New Zealand
South Island 2019
© Greygypsies 2019

Dolamore Park

Dolamore Park to DOC Papatowie Conservation Site

We thought we would be lazy when we left the group and sleep in. Not so. We had the habit now of waking with the sun, breakfasting and packing up and being ready to set off between 8.30 and 9am.So here we were on Highway 94 at the start of Scenic Route5. We took the back road to Fortrose via Wyndham, Glenham and Waima Haka – all small villages or hamlets most with nice spots to stop for coffee. Taking back roads were our preference as we often got more than we bargained for. Here we saw the NZ habit of growing swedes as a field crop and feeding the to sheep and deer by letting them onto small fenced off strips of the crop. They eat the tops and then the large root swedes that stick up out of the groud. This must be a European agricultural practice and probably useful for the heavy boggy field we were now passing. Also we noticed the numbers of beautiful high dark hedgerows being cut down for firewood. Gone was the beauty and ashelter of these tree, that we were later told wer being felled to consolidate fields for dairy farms. Nothing stays the same and beauty is a luxury commodity that commerce never respects. Weather starting to challenge us, light showers, some clearing cloud, lambing in full swing; must be very cold for the little ones. Once again we were diverted by a sign that said ’Fortification’ and meandered up a back road. Lovelt drive through scenic hills with sheep farms on a gravel road that could be steep at times. Well and truly off the ‘coffee trail’. Last stages were through a huge commercial eucalyptus plantation that we later leaned had consumed 5 or 6 farms. Foreign investment [Japanese?] had set it up. Locals argued it had destroyed their community as the families had moved away and ammentities like the school had closed and volunteers were much fewer in this isolated spot. We met two lovely farmimg ladies bring a ewe and her lamb ack to the house in their trailer, determined to train the new ewe to feed her abandoned lamb. One said the plantation had ‘ripped the heart out of our community’. Finally at 11.30 we arrived at Fortrose , a typical estuary village and stopped for hot chocolate and coffee. An interesting history of the area had been written by a local lady and copies were available in the café. We had no time to peruse these as we started on Scenic Route 5: the Caitlands Coastal Trail at 11.45. So much to see. We stopped at the Waipapa lighthouse and walked up to its crest at the moment a sea lion ambled up out of the water and wriggled round like a dog on the sand. This is a spot for sea lions to pup, but maybe the season was just about to start. We had lunch at the Wiers Beach Road freecamp; a good spot if you are caught out in the late afternoon. Rutted campsite but clean toilets are provided. By 3.00 we stopped at Corio Bay and Penguin beach with stunning clifftop views . Large commercial van park abuts it with café and shop for travelers who like a bit of comfort. For those who like the Conservation camps there’s one at Wai Kawa reserve just a little way on. Some great ocean views and rainforest patches as we descended back down to Papatowie for the night. This conservation park costs $16 a night but has some amenities: toilets and camp kitchen. No hot showers or hot water in the kitchen area, but set in a nice large garden area off the road. We were the only people there for the night and tried out our diesel heater for the first time it was great!
New Zealand South Island 2019
© Greygypsies 2019

Dolamore Park

Dolamore Park to DOC Papatowie

Conservation Site

We thought we would be lazy when we left the group and sleep in. Not so. We had the habit now of waking with the sun, breakfasting and packing up and being ready to set off between 8.30 and 9am.So here we were on Highway 94 at the start of Scenic Route5. We took the back road to Fortrose via Wyndham, Glenham and Waima Haka – all small villages or hamlets most with nice spots to stop for coffee. Taking back roads were our preference as we often got more than we bargained for. Here we saw the NZ habit of growing swedes as a field crop and feeding the to sheep and deer by letting them onto small fenced off strips of the crop. They eat the tops and then the large root swedes that stick up out of the groud. This must be a European agricultural practice and probably useful for the heavy boggy field we were now passing. Also we noticed the numbers of beautiful high dark hedgerows being cut down for firewood. Gone was the beauty and ashelter of these tree, that we were later told wer being felled to consolidate fields for dairy farms. Nothing stays the same and beauty is a luxury commodity that commerce never respects. Weather starting to challenge us, light showers, some clearing cloud, lambing in full swing; must be very cold for the little ones. Once again we were diverted by a sign that said ’Fortification’ and meandered up a back road. Lovelt drive through scenic hills with sheep farms on a gravel road that could be steep at times. Well and truly off the ‘coffee trail’. Last stages were through a huge commercial eucalyptus plantation that we later leaned had consumed 5 or 6 farms. Foreign investment [Japanese?] had set it up. Locals argued it had destroyed their community as the families had moved away and ammentities like the school had closed and volunteers were much fewer in this isolated spot. We met two lovely farmimg ladies bring a ewe and her lamb ack to the house in their trailer, determined to train the new ewe to feed her abandoned lamb. One said the plantation had ‘ripped the heart out of our community’. Finally at 11.30 we arrived at Fortrose , a typical estuary village and stopped for hot chocolate and coffee. An interesting history of the area had been written by a local lady and copies were available in the café. We had no time to peruse these as we started on Scenic Route 5: the Caitlands Coastal Trail at 11.45. So much to see. We stopped at the Waipapa lighthouse and walked up to its crest at the moment a sea lion ambled up out of the water and wriggled round like a dog on the sand. This is a spot for sea lions to pup, but maybe the season was just about to start. We had lunch at the Wiers Beach Road freecamp; a good spot if you are caught out in the late afternoon. Rutted campsite but clean toilets are provided. By 3.00 we stopped at Corio Bay and Penguin beach with stunning clifftop views . Large commercial van park abuts it with café and shop for travelers who like a bit of comfort. For those who like the Conservation camps there’s one at Wai Kawa reserve just a little way on. Some great ocean views and rainforest patches as we descended back down to Papatowie for the night. This conservation park costs $16 a night but has some amenities: toilets and camp kitchen. No hot showers or hot water in the kitchen area, but set in a nice large garden area off the road. We were the only people there for the night and tried out our diesel heater for the first time it was great!