Today, we headed out on adventure, up the west coast of
Coromandel peninsula. We had no idea how far we would get, as there were
warnings of slips (landslides) and
downed trees. The roads are generally narrow and very twisty anyway, so it was a
little disconcerting to add obstacles and other unknowns.
As we went, we gained confidence that it was at least safe
to be out and about. We were almost alone on the road at first, mind you it was
relatively early on Sunday morning. Driving up the coast was definitely easier
than riding bicycles as we're more used
to, though not much faster. We averaged only about 30 kmph on the unsealed (gravel)
roads. Often on the tightest curves, with visibility of only a couple of car
lengths, rocks from above littered the road forcing us to take up the whole of
it. Not far from our mind was a story, not long ago, of some tourist getting
swept to their death by a slip.
By the way, there are no guard rails, just the odd marker
along the edge and death's door. But there were lots of pull-offs to let others
pass and often even room to stop where the coastal scenery was spectacular.
After a few hours, we made it to the tip of Peninsula, Port Jackson. It's wasn't anything
special, except to say we had reached our destination and needed to return the
way we had come. It was the end of the road.
On our way back, we stopped at a roadside park, Fantail Bay.
We talked to a guy wearing a T skirt saying "Camp Manager" across the back. He
lived in a camper van positioned front and center. There was a homemade sign in
the window, "Camp Manager". The guy
may or may not have held an official position with the exception of in his
mind. However, he was friendly and knowledgeable enough to warn we not take one
track due to it being in poor condition, and recommend another instead.
This was our first tramp in New Zealand. That's one of the
things we had come here for. The track started out somewhat over grown, but as
we climbed it became less so. It was relatively steep and continuously so. The
tracks are usually rated for their degree of difficulty, though this one was
not. As we climbed, it became apparent we would reach low clouds and rain, and
we did.
At that point, going further seemed futile as we couldn't
see anything anyway. The track was not circular, so we retraced our steps. It
was a good renewed experience for us, and it brought back memories of hiking in
Switzerland.
Driving back on the road, we came across a herd of sheep
being herded by a shepherd on a motorcycle, and his dog following behind. The
dog trotted along as though he was just a follower without a care in the world.
We doddled along behind too for several minutes until the herd slowed to enter
a field. The herd started to break into disarray, and instantly the dog went
into aggressive action to keep them tightly corralled until the farmer got the
gate open. It was an impressive show of competence. We passed figuring the show
was over, until the farmer with the dog riding on the back of the motorcycle, pulled
up and followed us as far as their next job. It was a sight to see, a farmer and his trusty
dog doing what they obviously do every day.
We returned to our
bach, tired and refreshed at the same time. We had broken our cabin fever from being shut in by Cyclone Luci.
Click here for the next story in this series:
http://travellingwithsteveandmarlene.blogspot.ca/2014/03/castle-rock-wins.html
Click here for the next story in this series:
http://travellingwithsteveandmarlene.blogspot.ca/2014/03/castle-rock-wins.html
