Kakanui to Oamaru (12 miles/19.32 kms)

Today was a short day in time and distance. I left a little after 8:00 and because there was no cafe in town, I made my usual oatmeal cooked on my camp stove. Not my favorite breakfast though.

The sky was beautifully clouded but I knew the forecast was for rain later in the morning.

I headed out the same trail along the Kakanui River I had taken last night to the Kakanui Store. I knew people were usually going to work and school, but I didn’t realize that the commute traffic would be an issue in such a tiny town.

As I came to the bridge I realized that with my warning flag the Wheelie wouldn’t fit between the guard and hand rails on the bridge’s pedestrian walkway. I decided to just travel on the roadway over the bridge. However, the bridge narrows to a one lane road so only one car at a time can pass in either direction. It looked clear, and as I started across I noticed a car coming from the other direction. I could see right away that the bridge was so narrow that I couldn’t pass a car at the same time with the Wheelie. So I turned around and went back to the start of the bridge.

I just took the warning flag off the Wheelie and started across the wooden pedestrian walkway. It was so narrow that there may only been a few inches to spare on each side. Almost a third of the way across I noticed a mother and young son, who were riding bikes, started walking on the walkway. They were coming at me from about the same distance as me on the other end of the bridge. Wow, there was no way we could pass each other, and one of us would have to back up all the way! I stopped and then noticed a turnout ahead? Yes, it must have been designed to this situation. Luckily it was wide enough that I could pull in with the Wheelie and let them by. This traffic at commute time is a killer!

I stopped at the Kakanui Store because I had told the owner I’d see her in the morning just to say hello. She was off with the kids and her husband was there. He told me she had made something for me, but he couldn’t remember what it was. He frantically, and sheepishly, offered me coffee, tea, water, or anything else. I think he might end up being in trouble with his wife. I thanked him and his wife again and went on my way.

The road out of Kakanui still ran right along the cliff for several miles and it was so beautiful that I wanted to stop at every cove and shoot a picture. The water was such a beautiful light blue color that it almost looked tropical.

The road, as before, was lightly traveled and other than a few uphills was fairly level. I was fortunate that the owner of the motorcamp had warned me that the coastal route did not go all the way through because a landslide. At the junction there was no sign indicating the closure and I would have taken it, and would have had to backtrack 4-5 miles.

The trek was uneventful until I climbed up a long steep hill just on the outskirts of Oamaru. I had reached the top and was walking slowly to catch my breath when a woman, Violet, who was exercising walking caught up to me. She walked next to me for about a half mile and of course asked me about my trek. She then told me her son, who is now 36, walked the length of New Zealand in the same direction as me. He did at age 17, and because of his strong Christian conviction he pulled a large wooden cross on a wood cart he had built. She said he did it three more times within the next few years.

As we walked by her house she invited me in the have fresh orange juice. My favorite, of course I said yes! I had a few glasses of orange juice, and she also served me cheese and crackers and jellies. Prefect lunch time break.

She introduced me to her daughter and son-in-law, who teach music in a studio at her home. Violet also showed me the wood cart and the huge cross she had stored in the rafters of the garage. I asked her a kind of rhetorical question. I asked her if she was proud of what her son had done in following his conviction. Of course she was, and she should be.

Just as I was getting ready to leave it started to rain. I covered the Wheelie and put on my rain gear. I started to thank Violet, and she grabbed me and gave me a very big hug. I am grateful again!

Oamaru was not far away and the rain had started coming down. It was about 1:00, and I wasn’t sure whether to look for a place here or trek another few hours? I noticed a sign for a motorcamp and decided to go look at it. About half way there, in the opposite direction, I decided against it as it was too early. I walked through town and stopped at a Nepalese restaurant and had a great lunch. I then went next door and started to get a sandwich for my dinner tonight. All of a sudden there was a loud clap of thunder that shook the building. Then it started to pour! It was raining so hard people ran to the window to look out at the rain. That did it for me, I am going to the motorcamp.

I called the motorcamp before I ordered my sandwich, which was a good thing. The lady said there were only three cabins left, but with the heavy rain they would fill up fast. I asked to her to reserve one for me.

It was about a half mile to the motorcamp and on the way I passed a big market and picked up my food supplies for tomorrow.

The Oamaru Top 10 Holiday Park appears to be a very good and busy motorcamp because it’s in a big town. The cabins are attached and are very clean, as are the kitchen and bathroom facilities. The host and hostess, need I even say it, gave me a little discount without me asking. I seem to end every blog with what people gave me or did for me, but it’s been a reality, and I don’t take it for granted, but look at it as gratitude, for I feel blessed.

Tomorrow’s forecast is for sunny and clear weather for 3-4 days. There are no big towns for next two days so I’ll try and prepare myself for one day at a time.

I want to thank all of you that have posted comments to me. Every one of those, big or small, makes me happy and encourages me to go on. I don’t always respond because as you might know, I am fairly tired at the end of the day. Those of you who may Facebook, please feel free to post that you are following my trek because the more people that follow me the more I am encouraged.

Best wishes to all,

Ted

Please excuse the typos, spelling, grammar, etc., as I am typing this on my phone, and I am probably pretty tired.

The Oamaru Top 10 Holiday Park