Waikuku beach, Amberley, Culverden

The light overnight rain had finished by early morning leading to a fine but not too hot day. Firstly we drove out to Waikuku Beach which was very busy with lots of youngsters of all age groups doing their surf lifesaving training and quite a few surfers out catching waves. 

After watching them for a short time we had a bit of a walk through an area that looked like it was once a campsite in the trees and then down onto the beach. Good to see a beach again that looked safe to swim at.

Saluting with your right hand would be enough!

We're doing the Inland road to Kaikoura this time which means turning West at Waipara and heading towards Culverden, our destination for the night, and then Waiau. Being a Saturday morning the farmers market was on at Amberley so we stopped for a browse, buying hazelnuts, chorizo and sweetcorn before heading on to Culverden, just stopping at the Waikari Domain to empty tanks and refill. After passing very familiar  rock formations it wasn't long before the landscape stretches out into a vast flat area with distant textured hills on all 3 sides and a very long straight road. Always nice to be off State Highway 1!

Culverden is a tiny village of about 400 people and we are in the carpark behind the Culverden Hotel which is a POP. No charge to stay here but of course we enjoyed a beer in the bar in return for our stay. Tomorrow is another golfing day on the Culverden course, just down the road.

Another one ticked off!

Rotator cuff - ouch!

Sunday now and we have just played at Culverden under complete cloud but no wind and not one other person on the flat course. No bunkers but wide dried up stoney creeks on a couple of holes. The damp fairways were very patchy with bare brown interspersed around the long green grassy areas where it could sometimes be difficult to find your ball. The greens were slow, a huge contrast from our last game at Pegasus, but they suited us and we both had good games.

Winding up the power!

So, all in all, an enjoyable round! We were able to pick some apples from one of the trees on the course. A late lunch afterwards before setting off on the road again for Kaikoura, passing the Amuri course, which we played on 6 years ago, on our way. It was very busy which probably explains why the Culverden course was so quiet.