My trip to the Antipodes

Tuesday 27th January

Carolyn assures me that for the last few weeks the weather has been really hot, "in the 30s". She also tells me that the view from the farm to the maountains across the plain is fantastic and that on a really clear day you can see Mt  Cook, umpteen miles away.

I have needed to apply much imagination. Steady drizzly rain all day, what mountains? So after an early lunch, Peter takes us all off in the MPV the 40 kilometers to them. Via the Rakaia Gorge to a walk up to The Sharplin Falls on Tinstone creek. Wet all day but good excersize and wonderful country. Semitropical rain forest within a steep sided gorge and absolutely no-one else there.

Rain guage back at the ranch showed 5ml but we reckon that we had plenty more of that where we had been. Anyway, by this evening the cloud is clearing and the forecast for tomorrow is getting warmer and sunnier. I shall be heading south to Mt Cook and beyond. Could be my first night under canvas so need to buy breakfast and after todays soaking probably some better waterproofs and a fleece.

I shall upload the few photos from today but it could be awhile before you get any more. Just the odd para to let you know where I am.

bfn  from Grandad.  10pm Tuesday evening.