From Te Anau (Top 10) to Tautapere (Shooters Motel and Camping) - a distance of about 100kms, or say 63 miles. We're heading south to try to make Cape Bluff in a few days, so we're now about half way to Invercargill, which is near Cape Bluff.The day was mostly undulating farmland with the Fjiordland mountains in the distance. There was a modest col about half way and rocky hills perked the scenery up for a while. We had, for most of the day, a boisterous wind behind us so we made good time. The wind became a moderate headwind for the last 14kms. Not many towns on the route today. Mohapouri early on, by Lake Mohapouri, had an interesting plaque commemorating the Save Lake Mohapouri campaign back in the 70s. I think the campaign not only succeeded in saving the lake from massive reworking for hydroelectric power but also contributed to the bringing down of the government at the subsequent election. We also saw Clifden suspension bridge - from 1899. Fascinating old bridge, no longer in use, and the longest suspension bridge in NZ for a long time. A memorial to Joseph Garthwaite, very Yorkshire, mailboy of 17, who died while trying to get the mail through a swollen river in 1865 (I think - before the bridge), was fixed to the bridge. Tuatapere is a modest town, famous for sausages (not vegetarian so we didn't sample tho' perhaps they have an organic free range sausage that might just tempt us?) and with a few old buildings. Chatted to a retired NZ teacher who talked with us of everything from teaching to books to the NZ of 20 years ago and also the familiar financial chicanery of bankers and accountants (here as much as in the UK). He confirmed that finding a cheap good book in NZ is not easy - unless you are a local and can go to the library.
From Te Anau (Top 10) to Tautapere (Shooters Motel and Camping) - a distance of about 100kms, or say 63 miles. We're heading south to try to make Cape Bluff in a few days, so we're now about half way to Invercargill, which is near Cape Bluff.The day was mostly undulating farmland with the Fjiordland mountains in the distance. There was a modest col about half way and rocky hills perked the scenery up for a while. We had, for most of the day, a boisterous wind behind us so we made good time. The wind became a moderate headwind for the last 14kms. Not many towns on the route today. Mohapouri early on, by Lake Mohapouri, had an interesting plaque commemorating the Save Lake Mohapouri campaign back in the 70s. I think the campaign not only succeeded in saving the lake from massive reworking for hydroelectric power but also contributed to the bringing down of the government at the subsequent election. We also saw Clifden suspension bridge - from 1899. Fascinating old bridge, no longer in use, and the longest suspension bridge in NZ for a long time. A memorial to Joseph Garthwaite, very Yorkshire, mailboy of 17, who died while trying to get the mail through a swollen river in 1865 (I think - before the bridge), was fixed to the bridge. Tuatapere is a modest town, famous for sausages (not vegetarian so we didn't sample tho' perhaps they have an organic free range sausage that might just tempt us?) and with a few old buildings. Chatted to a retired NZ teacher who talked with us of everything from teaching to books to the NZ of 20 years ago and also the familiar financial chicanery of bankers and accountants (here as much as in the UK). He confirmed that finding a cheap good book in NZ is not easy - unless you are a local and can go to the library.