(written on the 31st from notes taken previously)
I was up and gone pretty early this morning, driving away before the condensation had even been burned off of my windshield.
Where to?
Down the coast to the end of the road, of course! 🙃
I honestly don’t remember if Chase and I went to the end of the road last time. I don’t think so? I think I have a memory of turning briefly off the main road to try and get gas before heading up into Haast Pass?
🤷
Either way, the goal for today was to follow the road to its end. 😊
I stopped to take pictures of a beautiful river from a long bridge.
And then I needed a bathroom. Badly. 😅
As I drove along, I hoped to see a toilet of some kind… any kind, butt… no dice. 😬
Squeeze them butt cheeks, brother! 😆
Finally, I made it to the Jackson Bay toilets, and very gratefully enjoyed the relief.
But not the sandflies. 🙃
I think this was the first toilet in all of New Zealand I actually had to battle sand flies in the toilet area itself?
I can’t say that was certainty, but I think I remember having that thought enjoying my regal spot atop The throne.
As always, I drove all the way to the very end of the road, a little turnaround dirt parking lot at the start of the Wharakai Te Kou walk.
I veged out there for a little bit before heading back up the coast, surprised at where the sun was in the sky. It was morning, but the sun was so far north. It felt like the sun didn’t rise in the east at all. 😶
🤔
On the south end of the bridge that I had stopped and taken pictures at, the road split off into the bush. Since I had been on mission to find a bathroom, following that road to its end was next up. 🙃
Deep into the bush I went, following rivers, winding up and over mountains, stopping here and there to take pictures of the scenery–a beautiful river gorge (that looked like afforded a potential cliff jumping spot had I not been by myself 🙃. Safety first!), an overlook, and a beautiful river.
I veged out for a little bit on the river side, wanting to go further, but unable because of the private property warning. A young lady backpacker had managed to get a ride onto the private property. I guess she’s probably going to walk all the way to Fiordland. 🙃
After making my way back through the bush and onto the main road, it wasn’t long before I saw an SUV parked on the side of the road basically at a 45° angle–not where one would want to be.
It had been raining, and the side of the road was a wet muddy bog. The poor couple, I think from China? Had pulled over for whatever reason I don’t remember, and sunk themselves deep into the mud.
They definitely weren’t getting out without being pulled out.
The man kept asking if I would try pushing, but there was absolutely no use. To appease him, I went ahead and tried, but I knew it was impossible.
I wondered if maybe this couple, like the two men from Taiwan, had never driven in areas where they could actually get stuck, as it seems to me that anyone with any experience at all parking on grass and wet areas would know better.
I figured the only real assistance that I would be able to offer them would be Wi-Fi signal from my Wi-Fi unit, as their phones didn’t have cell connection.
Fortunately, it wasn’t long, maybe 10 or 15 minutes, before a couple of guys pulled up, I think one from Greece maybe? And the other from the Czech Republic? Gosh, I don’t remember at all. One of them had actually worked in South Dakota years ago, which made him I think the first person I’ve met in all of New Zealand (who wasn’t American or Canadian anyway) who actually knew where South Dakota was. 🙃
Between the three of us, we managed to get them pulled out without doing any damage to their rental car. They had spun down to the point that the car was high centered on the ground, so if we weren’t careful in the way we pulled them out, it could potentially tear the bumper covers off.
Gratefully, we were able to avoid that, and gratefully, because of those two gentlemen, the couple was able to get back onto the road without expense.
After helping them, I drove north, snapping some pictures.
I also stopped off at Knight’s Point Lookout (another place Chase and I had visited last time here).
I was a little self-conscious walking through the parking lot there with the other tourists taking in the view as I had spilled on myself in exactly the perfect spot to make it look like I peed my pants. 😆
It wasn’t long after that that I stopped at the next freedom-camping site. I think it was about 4:30, quite early in the day, but I didn’t want to drive all the way to the next available one after that and risk arriving at a place that was already full.
Instead of doing journal catch up work, which I should have done, I just veged out the rest of the night. 😅
At least I’m learning a lot about current events. 😅
Lift the world.
Bring it on.
~ stephen
Lift the World 