Kotuku

Blip -Thursday 12/4/12

Had a pretty good night's sleep until the local rooster started crowing about 4.00am! Have to say I'd rather have him than noisy traffic though :)

Got up about 8.00, dressed, packed up (morning routines take on a whole new dimension in the van!) then set off to Lake Mahinapua for breakfast. Had a beautifully leisurely time and afterwards, found this Kotuku enjoying his breakfast on the lake shore too.

Tootled my way down the coast stopping when I felt like it and loving the freedom I felt - the timelessness of the holidays is something I treasure (as soon as the term ends I remove my watch and I don't put it back on again until we return to work for the new term).

This section of the West Coast is unique and special - the Southern Alps start looming up to the east and the Tasman Ocean relentlessly pounds the shores to the west. In between there is only a relativley slender tract of land that just a few thousand hearty souls call 'home'. Tourism and dairying are the big employers but as the tourist numbers decline after the rush of summer the roads now, in Autumn, are almost empty and driving is easy, relaxed and fun. A nice local law enforcement officer even took the time to stop me to give me a special lesson on how to use single-lane bridges (of which there are multitudes on the Coast) correctly ;) Thank you officer :)

Decided that tonight's resting spot would be a rugged wee outpost at Gillespie's Beach, (hardly a remote and desolate spot these days - I'm sharing it with about 30 other campers!). Caught the last rays of the day on the beach itself - to the east setting over Mounts Cook and Tasman and to the west over the Tasman Ocean. I'm considering a very early start tomorrow to take a walk around Lake Matheson in the hope of capturing the perfect reflection of the 2 mountains. Best start thinking about bed now then.

G'night all :)