This morning we were awoken by a noise that sounded something like a generator, only much louder. We are not sure what it was but it came from a machine embedded into the hillside on the other side of the little road to our camping spot, so we presume it was something to do with the dam operation. We kept to the other side of the park to avoid distressing the dogs and after all the chores were done and the dogs were exercised, we headed into Clyde to have a look.
We came across a boutique wool shop and had a great talk to the owner. All the yarns on sale are grown on their own land – merino from sheep, alpaca fleece, angora from their own rabbits and so on. She was extremely passionate and knowledgeable about her product and the yarns were some of the most beautiful I have seen to date. They also sell patterns designed for their yarns, so I had to come away with some of that. She gave Bruce some good hints on where to find the salmon and showed us some photos of what the hoar frosts are like in the area – amazingly beautiful but the downside was the people of the town started suffering from vitamin D deficiency.
Clyde is a very charming town and a lot of the buildings in the main street are heritage buildings that had been restored. They were mostly surrounded by lovely English style country gardens and the place seemed pretty busy for a small town.
It was in Clyde that we met fellow Dethleffs owners Linda and Yurik. We had met them once before in Taupo, so it was good seeing them again.
We pottered around the shops and had a coffee, and purchased what Bruce felt to be the best ciabatta bread he has ever found in NZ (quite a compliment to the Clyde Deli and Bakery).
Alexandra beckoned next and it was supposed to be a heritage town as well but to be honest we saw little sign of it. It was quite a busy centre but all modern buildings. We took a look at the clock on the hillside, and the river that meanders through, but decided to move on straight after we had eated our lunch.
The countryside has little valleys where there are bits of green, some vineyards or orchards, but they soon give way to steep hillsides of rubble where nothing seems to grow.
Even the town clock is on a barren hillside.
We continued on toward Omarama through the very short Lindis Pass. (Bruce said he was not passed out yet). The hills in this pass were also steep, but more rounded and less jagged than some of the other high country areas we had been through. They were still as barren though.
Once through the pass the land was once again flat and irrigation was being used everywhere to support the dairy farming around. It was also noticeable that we were crossing over dry stream beds, so it makes you wonder of dairy farming is the right thing to do around here.
The clay cliffs outside Omarama were amazing. We did not get close to them but they certainly looked spectacular from the highway.
Our final treat for the day was to have a soak in the outdoor, wood fired hot tubs in Omarama. Lovely setting with a little lake and the birdlife, and the pools were just the right temperature – divine. We parked there overnight as well, so we essentially hopped out of the pool and into bed, all relaxed and warm.
Away From Home NZ 