Otago Central Rail Trail - Day 1

Otago Central Rail Trail

The Clyde Rail Head is only but metres from our property in Clyde and ever since the trail has been open we have promised ourselves to do at least some of it. We have, over several occasions biked the section to Alexandra but never any further.  So when we finished our contract at the Camping Ground off we set.

We decided that we would take the bus to use our accommodation, and relocate the car along the trail as needed.  Our visit stop was Omakau and we set up camp beside the river, just over the bridge. That evening we did a warm up ride around the Ophir-Omakau loop which is just a mere 6km.

The original Post Office at Ophir which now comes under the NZ Historic Trust ownership.

The 1880 Daniel O’Connell suspension bridge with its stone piers crosses the Manuherikia River at Ophir.

 
We got ourselves well organised in good time the next morning and drove to Hayes Engineering at Oturehua. This is another Historic Trust site and there is also camping for here for NZ Motorhome Association members. We left the car and set off on our bikes the 30km to Omakau.
This is an excellent ride. The section through the Poolburn Gorge is particularly interesting with its tunnels, the remains of a workmen's camp site and the opportunity to see our threatened New Zealand falcon/kārearea. We briefly saw 2-3 of these birds flying/swooping in the distance and heard their distinctive “kekking” call.  

About to start at Oturehua

Ida Burn Dam

The Poolburn viaduct.

Tunnel entrance

Looking towards one of the tunnel entrances.

Below are photos of the remains of the 'living along the line.'

We stopped for some lunch at Lauder before heading along the trail and back to Omakau by just after 1pm.  After a rest and a cuppa we relocated the bus to the Hayes Engineering site where we camped for the night.

9th Wedding Anniversary

Wednesday was our wedding anniversary. Nine years since that very hot day on Invercargill which is hard to believe. I think nearly every year it has been the same (24 degrees this year) so obviously a good day to choose for an event in Southland.

This year of course we were in Clyde and had to work in the morning.   We got our cleaning all done in good time and after showering and sprucing ourselves up we headed off to a local cafe/restaurant for lunch. The Packing Shed and Gallery is on a side road off  the Earnscleugh Road and so with a good recommendation off we went. We weren't disappointed. It is set in a large garden with lots of tables both under trees or umbrellas.
Packing Shed and Gallery

Stephen had a lovely steak and my meal was the salmon. This was all enjoyed with a glass each of Two Paddocks Reisling (from Sam Neill's vineyard).

After our meal Stephen was keen to get the boat into the water, so we loaded up with some food for a light tea, our books and his fishing line. But it wasn't going to be our day, in this regard.
Firstly a piece for the rigging was missing so it meant that we weren't going to be able to hoist the sails, and just motor instead.  Next problem - the outboard didn't want to go. Eventually it started but it wasn't going with confidence. We headed up the lake about 500m, never far from the shore and tied up to try and relax. After a cuppa we decided that we really should probably head back just incase the outboard caused more trouble.  We limped back to the boat ramp and then when Stephen backed the bus down with the trailer the bus stalled and it decided it didn't want to start again. It never doesn't start. Stephen doesn't usually get frustrated but this was enough to strain the calmest of us. Fortunately with a bit of heat to the 'plugs' it started, the boat was loaded onto its trailer and hauled out of the water. It is now back in Shields Street in its park behind the garage and probably won't be out again till next season. In the meantime the outboard has had a serious 'look at' and Stephen thinks he has identified the problem part which of course will need to be replaced.

A well fed rabbit!!

As we draw to the end of our contract at the camping ground we decided to spend the last couple of nights up beside the Clyde Dam, on the edge of Lake Dunstan. This is a popular spot with both locals and freedom campers. A boat ramp and safe swimming area provide a lovely recreational area for holiday makers and locals, and freedom campers are permitted to stay three nights as long as they are self contained certified. The area is also home to the local rowing club so all in all it is a popular area.

Stephen was keen to get Roma (the yacht) in the water for a sail as well as a fish.  Since we don't now own a suitable vehicle for towing it, the bus had to suffice.  The rules allow us to be up to 17m in length, which we do with a metre to spare. It was quite a sight seeing the two Romas heading across the historic bridge in Clyde.

It didn't take us long to set up camp, along with just some of the 'garden'.  The remainder has gone back to Shields Street in the meantime.

You could imagine my horror when we got up the next morning to find that we had had a visit from a rabbit overnight. He must have thought all his Christmases had come at once!!!

They are now taken inside the safety of the bus each night. 

Pole Lady

The newest addition to our garden in Shields Street in Clyde is our 'pole lady.'  She arrived a couple of weeks ago and she now has pride of place in our garden by the driveway, just inside our boundary.

 Each week I receive the 'Getgrowing' electronic newsletter from NZ Gardener and they always have several competitions in the form of draws. There is no skill to entering, just simply send off an email with your details.  So just before Christmas I was delighted to see my name in the prize list for one of the Pole People from Victorian Woodwork in Geraldine. I have long admired these garden sculptures Pole People from Victorian Woodworks  in Geraldine. You have probably seen many of these 'people' around the country.




The one that arrived for me is the 'Lady' and she is holding a basket. We decided that she would be great to display our street number. We live up a leg in driveway with three other houses and often guests get confused as to which is our place. So she now proudly stands guard to our property, standing among the lavenders, displaying our street number. Stephen has concreted her into the ground so that she can't wander off.

Gardening, bus style.

