Alex towards Aoraki - via Ohau B & the Salmon Farm

Monday 16 February

After a very busy weekend with the Websters it was time to move on - destination Ohau B NZMCA.

The FernandiVan left first, heading for Tarras in time for a work conference call and breakfast at the fab cafe there. We pulled out shortly after them and hit the pharmacy & supermarkets in Alex before joining them in Tarras for coffee and Louis’ obligatory pastrami pretzel roll followed by the Tarras sign selfie!

Our route took us over the Lindis Pass (chilly at this height) and through Ōmarama and almost to Twizel before we pulled into the disappointingly full NZMCA site at Ohau B by the canal.

Despite the app saying it was 39% full (14 vans) there were 20 vans already here and only the very last waterside park up by the road was available 😮 We took a back row spot and gave the FernandiVan a front row seat as it was their first time here. The ducks and ducklings gave them a warm welcome 🤎

After lunch Russ settled into work, Louis did some video work and Nickie & I set off exploring. First stop the High Country Salmon Farm which was absolutely heaving with Asian tourists sampling the freshest NZ sashimi. We took a very misleading selfie as it looks like we were the only ones there! NZ tourism seems to be going great guns and they were all spending WAY more than us

!

We spent ages watching the adorable pāpango ducks diving and popping up again, the gulls chilling or chasing food and the single coot who refused to be caught on camera. In amongst the regulation black/brown pāpangos was a gingery brown fellow - quite unusual.

Bought ourselves a wee treat at the salmon store then went wandering in Twizel. Russ finally finished work around 6ish so set the flat chook off to cook on the Weber and we went walking along the canal in the evening light.

Sashimi (freshly caught at the salmon farm that morning) then flat chook for dinner, a visit from the local grey duck family and then a gentle sunset before the cold evening drove us back into our separate vans.