Tuatapere to Lake Hauroko

Waitangi Day we played in the Tuatapere Opening Day Golf tournament as planned - the midday start turned into a 12.45 start Tuatapere-time and as it was a 4 ball better ball competition. Len and I played as a team with Norma who used to live at Tuatapere but is now retired to Winton, and Paul, a Maths teacher at the local school, who kept reminding me of my son David! Norma's husband, Don, accompanied us and provided very good caddy services for both her and me. Len and I started off really well but then I had a bit of a nonconcentrating bad patch which didn't help the scoring but we were very happy not to be in the top of the field and have to take home a patio heater or other large item! There were 64 entrants and as everyone got a prize we were very happy with the new golf shirt and golf towel for Len and a new umbrella for me. There was a barbecue and salad for dinner included so it was all very good value at $20 each entry fee. The locals were all very friendly and chatty and made us feel very much at home. It was great just being able to wander back to the bus afterwards and not have to drive home but I'm still stunned that we spent 3 nights in Tuatapere!

Voila!

Just down the road from the Golf club is the historic Clifden Suspension Bridge which opened in 1899 and is having some restoration work done on it at present, although no longer in use. So this was our first stop on Thursday before we detoured from the scenic route to travel 32 km down a predominantly gravel road, against the flow of logging trucks, to Lake Hauroko, the deepest lake in NZ at 462 metres deep. We had been of 2 minds whether to go or not as everyone had already told us that there really wasn't anything to see when we got there apart from it being the starting point for the Hump Ridge Track and also the starting point for the longest jet boat ride you can do, at about 6 hours, over the lake and down the river to the sea.

Jetty & Jet boat
However we are pleased that we did go as it was a crisp, sunny morning and the lake was beautiful, peaceful and still. There were a couple of jetboats about to leave with passengers but nothing else (apart from the monster sandflies!) We did a lovely little 30 minute walk along a circle path which told us that the lake had recently been much higher with all the washed up wood at the "high tide" mark. It was a little boggy in parts but the stillness and ethereal feeling was amazing, the silence only being broken by birdsong. I love all the lattice-like lichen that festoons down from the trees.

Festooning lichen

Boo!