We had three days to spend before needing to be back in Geraldine so we decided that we would use the time to explore the hinterland of Timaru. This is an area that I had grown up and gone to school in. Of course all of this was new to Stephen and he was keen to have a look around too.
Our first stop was Pleasant Point, just 13km from Timaru and a popular spot. We pulled up outside the Museum and Historic Railway where there was plenty of parking for a bus and car. Being a Monday the Railway museum was closed but it is certainly well worth a visit on a day when it is opened.
A quick walk up on the hill behind the old Post Office gave us a great view across the township and out into the surrounding farmland. Our destination for the night was Pioneer Park at Raincliff, a DOC camp that said access was on a gravel road with some overhanging trees. What our information didn’t tell us that there was a ford to cross and after heavy rain could be swollen and difficult for low heavy vehicles such as ours. The car had to be disconnected from the bus so that Stephen could back out the kilometre or so and onto the road again. Before doing that we drove the car (it has 4WD capabilities) up to the camp for a look. It is a beautiful area that in autumn was looking very pretty with the combination of exotic and native trees. It is a place that we would like to return to on a drier day as there were several walking tracks to explore.
We headed back to Raincliff and found a spot to park for the night beside the bridge.
The next morning we walked along the road, past the Historic Church and up to a Historic Reserve site to look at the remains of Maori rock drawings. Unfortunately time and vandals has not been kind to them and much of the artwork. Fences have had to be erected to help protect them. Much of the area is limestone and there are many outcrops and overhangs/caves. Hanging rock is another such site of historic significance and although we didn’t visit this place we did park beside the Hanging Rock bridge for our lunch. This picnic spot had an information board explaining how the surrounding area is the only home of the longtailed bats, NZ’s only mammal.
This link gives further information: Long-Tailed Bat Facts
This picnic spot was also home to two chooks and a cat. We love to forage and did wonder if there was an egg or two to be found but decided not to bother.
Not far from here was our next camp site. The Waitohi Bush Reserve is situated high up on the rolling downs and commands great views as far as the sea beyond Temuka. Unless you knew this reserve was here it wasn’t a place you would find by accident. There is a small remanant of native bush with a couple of tracks through it. The tracks could do with some maintenance to keep them clear but certainly worth it just for listening to all the birdlife. All along the track we were kept company by a couple of little piwakawaka (fantails.) They are such busy little creatures that getting that photograph for this post was impossible. The photo below is courtesy of the DOC website!
We were pleased we had taken the time to do this tiki tour around through this area. We travelled along roads that I never knew existed and visited places that I had heard talked about over the years. Hazelburn was an area I was keen to drive through as this is where my maternal Grandfather’s family farmed. There's not much left in that district now except a war memorial.
One place that we didn’t see this time, but have in the past, was the Richard Pearse (supposedly the first person to fly a plane) memorial which can also in the Waitohi district.
The next morning we walked along the road, past the Historic Church and up to a Historic Reserve site to look at the remains of Maori rock drawings. Unfortunately time and vandals has not been kind to them and much of the artwork. Fences have had to be erected to help protect them. Much of the area is limestone and there are many outcrops and overhangs/caves. Hanging rock is another such site of historic significance and although we didn’t visit this place we did park beside the Hanging Rock bridge for our lunch. This picnic spot had an information board explaining how the surrounding area is the only home of the longtailed bats, NZ’s only mammal. 
No comments:
Post a Comment