Friday, February 29, 2008

Go there! .... or got there....

Wednesday 27 February
There at last!
I left Tuhitarata about 10.30, walking along the eastern stopbank. The river looked sparkling – there was next to no wind and the day was not too warm yet.

The first real problem was the Turanganui River – it was not too wide but it was chest deep- and muddy bottomed. I had to cross it, so I did but I wasn’t too happy about it.

I was even less happy when I came across a herd of cows on the stopbank, protected by an electric fence across the stopbank, and wires along the edge of the bank. I had to choose between the electricity and the cows. The electricity won out, and I crawled under the hot wires on the side of the stopbank, past the cows. They watched me, then moved away – of course.

The view to the west is stunning – the Rimutaka Ranges look fabulous – better and better the further south you go. At one stage a cloud conveniently parked itself for me to take a photograph.

It was great to get to the end of the river and move around the beach at Lake Onoke. There are some huge driftwood logs stranded like whales on the beach.

I walked down to the point where the river rushes through the Onoke Spit to meet the sea.
It was about 4.30 when I made it to the Lake Ferry Hotel, to sit and marvel at the view, and have a very cold Heineken.

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