WEEK NINE - FINAL WEEK

7th December

Waikaia to Fairplace Station (35.5 km)  

Before leaving a reporter came and took photos of the horses at the Hitching Post and then we headed of towards Riversdale. 

We were on tar seal most of the way and there was a lot of big tractors and trucks on the road.  We rode past a gold mine with big heaps of gravel piled up and lots of trucks carrying gravel.   

We had lunch in Riverdale and carried on down towards Nine Mile Road and then to Fairplace station where we stayed the night.  The horses had so much grass there they tried to hide in it.

8th December

Fairplace Station to Dipton (35.5 km) 

We left Fairplace station and headed out along the road toward the Waimea Hill crossing.  

We passed McDonald road and came out at the base of Waimea Hill which we climbed steadily on a very windy road.  Once at the top we had great views back over where we had ridden.  It was very windy at the top and hard to stand up. 

We carried on and came out in the middle of Dipton and then crossed the bridge over the Oreti River and stayed in the Mulligans camping area.  Stan brought up some more horse shoes as with all the tar seal riding Chief has worn them out again.

9th December

Dipton to Winton (30.4 km)  

We left Dipton and headed out along the back road towards Winton.  This was much quieter that the main road and followed on the other side of the Oreti River. 

 We passed many large Tractors along the road and was lots of flax bushes and cabbage trees flowering.  We crossed the bridge at the Centre Bush turnoff and headed along the main road towards Winton.  The traffic was very intense and there were lots of big trucks with trailers going past us at full speed.  We were very relieved to arrive at the paddock we were staying at for the night.  While we were camping there Kelly found four, four leaf clovers in the paddock.

10th December

Winton to Makarewa (30.9 km)

We got up early to the horses escaping their electric tape pen, they were running round a huge paddock full of clover.

We headed into Winton and took the backstreets through Winton and came out at the Winton Bakery where we had coffee and cream donuts, and they were great.

Once through Winton we went down the backroads to Branxholme where there was roadworks and new seal being put on the road and then on past the old Makarewa Freezing works where I used to work.

I did not think it was fair on the horses to take them home and then carry on the next day so the horses stayed at a friend’s place in Makarewa and I got to go home for the night.  It was the first time I had been home since we left and I saw my two foals which had been born while I was away.

11th December

Makarewa to Greenhills (26.5 km)

We left early and headed into town and the traffic was very busy along North Road and the horses handled this well.  It got easier as we went past the 50km sign as the traffic was slower.  When we got close to town we needed to cross over to the other side and go down past the railway line, but the traffic was too busy with four lanes to cross so we headed up to the lights and crossed at the pedestrian crossing and then onto a side street and down by the heavy traffic bypass.

We called in at the Saddlery Warehouse for buckets of water as the horses were thirsty and needed a drink and then off to McDonald for coffee for us. 

We carried on through town and pass the railway crossing and then down state highway 1 towards Bluff.  There was lot big trucks on the road and then we passed a train coming up from Bluff and the horses handled this well.  We arrived at the deer farm where we were staying and camped in the paddock for the last time.  Brian brought Minty down for the ride the next day.

12th December

Greenhills to Bluff (15.9km)

It was very sad to pack up and saddle the horses for the final day of the ride and we left at 7.30 in the morning as it was meant to rain by lunch time.  We headed down the road and could see Bluff hill in the distance. It was a lovely calm morning and we were both keen to finish and disappointed to be ending. 

We rode past Nichol road were my parents and grandparents used to live and where my Aunty used to keep her horse many years ago and on past the old Ocean Beach Freezing works then through the main street to Bluff.

  There was a Christmas tree up already which made us realise it was nearly Christmas time and that we were going to make it home by Christmas. 

We arrived at the Stirling point sign at the end of Bluff and took photos of the horses under this sign.

We all had morning tea in the Stirling Point restaurant and tied the horses to their horse truck and they were very happy to stand tied up to it, knowing they were finally going home.  When they arrived home they trotted off to see the other horses and then rolled and started to eat grass.  They are now having a well-deserved break.  I am very proud of Chief and Maddy safely taking me the length of the South Island.   I would like to thank my traveling companions (Delwyne, Natalie, Brian, Annie, Kelly and Maree) who accompanied me during the journey and have helped to make it even more special.

We would like to thank the many generous people though the South Island who have helped us in so many ways to make it home.  We have been constantly humbled and inspired by the generosity of the people we have met along the way who each have made a special impact on our journey. I started this ride thinking I was going to get to know my horses really well.  What I found was that I got to meet and get to know a lot of very special people.

