Final leg of the west coast
Trip Start
Aug 14, 2008
1
7
20
Trip End
Sep 25, 2008
Day 182 - First stop was Lake Matheson, which give amazing views of Mount Cook and Mt Tasman reflecting in the water - very cool. The drive was beautiful into the Southern Alps area and we stopped in Haast for lunch - sitting on the grass and eating sandwiches in the sun.
After lunch we stopped for two walks - one to silver falls and then a rope bridge and river. Thumper managed to convince us all that it was a thermal pool and Ross went as far as to jump in for a swim, finding it ice cold! Cruel! Kieran taught me to skim stones - new skill for me!
We arrived in Makarora late afternoon to find it drizzling, which is a shame as the place is all about the setting - a valley surrounded by dramatic mountains. Otherwise, there is very little to Makarora, just a cafe and out of the way hostel - very quaint and unique. Another couple joined our bus today who are to the far extreme of irritating - so much so, that when we reached our two dorms, they went into the one and the rest of us all piled into the other!
Fought the Irish for a washer and as we ended up with one each, we then spent the entire evening struggling to get the damn things to work! Thumper cooked us a delicious group meal of roast beef and the group then went to the bar for a few drinks - the only people in there in fact - wooped TJs ass at pool for the third time running! Although all 8 of us are in the same dorm, there is a door separating the Irish and I and the others. The others went off to sleep and I was stuck in the room with three Irish lads being very raucous and making a lot of jokes! I haven't laughed so much in ages!
After lunch we stopped for two walks - one to silver falls and then a rope bridge and river. Thumper managed to convince us all that it was a thermal pool and Ross went as far as to jump in for a swim, finding it ice cold! Cruel! Kieran taught me to skim stones - new skill for me!
We arrived in Makarora late afternoon to find it drizzling, which is a shame as the place is all about the setting - a valley surrounded by dramatic mountains. Otherwise, there is very little to Makarora, just a cafe and out of the way hostel - very quaint and unique. Another couple joined our bus today who are to the far extreme of irritating - so much so, that when we reached our two dorms, they went into the one and the rest of us all piled into the other!
Fought the Irish for a washer and as we ended up with one each, we then spent the entire evening struggling to get the damn things to work! Thumper cooked us a delicious group meal of roast beef and the group then went to the bar for a few drinks - the only people in there in fact - wooped TJs ass at pool for the third time running! Although all 8 of us are in the same dorm, there is a door separating the Irish and I and the others. The others went off to sleep and I was stuck in the room with three Irish lads being very raucous and making a lot of jokes! I haven't laughed so much in ages!
