Heading south again

It was time to head back to Wanaka for the winter. But not without a few detours on my way south.

I stopped in at Mt Nimrod Reserve campsite in order to complete the day hike that heads into the small reserve, visits an impressive waterfall  then climbs up onto a limestone peak before descending back to the campsite. You can also access the Hunter Hills from there for more extensive tramping, but at this time of year I prefer sleeping in my car than in a tent!

From Mt Nimrod I headed to Geraldine and Fairlie, then up past Lake Opuha to tramp out to a hut up the North Opuha River. It was pretty easy stroll upstream, with great views up to Fox Peak. There were a couple of mud patches to negotiate but otherwise a good 4WD track all the way to the hut, sitting on a terrace looking out over the tussocks to the headwaters of the Orari River.

It was a very chilly morning with a decent frost, but clear skies and no wind made for a pleasantlywarm walk in the sun back to the car. 

And then it was back to Wanaka. 

As usual, it's a waiting game. Arrive back in town and move back into the flat I've been sharing with Karen for 8 years, go to onboarding signup for Cardrona, and then sit around for the mountain to open and work to commence.

The onboarding usually happens in early June, a couple of weeks before the mountain opens, which is a bit annoying, as in recent years the weather has still been pretty good for further preseason adventures.

So I went for a bike ride or two, and one day Jude brought her kayak over the hill and we went for a paddle up Stevenson Arm.

It was an inversion and brutally cold. Very scenic with not much breeze, but brutally cold. Next time we'll choose a better day.

Early season there is never much snow, but with cold temperatures the mountain can make the stuff and get the mountain open weeks before natural cover would allow. Sure it would be limited terrain, but it gets paying customers up the mountain and cash registers pinging. Except it's all cash free so EFTPOS machines beeping!!!

Trouble is, June is getting warmer, which means less cold days so less snowmaking can occur. But we did get open on time, if only with very limited terrain available.

And then it was back to teaching people to ski.

That's next....

Otautahi meanderings

From Marlborough I headed south to Christchurch, Otautahi, to visit my friend Brent and go paddling with him and Jenny, who was down from Wellington for a few days.

I joined them for a paddle across Lyttleton Harbour, me in my inflatable kayak and them in hard shells. It became apparent very quickly that I couldn't maintain their pace so I turned back and let them continue without me. The wind picked up a bit during their crossing, so I was glad to have turned back, and instead spent the time waiting for my kayak to dry. Being fabric, it actually takes a ridiculous amount of time to dry here in cold damp NZ, unlike the claims of quick drying made by the seller on the sunny Gold Coast of Australia.

The problem with a damp boat in NZ is that there is a real risk of introducing aquatic pests into new waterways if your boat isn't completely dry. It is the single biggest issue I have with the kayak. I don't mind that it's a bit slow, I don't mind that there isn't a huge amount of storage space, but I do mind that it can take days to dry completely.

On the day Jenny was flying back to Wellington she borrowed Brent's packraft and we went for a float down the Avon. We parked our car in the red zone then walked through Hagley Park to our put in just below a weir. From there we had a leisurely time floating through the botanic gardens and right through the CBD, past some Maori waka, and back to the red zone. A very novel way to see the city.

I stayed a few more days, because I was very keen to visit the Caravan and Motorhome Show. I wanted to see what options were out there for upgrading my transport. I very quickly decided that these large campervans were not my cup of tea, but I did see an interesting slide on unit on the back of a 4WD ute that got me thinking....

I went up to Godley Head to enjoy the view and learn about the WW2 coastal defences, and Brent and I went for a few bike rides. We cycled around the estuary, up to Sumner, and around to Ferrymead, where we spent an amusing hour or so enjoying the quirky collections. 

We also went for another walk up onto the crater rim, where there were more old coastal defence sites, these a little more derelict. The views never disappoint though.

Another day Brent took me for a paddle in a borrowed hard shell kayak out from Sumner Beach and around to Boulder Bay, where a bunch of old baches still line the shore. It took me a while to get used to the larger craft but I won't be buying one of them anytime in my future!

After a few enjoyable days exploring Christchurch it was time to begin the road trip south again for the winter. 

That's next..