North

I took advantage of the break between Term 3 & 4 to drive from Dunedin to the town of Nelson. Nelson is located at the top of the South Island and the home of the db's who featured on this blog in April (enz.org). My travel goal was a trip that would get me a good taste of the South Island that I had not seen.

View North to Nelson in a larger map

This is the Rakaia River as seen from Barrhill.

One of the off-the-beaten-track places I stopped was Barrhill.  Barrhill is, or was, a village created by Cathcart Wason.  According to Wikipedia, Wason "was a Scottish farmer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament in two countries: first in New Zealand and then in Scotland, after the the failure of his colonial ventures. An unusually large man (he was over 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) tall), he is noted both as an innovative farmer and for having passes his time in the British House of Commons by knitting."

Sometime around 1869, "Wason built a model village [on his estate] called Barrhill, approached from the north, east, south and west by avenues lined respectively with sycamores, birches, poplars and oaks.[7] At the centre was a market square, with post office, bakery and other facilities and fifteen cottages were built.

However, Wason had expected a railway to be built near Barrhill, but when it was built on a more southerly route, the village began to decline. Dwindling population forced the closure of the school in 1938, although the Church of St John the Evangelist is still in use. Most of the buildings were constructed from pine wood grown on the estate, and all that remains now are the three concrete buildings: church, school and schoolhouse, each surrounded by a circle of oak trees."

This may seem trivial to some, but some people out there may find this information quite useful.

Another place I stopped was Hanmer Springs.  Hanmer Springs is a tourist hot spot in New Zealand.  It is built around hot springs and is a center for outdoor activities.  To get to Hanmer from the main road, you have to drive across the Waiau Ferry Bridge.  This is a one-lane, narrow bridge that might give one second thoughts before driving across.

The Waiau Ferry Bridge

Be Warned!

The bridge has other purposes besides crossing the river.

The main road through Hanmer Springs.  Its a bit like Nashville, IN but in the Smokey Mountains.

Driving through Victoria Forest Park was amazing.  The clear rivers, mountain ranges, and deep forests were amazing.  It rained from much of the drive, but that did not diminish the spectacular scenery.

This is the geodetic marker at Hope Saddle.

I took two days on my trip north to Nelson.  I stayed overnight with Lance and Anne, who are good friends with Lori M. back in Bloomington (its a small world, after all).  I certainly appreciate their hospitality and kindness!