As we are parked in the camping ground for six weeks I thought that I would like to have some of my garden with me. I love to be able to pick a herb or two to enhance my meals, to make a salad. It always reminds me of my late friend, Nelda, who did the same thing when she went off camping in her van. All along the front dash she had little pots of herbs to use.

And so I have a collection of various varieties of lettuce, micro greens such as rocket and mesculin, parsley, chives and basil, radishes and some struggling tomatoes. 

The large corflute boxes (that the supermarkets get their grapes in) make ideal planters for a variety of vegetables. My lettuces grow like 'mushrooms'.  I grow micro greens in seed trays lined with weed mat and they are an excellent way to add variety to your salads. I snip the leaves carefully when they are about 5cm in height so that they hopefully will keep growing a little longer.
My favourite radish is Yates 'Gentle Giant' which is unfortunately a hydrid (more of this in a later post) but it does grow to a large size without getting stringy or bolting to seed.


The sad tomatoes are 'Minibelle' from Kings Seeds, and replaces their variety Tumbler. Their website says the following and has this photo!!!!

'Bright red ornamental cherry tomato with juicy bite sized fruit. Compact, dwarf growing and bushy by nature, the fruit are very early to ripen and are ideal for pots, window boxes, balconies and containers.'  





These are mine so I am not sure what has happened to them. Maybe I just need to be patient as I can see one or two flowers that have set.

To complete our 'mobile' garden I have a couple of hanging baskets. The mirrors at the front of the bus make ideal hanging positions - while of course we are parked permanently here in the camp. They won't take so kindly to a trip down the road!

Cleaning at the Clyde Holiday Park

Two weeks on and we are looking forward to our first pay!!!

It took us a few days to get ourselves into a routine but we seem to have it down to a fine art now.

27 toilets, 5 urinals, 23 showers, 21 hand-basins, 2 kitchens and 2 laundries.  

We work best as a team and over the very busy Christmas/New Year period we were doing our first clean at 6:30am. This is not Stephen's best time of the day but we managed. It took us about an hour, mostly to make sure that the toilets and basins were clean ready for the campers when they got up for their morning ablutions.  We found this was also the best time to give the kitchens a thorough clean as later in the morning it was virtually impossible with the campers all washing their dishes or making their breakfasts.

A break for our breakfast and a bit of a rest before we do the main clean. This takes us anywhere from a two hours to nearly three. All the showers, floors and toilets get a thorough clean. Toilet paper needs to be replenished and rubbish removed.  So far we haven't had too many awful 'incidents' to clean and even New Years morning was no worse than any other day. 

The rest of the day is really our own, excepting a couple of hours that I do in the office. It almost feels like we are on holiday!!!

The last day of 2013

What an amazing year we have had when we reflect on what we have done and where we have been. We wonder what 2014 will bring.




Our year started with the major renovation work on No 41 Rakiura
Parade in Otatara.






 This was followed by a trip to Geraldine to help out my Mum and Dad while Mum recuperated after some elective surgery. Next we managed a bit of a road to trip that took us to Christchurch, the Coast and up as far as Murchison.  Two weddings were next followed by another trip to Geraldine to help Dad celebrate his 90th birthday.




Invercargill beckoned again as we had a change of tenant in our own house in Otatara. This would have had to been the easiest turn around of tenants we have ever had. Craig and Jay left the place in an immaculate condition with only a window sill in the garage needing a wipe.





A catch up with Leigh was had in Invercargill as he was working as part of the crew with Stage Challenge (they tour the country working with young people in the theatre.)







Back to Clyde for a rest and regroup before we headed off to Australia at the end of June for two months. Our trip to the Blue Mountains was a real highlight and a thank you to Rob and Helen for letting us stay in their holiday house. We were welcomed into the Medlow Bath community and made lots of new friends. It is a great place for a holiday if you like the outdoors and especially walking.

Since then our base has been Clyde. It has been nice to spend some extended time here completing some of those jobs on the never ending list of things we want done. We have also managed to plant a garden and are now reaping the rewards of our efforts with fresh vegetables.

October saw another trip to Christchurch to yet another wedding (how many in 12 months I ask - 5!!) some 4WD trips, some maintenance work in the form of sprucing up the bathroom in our TeAnau rental and then down to Invercargill again for the official opening of the Nature Centre at the Community Nursery.
News and Events at the Community Nursery

Another diversion was next for me. This time to return to Geraldine to help Mum and Dad again while Mum recuperated. This time after a heart attack and two stents being put in. All three of their daughters took time to come and help and Dad now knows why he has three daughters!!!!

Late November sees me back in Invercargill to help with the hireage of the Federation of Graduate Women's academic dress. Most of the High Schools in and around Invercargill hire it for their staff to wear at their prize givings. It is quite a big job but well worth it for the funds that are raised for scholarships for women in education.


Our two final activities for the year have been to prepare our 'flat' for holiday accommodation over the Christmas/New Year period. We advertised it on Holiday Houses Sunny Clyde Holiday Retreat  and the site has worked very well for us. We were very pleased with how it looks and in fact I wouldn't mind a holiday there myself!!!!
Now we are camping at the Clyde Holiday Camp. This is no holiday though. We are in our first paid jobs for over 18 months, working mostly as cleaners with some office work as well. So far we are enjoying the experience though Stephen is not so good on the 6:30am starts. He really isn't a morning person but I love that hour of the day.

So here we are at the end of the year looking forward to the new one. Our evening will be a quite one (we hope) as we still have to rise before 6:30 to do our cleaning.

Happy New Year.