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.