Sun Spots

February 10th - Day 32
We continued our descent in to a valley that has views of the Alps and Ohau Lake. the pictures below have not been photo shopped. From there we joined the Alps to Ocean (A2O) cycle path. I'm not sure how long it is, but the part we walked was a graded gravel path. An Australian couple were traveling on the path with two tricked out touring bikes. They had stopped for a break and we chatted for a while.
During our morning break a lady was walking her dog off leash, which is completely normal here. The dog lowered his head and started slowly walking towards us. I thought maybe we were about about to be attacked but the owner called his name (Snow) and he joined her. She apologized and said that he is a retired sheep dog and was trying to herd us. We laughed and thought Judy (our dog) would have enjoyed that.
Our distance today was 18miles. We try and hike 15 miles a day when the terrain allows. After finding a place to set up the tent, I began to get cold. So cold that I put on my knitted hat, long sleeve shirt, and down jacket. Shadow laid beside me only wear his hiking shorts. Did I mention it was another hot day and not a cloud in the sky? We are very good at putting SPF 50 on throughout the day, but after changing out of my hiking clothes before bed I saw red blotches on my legs...sun poisoning! A couple of ibuprofen and an hour or so later I began to warm up. Our town stop in Twizel is perfect timing.

February 11th-12th - Day 32-33
An easy 10km (6miles) around another lake and we were in downtown Twizel. The town reminded me of an old military town. All the houses are shaped the same. The layout of the streets make a clover like shape with the school, restaurant, and shops on a small square in the middle. Shadow read somewhere that the town was built for the hydroelectric plant. Hydroelectric is one of, if not the main source of energy here. Canals have been built that span miles to connect multiple lakes for energy and the town was built for the workers and their families.
Our day off was spent running the usual errands and a long discussion on logistics. After leaving Twizel, towns become sparse and a good distance from the trail. The towns we do pass are too small to have a grocery for our resupply. Another issue we have is the rivers. There are 3 rivers that must be crossed in the South Island, but are not part of the trail. So the trail stops at the bank and starts on the other side. No one crossing 2 of them and a few cross 1 based on the last time it has rained. Your option is to hitch up to 80 miles. The roads are gravel and mainly surrounded by stations (ranches).
Off to the post office with Shadow and his homeless cart (see photo below).





Lunch Spot on Lake Ohau


Ohau River

Hiker not Homeless

Country Mouse and Shadow

Location:Twizel, New Zealand