But first more thoughts about yesterday. Why did both men in our little party feel the need to bounce hard on the dance floor to check whether it really was a sprung floor? Yet neither will dance? 

And why did the lady who felt ‘immigration’ in England ruins the country, ‘it’s not England anymore’ yet seemed shocked when Keith gently suggested that the maoris might feel this way when the settlers took over New Zealand? 

Great campsite today – so good we decided to stay a second night. 

This morning the mist lay over the river: 

And slowly cleared…..

Campsite is wonderful with well mowed pitches and large wind protecting hedges. No electricity whatsoever but free hot unlimited showers. Which contrasts sharply with yesterday’s site where there was electricity but the shower cost two nz dollars (about £1). Priding myself on quick showers I inserted the two dollar piece and proceeded to soap up happily. Only to discover that 2$ does not last long. Thinking Keith was in the kitchen area I wrapped my (soapy) self in a very small towel, stood at the entrance to the ladies block and called, weakly as it was only 06.15, ‘ Keithy’. No reply. Tried a bit louder. Still no reply. So I ventured out to peer into kitchen. No one there. So started to consider my options including scuttling, sparsely clad, back to the van – WHEN I HEARD SOMEONE COMING.  So like a hermit crab retreated into the ladies. This happened a couple of times til the someone cried out. 

I could not decipher the cry so retreated once again, now feeling not a little compromised. 

You’ve guessed it – the someone was Keith, circling  the block, looking for me. 

I’ll take two coins next time. 

Each campsite normally has a ‘kitchen’ which may also have a microwave, geyser of hot water, and has somewhere to wash pots. This is the one at Okains Bay two nights ago. 

Today’s is simply a sink in a covered area – no cooking facilities:

The walk today to the Upper Look Out on the gorge of the Rakaia River was classed as an easy 4 hour walk. It took us over five. This is the effect it had on my companion: 

The paths were steep and in places wet underfoot. But we saw waterfalls, dappled sunlight in woodland, fresh fern growth and spectacular views of the gorge and the snow capped mountains behind: 

We also met mr Trevithick whose ancestors arrived from Cornwall in 1842, landing in wellington. He eats mainly game he’s caught locally – venison, salmon, chamois. And he’s a big fan of the  uk tv programmes ‘location location location’ and ‘antiques roadshow’, loving both because of the countryside they show. A quietly spoken gentleman he was ‘tramping’ with a longstanding hunting friend. Here he is: 

And dinner tonight – local salmon at the restaurant associated with a time share. The wife sang – and then her husband joined in on harmonica. ​

​And so to bed, me still trying to figure out the first question of the morning- ‘ in what order shall we plan to do things?’  As my only thoughts were 1) to get up 2) to go to the toilet there didn’t seem to be much room for imagination. 

Tomorrow the glaciers of mount cook. 

Tantrums: 1. 

Endangered species seen or eaten:0 (cumulative1)