Day 59 - Thu 17 May - Dunedin Yahoo - a fine day! However we did go to a nearby laundromat and put our washing through the dryer as well as washer. We've decided to go on the Taieri Gorge Railway tomorrow so went down to the Railway Station to sort out our tickets. It looks promising for a good day tomorrow. There were busloads of tourists buzzing about the station. The afternoon's job was to prepare and fit the new fridge vent cover and Bruce was happy with...

Day 58 - Wed 16 May - Ranfurly to Dunedin We figured it was easier to shop at the local Ranfurly Four Square rather than find a supermarket in Dunedin later on. We drove over what is known as the Pig Root mostly up in the cloud layer until we got over Dead Horse Pinch. We were pretty slow going up there but little traffic on the road today. We stopped to photograph Bowkers Bridge near Dunback and discovered it was a Lions Project to clear and preserve the ar...

Day 57 - Tues 15 May - Ranfurly Another frosty start but not as cold this morning - the water won't be frozen over at the dump station today! We packed our lunch and went through Naseby and on to unsealed Dansey's Pass Road. There had been a huge gold mining operation at Kyeburn Diggings and the landscape reflected this. We stopped for a coffee at the Dansey's Pass Hotel (well worth a stop) and then on to the top of the Pass. It was another stunning drive (i...

Day 56 - Mon 14 May - Ranfurly Wow! A cracker frost at -2'C outside this morning but a stunning day to go and explore. We turned off towards Oturehua to go to a gold mine but stopped in a hurry as the ford was washed away with a steep drop! We backtracked and headed for St Bathans and the Blue Lake. Quaint buildings still remain at St Bathans and the area around the Blue Lake, where we had our lunch, was like a moonscape from the sluicing. It was most intere...

Day 55 - Sun 13 May - Alexandra to Ranfurly Mothers' Day today and time to explore Clyde's heritage buildings. It was very foggy to start with so not as warm today. We stopped for lunch at the Old Post Office in Clyde which was very busy with lots of family groups. IIt was a lovely old building. We drove up to the Clyde Dam lookout and then over the river to a freedom camping spot just up from the dam. A very pretty spot right on the water and restricted to ...