Travelled: 139 kms (Total 2,374 kms)
We woke to our first frost. Our tent had been touched with the white brush and we’d remained cosy throughout – a promising start for the colder weather to come.
A quick trip to the cosy camp kitchen for warmth where we met Martin and Shannon spending the holiday weekend trail riding with their young families. Lovely to chat with them and I can attest to the quality of the cheese rolls being baked.
We of course are still relatively new to this delicacy and given the physical difficulty in rolling a slice of gluten-free bread they are pretty much off-limits to Jeanette. Martin & Shannon had bags of them; they are regarded by Southern Men it seems as an essential trail food, and mine was indeed delicious. Turns out they are leftovers from the latest school fundraising effort – a nice little earner apparently and hand rolled by the kids.
It seemed to be the place for food donations as I was also given a generous portion of a delicious chocolate mud cake by Sue and Dave. Such a great spot Ranfurly!
It promised to be a big day on the road heading across the “Pigroot” on SH85 to Dunback and so it proved.
Though there is no definitive explanation for this name & it possibly relates to an incident during John Turnbull Thomson’s survey of inland Otago in the mid 1800s. Local wild pigs were so unafraid of humans apparently that a huge boar approached his party and rubbed its nose against that of Thomson’s horse.
No noses were rubbed during our survey.
Dunback was a welcome sight after what for us was a solid day on the road, camping was at the large local domain and the toilet facilities there were brand-new and so well appointed.
The local pub was charming as were the couple who run it (and who are making significant improvements). Meals were not being served but an enquiry about a bowl of chips received a favourable response from the kitchen, yay!
Before long an enormous serving, more of a platter really, arrived, garnished with four slices of bread and an equal number of chicken tenderloins. Vegetarian principles were tested and found wanting and although we couldn’t possibly eat this quantity of food we set about the task with determination.
We ate the lot and waddled back to the domain for a very satisfactory night’s sleep & to dream of Easter Bunny.
Overnight the wind got up and boy did it blow. We were snug in our tent and the roar in the tall Douglas Firs behind us was impressive – the cones were being blown off the trees sideways.
As it was too dangerous to ride in the morning we sat tight, hoping for some respite – we had a dinner booking at Fleurs in Moeraki Village for the evening and they were then closed for the following two days – the situation was first-world desperate.
After Easter Eggs (thank you Noeline) and a cup of tea we went for a wander.
Discovering the pretty Bowker’s Bridge, before plucking up the courage to, almost literally, set-sail for Moeraki.
The riding was exciting – a combination of tail & cross winds, we were blown up hills and buffeted by strong side-winds. I cannot imagine what it would have been like without the additional ballast we had aboard.
A short visit to Palmerston and the very pretty Presbyterian Church (1876) there and we were back on the road to Moeraki and our appointment with Fleur.
SH1 this time – a rude shock after the quieter rural roads we had been riding.
It was a relief to turn off onto the road to Moeraki village despite the wide shoulder on the main highway and ongoing care we have experienced from other road users – again hat’s off to the commercial drivers who have been so courteous and careful – we so appreciate it.
We rolled into the picturesque fishing village of Moeraki and to the very welcoming Moeraki Village Holiday Park in good time to get set up for the night, have a shower and stroll down to Fleurs for dinner – two more satisfied animals you would be hard-pressed to find.
Dinner was beyond our expectations – just beautiful. There have been few meals in my life where I have deliberately taken such small fork-fulls to make it last as long as possible. Jeanette had the trio of fish and I the groper with smoked mussels – so delicious, generous portions, and so generously served – the staff were just great.
The night was still and clear and the wander back to our campsite along the shore just lovely – a good night’s sleep and rest-day tomorrow to look forward to.
Easter Monday dawned another glorious day & after a protracted breakfast (it’s true, all we ever do is eat) we explored the Esplanade Reserve.
Murmurings of a penguin uprising were evident . . .
After lunch we headed down the beach the 3km or so to the famous boulders – they look bigger on TV.
There is a plausible scientific explanation for the boulders but I prefer the Māori traditional explanation that they are remains of eel baskets, calabashes, and kumara washed ashore from the wreck of Arai-te-uru, the Ngāi Tahu ancestors’ voyaging canoe that came to rest at Shag Point.
Back to the village and The Fishwife for harbourside fish & chips. We’d heard great things about this place and it was just great – gluten free batter for Jeanette and just the freshest most delicious groper. Not bad going for us – 3 paragraphs between meals.
Another beautiful day on Tuesday and it’s off to Oamaru.
Again a lovely day & it’s on our bikes – back onto SH1 for 14km & through Hampden before turning right at the Mill House onto the beautiful coastal route to Oamaru via Kakanui – 28km of delightfully rolling country & a sigh of relief to be off the main road.
After an ice cream at the delightful seaside Kakanui, it was the final push to Oamaru and a steep-ish climb before coasting down to the centre of town.
The victorian heritage is obvious & celebrated – it must be so difficult for local bodies to maintain the fabric of the place – so many lovely limestone buildings all worthy of restoration & care.
We set up camp in the local Top 10 campground which was alongside the beautiful Oamaru public Gardens as well as the South Island Main Trunk Line which, at midnight for the two nights we were there was truly impressive – death by train seemed inevitable as we lay in our tent, seemingly camped on the tracks. Both nights it missed us by just a whisker.
We were introduced to all things Steampunk at the eponymously-named Steampunk HQ, Jeanette worked at the most excellent library and we had the obligatory beer & chips at the beautifully restored and very victorian Criterion Hotel.
Oamaru was the the last place in the South Island to resume alcohol sales in 1960 having gone dry in 1905 and we were grateful for that.
So with a fond farewell to this erstwhile bastion of victorian rectitude we headed with sober determination uphill (the uncharitable may say backwards) on the Alps to Ocean trail.
What we are reading Greg – The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell and Jeanette – The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (still!)
JG on balance 
Great photos!!! I never knew that there was a steam punk museum at Oamaru. Jealous as anything because we were meant to be doing the Alps to Ocean in March – still on the list of desirable things to do. And I love The Sparrow…….Hx
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Wonderful reading and viewing Greg and Jeanette – the detail of each small town and camping spot is quite a revelation and great to know fish n chip shop are surviving in the south. Hope the Kona Sutras are keeping up with the conditions. Got to get a new chain and possibly cassette for mine but it’s done close to 10,000kms so can’t complain! All the best for rest of trail. Michael.
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