the vet's Blog; Wandering NZ

Time flies.....I’ll just pick up from the present and look back over the last few days for the highlights.
I’m sitting here on my yellow waterproof bag because the grass is already dewey. Its about 9:30 pm and the sun is finally setting. I lose track of the time because of the long days. I find myself doing stuff until late...then the shops are closed...Oyy! Its not that summers aren’t long in the US, but its Winter! I am in a hippie camp in Takaka, Golden Bay. The rap around here is free living, kind of hippie-dom, and it seems true to that. Beautiful beaches, the greenest green pastures contrasting the blue-est skies and water....at high tide. The tides are extreme because the bay is shallow, and therefore mud flats when the tide is out. I’ve ridden up to the top and then over to the west coast for a peek. All narrow gravel roads, tight blind corners...as one local said, the roads are OK, “the users make it dangerous” , and this time of year there are loads of holiday travelers about. All the motels and backpackers and campgrounds are full; mostly with NZers on holiday, but an abundance of international travelers as well; mostly European and mostly young. A local to Golden bay says yes, the European women travelers are a summer bonus around here, 75% of which are single or dont seem to remember their boyfriends back home, according to James. My first peek of the west coast was beautiful. Limestone cliffs and formations, green paddocks, and still rural---sheep and cows. In short order I’ve learned NZ seems first and foremost a rural agricultural country.....all the space in between is farms....and there is a lot of in between. So, I’m camped tonight practically under a bridge over the Takaka river. Its a free camping area, one night only, and it too is almost full with camper vans filled with young hippies doing god knows what here....maybe for the New Years festival outside of town?...a 3 days music gig sounding something like a Woodstock type scene...camping, music, revelry....drugs? Anyway, near guarantee I am the oldest one camping here tonight. Takeaway fish and chips for dinner, and some Victoria Bitter, which I haven’t had since Queensland Australia over 20 years ago. I fished today all day on some of the upper reaches of the Takaka river. I was on private access water (I think). Beautiful clear river with some awesome stretches and holes that definitely should have had fish....but I saw nothing and did not even get a bump...hmmm. I know in fished it well, and used some very generic tried and true flies. As said, I didn’t even see a fish and I was in the water all day...nothing even spooked. Did see a large fresh water eel...that’s a first
Checked my spam Google email and found I had missed some messages from Roy the Nelson Wine tour guide, still on for fishing Tuesday, but messages 2 days old...called him, he has to work...gave me some tips and said, maybe next time mate....its all good. Yesterday I left Collingwood early and drove north. I stopped at a pullof at an awesome stretch of beach at high tide at about 11 am. The sign said private, no camping, so I felt obligated to stop and go to the nearest house and ask permission to park and sit on the beach. I drove up to the house and knocked on a few doors, but no answer. then a car pulled up, and a younger fella got out carrying a long screwdriver and looking like he might stab me. He asked what I wanted..”do you live here?” I asked..” whats it to you” he said. Not the NZ friendliness I had heard of. I told him I just wanted to ask permission to access the beach from his property. He asked if I was named Raleigh....a trouble making American the law was after.......he had a skeptical look and then said it was OK to use the beach after I told him I wasn’t the infamous Raleigh, also from California. Damn, that was not a very friendly encounter....but after about 30 minutes on the beach, along he comes with 2 ginger beers in his hand. Sorry mate, want a ginger beer, didn’t mean the misunderstanding back there.....what evolved was me wake boarding with James (29 yr old local, 3 rd generation farmers) for most of the rest of the day, and an invitation to fish and have a few beers after I was back from the west coast. After wake boarding for a couple of hours we had lunch at the Schoolhouse Cafe, actually the school James’ Dad went to when he was a kid. Turns out James’ family owns quite a bit of land right there in that area...papakura? Shit, could be resorts and condos some day. Hate to see that happen in this beautiful place, but seems inevitable. The campgrounds are full summer after summer, someday a developer will come along and a farmer will trade his heritage for cash. Don’t let it happen NZ!
I stayed in Collingwood one night at the campground. Met a couple from Wanganui; Sam and Roni. Sam was about 60, don’t know about Roni who was Maori. They seemed a very compatible couple, had driven over on their Suzuki Bandit 1250 packed to the hilt with all their camping gear (and as many beer bottles as Roni could stuff in, as she said); pretty adventuresome couple. He was a trucker in NZ and Australia, she has her own greeting card business, and together they own about 7 properties they rent. They love to live life doing stuff, they fish and travel and camp; he used to run a fishing charter. Had a few beers with them at the local bar and played some pool. They invited me Marlin fishing with them in March up North of Auckland....awesome, if I can get off of work for it. Sam was pissed by the end of the night, but still very insightful and seemed to have a lot of simple wisdom. As pissed as he was, he listened carefully to everything I was saying.....overall, seemed to have a good read on life for a simple man.
The 2 days before my drive up to Golden Bay (the 26 and 27th), I had driven up the Motueka Valley, which is another beautiful valley filled with fruit, hops and vineyard. I fished a tributary river of the Motueka called the Baton, about 15 Km up a dirt/gravel road. It was a relatively small river and I saw some big beautiful Brown trout, but had no luck catching. The sandflies ate me alive, in spite of the repellent I had (no DEET!). After fishing, I drove out to a Recreation area along the Motueka, south of the Woodstock bridge and camped there for the night after another hour of fishing. I had about half a bottle of Pinot Noir leftover from Christmas, and in spite of having been opened and sitting in my pannier in the sun, it was still delicious----Rumi (I think) vineyard, Motueka valley. I think it was bread and sardines for dinner. Fished again the next morning....nothing, but saw a huge one...getting closer to understanding these fish and these waters..won’t be long before I have it figured out....maybe I’m just impatient. In any event, it was a beautiful sunny day and I found a nice private deep swimming hole to shed clothes and take a swim, then bake on the rocks for a bit. From there, it was up to Collingwood for the night as above.

