26th February 2013
Just before leaving Abel Tasman Marjool decided that she should try out the mangle …. Amazing what some people do for fun!
On the way back to Takaka we stopped at a little place called the Grove, which was a short walk through some unusual rock formations, leading to a huge split in the rock that you can walk through to an observation platform. Worth a small detour.
We then then turned onto the Motueka Valley Highway. The scenery is stunning and there is lots of nice places to fish. On the way through you can see Kiwis and Hops being grown.
The fishing spots are great but you need waders or at least some way of stopping the sandflies eating you alive. As soon as you get down to the water they swarm on you. I had long trousers but bare feet, and once engrossed in the fishing, failed to notice the black swarm on my feet. A day later it was so itchy that I could not sleep ….. very silly!!
I could see the fish taking from the surface and dropped the flies on their noses, but whichever ones I tried, they ignored them and took the real thing instead! I then tried spinning and saw some huge fish follow the spinner in …. but never a take!! I think I am just no good at this!! Next time I will get a guide for a day or two ….
The problem of keeping travel companions occupied while fishing is also a challenge …. particularly with the sandflies … you can’t just sit on the bank with a book … you’d be eaten! Marjool set new trends in order to stop getting bitten.
The second time I put my line in the water a ranger arrived to check my fishing licence. Don’t be tempted to fish without one.
We camped along the Motueka River in one of the picnic areas where free camping was allowed. If you don’t mind washing in cold water there are lots of free places to camp.
27th February 2013
Continued along the river to Howard Junction and then turned onto Route 6 towards Murchison. Lots of old house on the way.
Just past Murchison there is a long swingbridge (New Zealands longest).
You walk along a fault line from the big quake that they had here in 1929 and there are some old rusty vehicles left from when some quarrying was done on the site.
We camped back in Murchison in a campsite that had great swimming in the Buller river.
Now carry on towards Christchurch where the weather is still looking good!
troopytracks 