New Zealand and Oz 2023-2024

We decide that as Mike had to get back to Christchurch we would head back up to Karamea. After a night freedom camping at Westport to give a chance to do a bit of shopping and buy provisions we got on our way.
Only back one day and Steve thought he would try fishing on the river. He had been trying for four hours to catch something when a local rocked up with his very expensive kit. He could cast twice as far as Steve with his small reel. We watched as he pulled in three Kahawai. Then Steve got a bite but as he reeled it in it jumped out of the water, did a somersault and freed itself. Within a couple of minutes he had caught another one this time he managed to land it.
Back to the campground ,Colin weighed it and it came in at a very respectable 4 1/ 2 lbs.
After cleaning it we decided to have salad for tea, too much blood and guts but did eat it in a fish curry the following night. Kahawai is quite a strong tasting fish so not great just grilled.
The weather has been much better,, the wind has died down and we have west coast sunsets, summer starts at the beginning of January.
Did an excellent four and a half hour walk on the Fenian walkway to Adam’s Flatt. Following an old gold miners bridleway. We reflected the whole time on how hardy these people were to carve their way through dense forest up in the hills three hours away from civilisation. Brilliantly maintained by DOC there was a reproduction of the original slab house on Adam’s Flatt, a small clearing ,that they would have lived in. Kitted out with a platform, hikers use it for overnights today. Had a great day!!!
Went up to the end of the road 16km beyond Karamea, the start of the Heapy track one of NZ’s great walks. There was a DOC campsite, would have camped there but there was a lot of sandflies. We walked the first hour of the Heapy track to Scott’s Beach. Like being on a desert island. Just wonderful!En savoir plus