Porcelain Madness & Callery Gorge

Thursday 29 January

After a couple of nights in Hokitika, we split our resources and while Russ was working we set off south to Franz Josef, leaving behind a soggy NZMCA Hokitika...

going via Ross with it's hysterically kitsch teapot house,

Harihari with the most wonderful eclectic mosaic & tile garden,

and Whataroa where my pounamu earrings shop was shut but we had a fantail encounter at the local cafe - funnily enough up on the fans!

And finally Franz Josef where we nabbed a couple of spaces at the NZMCA there - which was, once again, pretty swampy. The Fernandivan had made good time and arrived only half an hour after us & set up next door. As Nickie and I had a cup of tea in Banjo we heard a high pitched peeping and looked out to see a miromiro, tomtit in the hedge just metres away! 🖤🤍

Had lunch then set out on the Callery Gorge Walk, along a water race and out to the gorge.

The river was far higher than when we visited in November, and much less aquamarine, but still very beautiful. In November I stood under the grey rocks below the bridge on a call to Ella - today I’d have got very wet and maybe washed away! Louis went off exploring along the river bank and came across a rather startled deer grazing on the stony cliffs above the river. Nickie was loving the tiny fungi she spotted along the woodland path and we all got the giggles at how well Louis and I blended into the scenery in our matchy matchy green tops! 💚

Back at the NZMCA, Nickie cooked us meatballs for dinner and I met George the cat who was travelling in a neighbouring moho 🐈‍⬛

Finished packing our bags and popped most of them in the car, ready for an early start in the morning…