An Early Taste Of Winter

We are in our last week here, and New Zealand is suddenly having an early taste of winter.
Monday we had the last of our long walks based on Alexandra. Tuesday morning we loaded up and set off for Oamaru, where we are spending our last week. But first we headed for Dunedin, where we met Lyn and Selwyn Cardno of Kaka Point (we stayed with them in early February) and their daughter Steph, plus baby, for lunch.

The drive to Dunedin was through very cold and wet weather, with the promised snow clearly landing on the hills down to a height of 600 metres. Fortunately we were heading to the coast because central South Island was receiving a lot of the white stuff.

We had a jolly time over lunch with our friends, then set off once again for Oamaru. Some time later, we again left Dunedin for Oamaru, because we had to return, when we were a third of the way into the journey, because I had once again done my famous act of leaving my bum bag, complete with wallet, passport, telephone and much else, behind in the restaurant.

We arrived in Oamaru not long before darkness descended. There is not much long walking to be done here so this morning we once again did the Skyline Walk, which is pretty hilly but only about 7.5 kms. With various bits of pottering about, our total for the day is already over 17 kms and will be over 20 by the rest of the day. It is bitterly cold, but dry. We spent the afternoon in the cinema, watching “The Merchant of Venice”. Venice did not look much warmer, and was very wet.

A week today we shall be on the great silver bird to Adelaide.