South Island - Our Intrepid Journey Day 11 -13 29 - 31 Oct 2009

Marton - Feilding - Foxton - Shanon - Mangahao

After spending the night, 29 Oct, at a POP in Marton.

 The following day, 30 Oct, we first headed to Feilding.

 Where we were in time to catch the local market restocking with a few items.

 Passing through Palmerston North we headed to Himatangi Beach for night. 

Due to a lot of sand blowing around I didn’t take any chances with the camera. Again we stayed at a POP.

 31 Oct we headed for Foxton Beach and then toFoxton. 

The town is dominated by a working flour grinding windmill.

 And the locals quite friendly.

 From Foxton we headed to Shanon.

 Where the train no longer stops.

 However just out of Shanon is the Mangahao Power Station.

 Where the white water of the tailrace and stream is enjoyed by those in kayaks.

 We could have free camped the night but in the end decided to head to a POP at Otaki.

South Island - Our Intrepid Journey Day 9 -11

South Island - Our Intrepid Journey Day 9 -11

27 - 29 October 2009

Stratford to Wanganui

After spending the night in the Top 10 Camp catching up on domestic matters we visited the local New World (and the local bottle shop) to restock with some basic supplies

And a short visit to the McCollough Rhododendron Dell. 

We headed to Wanganui.  It was so windy you could almost surf on the waves on the cattle troughs.

Arriving late in the afternoon of 27 Oct we headed to a POP of Karen and Jens Bukholt (Viking – Danish hosts) for the night. 

A great POP, $10 for the night, includes power and water, a 9 hole golf course using 3 greens.

Deer in their adjoining paddock.

Interesting gardens to roam.  Thanks Karen for the silverbeet, parsley and lemons.

If you are ever in Wanganui visit a top cafe, Reflections Café, next to the Winter Gardens.

Where we met a couple of the locals.

Waiinu Beach

28 Oct we headed back some 40km back up the coast to spend the night at Waiinu Beach sometimes mistakely named as Wainui Beach.

Camping at the beach is by donation with a limit of 2 months, yes, 2 months.  The wind blew like crazy that night swinging to the south.

Back To Wanganui

First thing we headed back to Wanganui to view some of the sights.

We cruised the river road.

And watched some street racing.

Marton

Then off to Marton for fish and chips and a POP for the night, 29Oct09