WEEK EIGHT

30th November

St Bathans to Lauder (24.6km)

We woke up to a lovely clear morning with a touch of overnight frost.   Chief and Maddy had worn the toes of their front shoes off and Chiefs had cracked though so I reshod them and we headed off about 10 am.  Stan and Kelly were heading home.  We stopped at the White Horse Hotel in Becks for an ice cream and met an 80 year old lady who is still riding and has done all the Cavalcades so far, she was very inspiring.

We stayed at the old Lauder School which is now set up as accommodation and we had a shipping container as a cabin and this was really cute and welcoming.   The horses stayed in a paddock across the road at the Tavern with lots of grass.

Maree brought her horse Tussock up to join our trek and Blakie came as back up for a few days.

 

1^st December

Lauder to Galloway (34.1km) 

We all left our lovely container cabin and headed across the rail trail to the Station house café for coffee which was already open and while there learnt about many more areas where we could ride in the future.  

We headed of down the trail and met many cyclists.  We spotted and talked to quite a few of them including a group of boys from a school in Dunedin.  Chief enjoyed being hand fed grass from them.  

The scenery was fantastic and enjoyed crossing some railway bridges.  We called in for an ice cream in Omakau. We stopped for lunch at Chatto Creek and Cracka had trouble coping with a couple of donkeys which were hanging over the fence trying to be social.  

A friend caught up with us and directed us the shortest route via the rail trail, on his push bike (over 70 years old and very fit).  We unsaddled the horses and put them in one of his paddocks, and then were treated to great hospitality - a lovely meal for three riders plus back up, help with planning our route, comfy beds, shower and breakfast.  Such a treat which we were very grateful for.

2nd December

Galloway to Sheephead Station (17.5km) 

It was a beautiful clear day in the morning and got hotter as the day progressed.  Cracka had worn out her front shoes so I replaced one before I left with her spare and we planned to buy more shoes in Alexander on the way, but first we had to call in at DOC to check the tracks for the next few days.  While we were there they gave us buckets of water for the horses as it was already getting very hot.  

We headed to PGG for some more horse shoes and then had lunch in the park. 

We had not seen many shops so far so it was difficult to go past all the shops and we had to stop for ice cream and coffee before we headed of under the Alex bridge to find more water for the horses. 

We then crossed the bridge and went up Earnscleugh road and headed to Sheephead Station for the night.  It was so hot this day and it was great to stop and find a cool breeze in the new woolshed.

3^rd December

Sheephead Station to Shingle Creek (21.8 km)  It was hot all night and we got up early to replace Crackas shoes and headed off on a lovely calm morning.

The scenery was great and as we rode we could see lots of irrigation creeks and really interesting rocks.

The weather changed from very hot to warm rain and then as we rounded a corner a very cold southerly wind blasted us and it all turned cold and we were thankful for our wet weather gear.  

We had lunch in the rain at Gorge Creek station before heading of on part of the old road and then paddocks towards Shingle Creek, where we stayed in the shearing shed and we grateful not to be putting up our tents in the pouring rain.

4th December

Shingle Creek to Glenaray Station (45.1 km)

We left Shingle Creek and headed out across paddocks and then on down the main  road to Waikaia Bush road from here we climbed up steadily all morning.  

When we looked back we had great views of Alexander, Roxburgh and the Clutha River. We passed snow drifts on the side of the road and continued to climb until we came to the top and crossed over into Southland.  

We passed the shelter shed and snow poles that are used in the winter to mark the track as the snow is so high in the winter you cannot see the road. 

 The road was really rough on the way down and full of water in the wheel ruts that was so deep on the horses, it was up passed their chests and very slippery. 

 There are also lots of flat rock on the track which they had to walk carefully on.  

Once down the other side there was so much green grass and we stopped and let the horses have a good feed.  We continued down the road which had beech forest on either side until we came to Piano Flat.  We were looking for a campsite there, but were offered a paddock at Glenaray station so we opted to ride a little longer and stay there.  This had been the longest day of the ride and we were all tired when we put up our tents.

