We woke up to rain and a very wet tent for the first time on the trip. We took down the tent as best we could, hanging it in a shelter for a bit before packing it up. The walking plan was off as we don't have any coats, and to top off the bad start the awful Christmas CD we'd bought yesterday was now jammed in the car player and even the radio didn't work, it could be a long six weeks.
Hoping to clear the rain we set off out of the Mountains in search of a DoC further south. We drove for an hour or so on the main highway then moved east onto a gravel path complete with collapsing tress, gale force winds, and gushing ford. It was a long 20 km before we got up to the site and pitched up. As soon as we'd got the tent up a big gust of wind hit the tent and it looked ready to snap in two, so we took the tent down returned the 20km we'd driven half an hour before and joined the local old folk's at the Caravanning Clubs Christmas party..........