Day 11: The Bluff

Howling winds all night rocked the shack on its wheels and rattled the door. Did I mention that the main toilet is a chemical toilet outside that has to be hand-pumped to flush, and the shower is gas-heated and requires you to balance the heat and the water pressure with one hand each, while holding the shower nozzle in the other hand that you haven't got? Travelling New Zealanders must be gobsmacked by the revelation that in some countries you can get from your bedroom to your toilet without going outside.

But I had a decent sleep and got up early with the intention of a largely local day walking around the Bluff. And I started literally by going to one end of it and following a narrow trail around the seaward side. It didn't look terribly inviting, but there were coloured posts to indicate the way, and stiles over the electrified cattle fences, so I made a start and spent an hour or so scrambling up and down over gullies in livestock pastures under the interested scrutiny of a herd of cows. Still blowing a gale, so the albatross and other big seabirds were able to hover effortlessly directly overhead. I'm not sure if they were trying to poop on me, but if they were it would have gone well to leeward.

I finally reached the end of that part of the trail to discover a sign indicating that, as I had come to suspect, it was officially closed--and had been since 2017. Which is a shame, because although it was a struggle, it was a really spectacular walk.

The remainder was much tamer, through bushland along the edge of the coast and eventually back to Sterling Point, which is where I left off yesterday. I found a nice cafe that the visiting bikers seemed to have missed, and had a mug of coffee and a home made blueberry muffin to supplement my packed lunch. And a bottle of excellent Christchurch porter which I bought at the local liquor store here for the absurd price of $2.50. 

Rested up briefly back at the shack, then took the car out to explore the remaining sights of The Bluff. This entailed driving back towards town a little way to see an old church and to follow a boardwalk to a beach where several shipwrecks are visible. I think the signs predate the boardwalk, because they say things like 'The rocks you are standing on are metamorphic...', when you're not standing on rocks at all.

Back at the Bluff I called in at the Maritime Museum, which has a large but haphazard collection of memorabilia and one large intact fishing boat that you can climb around. I gave one visitor a dreadful fright as I was climbing back out of the galley into the wheelhouse; I think he thought I was a zombie pirate come to life.

Called in at The Bluff Library to try and use their internet, but was unable to connect. At least it was a warm quiet place to compose yesterday's message. And my final trip for the day was up to the very top of Bluff Hill, where there is a lookout, and the winds blow harder than anywhere else.

And so to another night of howling gales shaking the shack. The Bluff might be quite a nice place when the wind's not blowing, but I wouldn't know it.


--
Jon Jermey
Indexer and database consultant
042 535 0422
webindexing.com.au

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tolldown to Bath via the American Museum: 25/4/23

 Tolldown's full English breakfast at the Crown was less generous than most other places, with only one small slice of toast and a single egg, but it was adequate, and I set out for the drive towards Bath in bright sunshine and a good mood -- which abated as I wrestled with the traffic. I had decided to come in obliquely via the large recreation areas to the south-east of Bath, but even getting there involved lots of narrow roads, up and down hills, one-way traffic lights for roadworks, and crossing the centre line to get around parked cars. On the way I drove through Bathhampton, which is where Arthur Phillip came from, and is buried, though I didn't know it at the time. This is also where they have a genuine private toll bridge, with two collectors holding out a bag and getting GBP1 from every car that comes through. At about 9:30 I reached my first destination, the American Museum, set up on the outskirts of Bath by yet another couple of rich gay Americans. This claims to be...
Read more

Day 5: Dunedin

Started the day with a walk down from the ridge of the Otago Peninsula. All the walks here either go straight up a mountain or straight down to the sea, so I went down as far as I could in the time available and then toiled back up again. Nice views over the sea and green farmlands, including some geese waddling uphill in a long line to be fed. In Dunedin I booked the coastal rail trip for 11.10 and then just strolled around a bit. They have closed off the famous Octagon to traffic, and the retailers aren't happy about it. Even with bunting and a stage it doesn't look particularly glamorous; I can't see it becoming a tourist mecca, even wth the visiting cruise liners. Caught the train along the coast and got to see the other side of the bay. Again, very spectacular views, with the same train captain giving his travelogue; but a much shorter trip which doesn't actually end anywhere important; just stops and turns around. Back in Dunedin I had fish and chips for lunch and...
Read more

Day 14: Te Anau to Alexandra

Quite a long drive, with a choice of routes. I chose to avoid the long windy mountain route with sections called things like 'The Devil's Staircase' and took the slightly longer (+15 mins) alternative back through Gore. The splendid weather continues, with bright sunshine all day and sunburn a real hazard. By the evening the temperature had risen to 29, and then the breeze kicked in. I stopped once for coffee in the morning, then continued on to Gore, where I had a pork burrito for lunch. Everything was open this time but I was still unable to find a place where I could get just, say, a Caesar salad. But the burrito was nice, and I ate it beside the river which was bursting its banks just a couple of days ago. Turned north at Gore and followed the Clutha River through the middle of the island. There was a bit of up-and-down but not too much, and some nice towns along the way. I stopped at Roxburgh for a stroll around, anf again at Alexandra itself, which has its o...
Read more