After my night in Collingwood and day with James including a jaunt on gravel over to the West coast for a peek, I spent a night in Takaka at the River Inn--camped on the paddock. Next day fished the Takaka river, the free camped at the hippie camp.

I woke up this am in the hippie camp, seems like ages ago, ready to leave Golden Bay...but after a quick tourist stop at Pu Pu Springs, the largest natural springs in Australasia. Pretty cool sight, a whole river just pushing up out of the ground; the clearest water I have ever seen in an area experiencing come back and regrowth after extensive Gold mining in the very early 1900s (sluice mining).
Hit the road. Drove down to Murchison where I got some lunch, and some internet time. Also contacted Hinny to learn that I could probably catch his group in ChCh for New Years. So I back tracked to St. Arnaud and got on a gravel road called the Rainbow road. It goes from just outside of St. Arnaud south to Hanmer Springs; about 112 Km with maybe 6-8 wet fords, one deep one. Again, very happy with the bike. Some of the road had real loose rocks, not even gravel, and the one ford was kind of deep, so it was sketchy at times, but by 50 km into the ride, I found myself cruising along at a good speed....like anything else, you just kind of have to let go, and keep looking far down the road. It was an awesome drive through this valley, taking me up pretty high at times, above tree line, and traversing parts of the Molesworth Station; the largest cattle station in NZ. Im camped here on the bank of the Clarence River, just North of Hanmer springs. No one around, the wind blowing pretty good. A more barren, but nonetheless beautiful spot, and decided to save some $$ on accommodation again. Will fish this river for a few hours in the morning, then hit some of the hot springs in the morning for a soak, then try to catch up with Hinny’s group near ChCh. Battery on the computer almost out.....caught up, just need to add some pictures. later.....

New Years Eve! Its never been a big occasion for me. yesterday was a great day; loved the remoteness of the gravel Rainbow road and my private little campsite right along the Clarence river. Big fish teasing me again this am. The holes that should have fish but I can’t see any yield nothing to my flies, although I am ill equipped in terms of fly selections. Then I walk skeptically up to a new hole, right to the edge and peek in, and sure enough I see at least one fish...and spook it at the same time. I’m starting to believe as I’ve been told, that the rivers here in the south hold big fish, but few of them...thus the sight fishing. I have also learned that the bike can easily manage the gravel and reasonable fords, and I like exploring off the beaten path....the Hema book says this road was for most experienced gravel navigators and “definitely a road less traveled” I will be looking for more of those with rivers along side. What beautiful unspoiled country side...with a bunch of untested trout! AWESOME. I came down into Hanmer Springs this am. I can’t believe the number of outdoor enthusiasts this county holds. Every car and camper has kayaks or bikes strapped to them. I see numerous long haul push bikers on the roads, and many even in unlikely places like the Rainbow road. Sweet! Had some breakfast in town and then to the hot springs. Very nice, but built up a bit. Pools and little ponds of varying temps. I sat back in a 36 degree pool and started to laugh, thinking about people I know back home......Life is Good! I spent about 2 hours there, now typing in a pub, having a beer and recharging computer and iPod so I can have tunes on the road again. I think I’d like to stay in this little town for New Years; it has a Colorado ski town feel to it. We’ll see what Hinny and his group are up to. I’d like to be around some people tonight. I love the time by myself, but sometimes feeling more social

Pics here (will learn to embed later!): http://www.yourvet.org/Site/Photos.html