A second week in Twizel & still no Salmon...

1st to the 7th December 2014
Another week has flown by here at Twizel Holiday Park. Work  was the usual 2 hours per day for me, and Bill doing a variety of maintenance jobs under Owner Peter's instructions. We have managed time for walks and cycle rides. Including heading down the wrong arm of the Ohau Canal, and I'd just like it noted this was not my error was it Bill? Twizel is a pretty town at this time of year with everything green and out in flower. Roses seem to do especially well here, the Town Square has many making it very picturesque.

The plan for the weekend was to cycle two days on the A2O (Alps to Ocean - Mt Cook to Oamaru) cycle way, except we didn't get away till mid day Saturday for two reasons - Our toilet has broken so we need to park up at a camp with a toilet as the motor has packed up in ours ( horrible - we have to share with the public!!) plus our neighbour offered  to take Bill fishing early Saturday morning so I said yes of course.
 6.00 am Bill was up making us a cuppa before headed off at 7.00 am. When they hadn't returned at ten, I asked the neighbours wife is this a good thing? She said "maybe...... but could be they hadn't caught anything and  Laurie keeps thinking just 5 more minutes!"
Sure enough 11.00 am they turned up with one small, but legal salmon that Laurie had caught and kindly gave to Bill as they had caught 30 odd over the week. So the question is - who was the jinx??
Anyway the important thing was we got a salmon, Bill got more tuition, and we were away just after mid day to Lake Ohau to cycle a part of the trail from the Ohau Canal round the bottom of the lake but unfortunately it was too windy so we found the Doc camp that wasn't on any map but had heard existed and parked up, then went for a short ride before the day was over.
Sunday was the perfect day to do the Ohau Lodge to the Historic Wool Shed section of the trail which takes you over the highest point of the trail - 900M (not as high as you Shannon) we headed off just after 9.00 am up the gradual climb to the top - took 2 hours.

Then it was a short sharp drop down the other side. It was a total of 3 hours by the time we reached the Wool Shed for lunch.
Coming back was a hard grind back up the hill and then a cruise all the way down the other side. Took a total of 7 hours. Fantastic views, the Lupins are spectacular at the moment as you can see in the photos.

I've also included a photo of where we are camped up in the Camp Ground - yes... t's true... we live in a Trailer Park (Bus Park) , but most days we have new neighbours so its not an issue. Is it?????? and its certainly a peaceful relaxed place to be staying. This has been a good start as we travel around New Zealand.
We are down to our last two days here in Twizel, Bill & I are off to catch a Salmon (hopefully). Wednesday we head back to Christchurch for a couple of days to pick up Bill's work van and sort our toilet out in the bus. Then we will be up in Nelson by the weekend.