5^th December

Glenaray Station to Waikaia (23.1 km) 

We had a sleep in and then packed up our tents. The wind was getting very strong and as Delwyne was packing up her tent it lifted it up and over and fence. We were waiting for Bob (Delwynes husdand), Stan and Kelly to arrive as Bob was bringing up Lockney for Delynwe and Toby for Kelly to ride.  Once they all arrived we set off and rode past Glenaray station and on down the road towards Block Road and then into Waikaia,

It started to rain and by the time we arrived we were all very wet.  We stayed in a cottage called the Hitching Post and this had a real hitching post outside which we took photos with the horses before leaving. 

6th December

Rest day for the horses

WEEK SEVEN

24^th November

Tekapo to Lake Pukaki (37.5km)

Stan and my daughter Kelly came up to catch up with us.   Brian Potts and his horse Minty and Annie Jackson and her horse Poppy also came to ride with us for three days.

We all reluctantly left Tekapo after some photos of the Church of the Good Shepherd and a takeaway coffee and headed on south towards the Tekapo canal. 

Kelly was riding Minty today.  

We followed the canal road which is part of the Alps to Ocean trail until we came to the Pukaki power station and Lake Pukaki and then we rode along the lake edge to where Stan and Brian had found us a great campsite by the lake with lots of grass and had already put our tents up. 

 We tethered the horses under the trees for the night. While we were on the canal trail we rode past the salmon farms and it was really interesting to watch the workers with life jackets on, feeding the fish and working.  

Both lakes Tekapo and Pukaki were an unreal beautiful blue colour.

25^th November

Lake Pukaki to Twizel (21.0km)

We continued on alongside Lake Pukaki and rode down the end of the lake and over the Pukaki High dam bridge with lots of traffic.  We had coffee at the salmon farm there.

As we came close to Twizel we left the road and rode on a track by a river with willow trees and lupins which were flowering, this was really pretty.

Stan had gone ahead and found us the last two rooms in the backpackers and a separate paddock to keep the horses for the night with lots of grass.

26^th November

Twizel to Omarama (33.2km)

We left Twizel after taking photos of the old trucks they had used to build the canals and heading on south 

 The road sides were really wide and we were off the road most of the way and could follow on a track with was left from when the fibre optic cable was dug in recently.  This was great as in the long grass we have to be very careful to watch out for broken glass bottles for the horses feet.  We rode over the Ruataniwha dam over the end of Lake Ruataniwha and on past the Wairepo Arm of the lake and saw lots of swans on this.  It was very beautiful.  


Stan had found us a lovely cabin in the Omarama camping ground which was just as well as in the night and the next day it poured down with rain and we had looked at the weather forecast and decided to have a rest day.  

The horses were tethered at the end of the camping ground under the willow trees did a great job of “mowing the lawn”

Brian and Annie had to leave for work and had enjoyed their time on this ride and it was sad to see them leave in the pouring rain.

27^th November

Rest day for the horses

28^thNovember

Omarama to Top Hut (33.1km)

We headed off and down past Broken Hut road which had wide roadsides and came across a long line of little huts which we presumed were the huts which this road was named after.  

There were two ways we could go and one was steeper and shorter but had rough gravel underfoot and the other was longer by7 kms, was not as steep and had better footing for the horses so we took this track.

  It also had many small river crossings which we enjoyed and meant the horses had plenty to drink all day.  We followed West Manuherikia track and it took us up to the top of the Omarama saddle and down the other side a bit until we came to the Top Hut and stayed in this for the night. 
 It has a safe horse paddock next to it which was great.  This hut has eight bunks and some really nice safe candle holders as well as a shed which we could put the saddles in.

  Stan and Kelly had driven in and Kelly walked and rode part of this with us.

There were great views from the top of the saddle.

29^th November

Top hut to St Bathans (38.4km)

We carried on and rode through lots of river crossing with the Manuherikia River growing in size as we kept crossing it.  I rode Maddy today for a change as Stan had been taking her pack boxes in the truck while he was with us.

We rode down past the Boundary hut and this hut was similar to the Top hut and also had a horse paddock and this one had lots of grass so we let the horses have a good feed here before carrying on. 

 We rode past some remains of old stone houses and a water race which would have been used for gold mining.

 It was a really pretty valley to ride through and I would like to go back and ride it again one day. We then rounded a corner and left this behind and rode down a long gravel road and past the old homestead and onto Hawkdun road until we came to St Bathans with its lovely blue lake. As we were riding along a fast dirt cart came over the hill and with quick wave they disappeared into a cloud of dust. 

 We took photos outside the Vulcan hotel and the lake and had a cold drink and then set up camp in the St Bathers domain about a kilometre down the road.  We came back and had fish and chips for tea the hotel.