 10 I drove off into the mist, being careful to avoid the spray and with lights & wipers working furiously. Once over the Kilmog, the mountain which “protects” Dunedin to the North, It did appear to brighten slightly – but only very slightly.
By Oamaru, just over an hour away, it had actually stopped raining so I was able to admire the steam train, which was gleaming in the sun and puffing away merrily.I found a pleasant lunch and read the Sunday paper. By then, the rain had caught up with me so I got quite damp on the short walk to the car. |
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Turning inland the rain eased off again but it was dull and murky throughout. I stopped at the fruit farm near Kurow and bought a large box full of apricots, peaches and plums. How good a deal it was won’t be known until I have got it home and weighed it. The fruit looked good, however, & the absence of sunshine should help it keep well until I reach home. The dams didn’t look their best in the gloom but everything looked brown in spite of the drizzle.
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At Twizel I visited the salmon farm and purchased a large slab of smoked salmon. The lady assured me that it would last a week in the fridge so I should be able to use it to feed my weekend guests.
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I stopped in the town for some milk and continued my journey across the McKenzie country. For once I didn’t stop at the Lake Pukaki lookout as there wasn’t anything much to look out at – except low cloud and mist.Left: Twizel. The black stilt town |
Lake Tekapo soon appeared and I checked in without incident. A brief wander showed a few new buildings had appeared since my last visit but most seemed unchanged. I reserved a table at the good restaurant, checked my emails at an internet café and returned to my room to keep out of the rain.
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As dinner approached, I extracted my waterproof from the car and had a brief walk. The temperature had dropped considerably, it was still raining and it was definitely log fire and gloves weather. I walked a short way towards the lake but then thought better of it and headed for the food.
Last year’s meal at Reflections was outstanding. This year’s didn’t meet anything like the same standard. The wine was also a problem in that my attempt to cut down the quantity by drinking glasses rather than bottles also means a reduction in the quality of the wine available. Life isn’t fair. As it was still cold & wet, I returned to the motel for coffee.