Dave Hansford
Forum Member
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2020
- Messages
- 119
- Location
- New Zealand
- Car Year
- 2008
- Car Model
- Outback
- Transmission
- 4EAT
My wife and I just got home from two weeks exploring the south of Te Wai Pounamu, our South Island of New Zealand. Our plan was to turn onto some of those side roads we'd been driving past all our lives, and we ended up in some magnificent places. Otago and Southland have some stunning beaches, and we mostly had them to ourselves, despite it being a public holiday. After a good mosey round the Otago coast, we spent a couple of days in the Catlins, and exploring some of the southernmost beaches in the land.
Then we headed up to the Mavora Lakes, before tackling the top of my bucket list, the Nevis Road (see photo with all the forbidding signs). This is 60-odd kms of rough road, dotted with sketchy slip sites and 25 water crossings, some of which were probably close to the Outback's wading limit (anything above my knee, I reckon). It took us four hours of careful going, but I'd recommend this route to anyone — the scenery is to die for, especially at the Ben Nevis Station end. Our Australian friends are a bit spoiled, but here in Aotearoa, we don't have much big country, so the Nevis is really something different. I loved, especially, the complete absence of fences.
Then it was a more docile amble round central Otago before heading home via Dansey's Pass and the Hakataramea Valley. Even I was ready for a bit of tarmac after all that...
Then we headed up to the Mavora Lakes, before tackling the top of my bucket list, the Nevis Road (see photo with all the forbidding signs). This is 60-odd kms of rough road, dotted with sketchy slip sites and 25 water crossings, some of which were probably close to the Outback's wading limit (anything above my knee, I reckon). It took us four hours of careful going, but I'd recommend this route to anyone — the scenery is to die for, especially at the Ben Nevis Station end. Our Australian friends are a bit spoiled, but here in Aotearoa, we don't have much big country, so the Nevis is really something different. I loved, especially, the complete absence of fences.
Then it was a more docile amble round central Otago before heading home via Dansey's Pass and the Hakataramea Valley. Even I was ready for a bit of tarmac after all that...
