Blanketed by Fog and Another Lesson Learnt!

We woke to fog. Thick, dense fog. Everything was shrouded in grey, and the vibrant autumn colours were muted. And it was amazing.

Today our plan was to drive to Bannockburn, an old gold mining town, just 7km out of Cromwell. With all the fog about, my chances of getting some autumn photos weren't looking good, but being hopeful, I decided to go regardless, just incase there wasn't any fog in that area.

First, things first. Another walk around the lake's edge for the dogs. 

The reflections over the water had softened, and the vibrant golden hues had toned down, but wow, it was still incredible and breathtakingly beautiful. Looking at these photos, you might be mistaken in thinking it was cold, but it wasn't, it was mild. 
I felt content and very grateful to be experiencing this dreamlike setting.

Destination - Bannockburn.

The drive to the historic town of Bannockburn was an extra careful one. I could barely see a metre in front of me. Vehicles that were approaching had their lights on which helped, I too had my lights on but it didn't seem to make much difference with visibility. 

Still, I took it slowly. After about 5 kms of crawling along, I wondered whether I should turn back. It seemed pointless to carry on in this weather, the fog wasn't lifting and there wasn't much I could see! However, as there was only a couple of kilometres to go, I carried on.

Once at Bannockburn, there was a hint of some daylight, so I knew if I hung around long enough the fog would lift.

I had read about the Bannockburn Sluicing track, so I drove there.

A quick photo of the nearby vineyard and then we set off for our walk.

The walk started along an easy track, through barren landscape.

The track loops around what was once the Bannockburn Gold Field,. The area was sluiced and mined for gold from 1862 to the 1930s. 

Quarter of an hour into the walk, the fog was lifting, and it looked as though it was going to be a cracker of a day.

Don't you think, it looks a bit like 'The Wild West'?

The landscape was truly incredible and the fog added another dimension to it. To think that all this area had been changed by hand in the pursuit of gold. Towering cliff faces had been sluiced away in the hope of finding this precious yellow metal.

I remember, it was about here (in the photo below), as I was approaching a narrow track hugging the side of a bank, that I thought how pleased I was that I'd persevered driving through the fog and not turned back. And, immediately after that thought, my next thought popped up, which made me literally stop in my tracks!
Had I turned the bus's lights off when I parked? I had turned them on driving through the fog. But had I turned them off?
Now, if I had of been in my car and had forgotten to turn the lights off when I stopped, a beeping noise would remind me. However, the bus doesn't have this handy little gadget. So .... here I was 30 minutes into the walk, with a little dilemma. Do I carry on, or turn back? Had I left the lights on or had I turned them off?

I tossed up whether to continue walking and just hope for the best, or whether to turn around right then and there and head back to the bus.

I walked a few more metres, as I just had to see what kind of view would be around the bend, but then decided to turn back. If I carried on, I wouldn't be able to enjoy it as much. If I hurried back, and the lights were on, maybe the battery wouldn't have gone flat yet!

I was kicking myself! Grrrrr.....I really wanted to carry on with the walk because I had read there were remains of dams, water-races, tunnels, old stone buildings and stone walls ahead. From what I had seen of the walk so far, I loved it. And now the fog had lifted the views were sure to be even better.

Eventually we arrived back at the bus ..... and ........ YES! Dammit, I had left the lights on!

So, with some apprehension, I jumped in the bus, turned the key....and that sweet sound of an engine bursting into life greeted me. Phew!

Another lesson learnt. This trip was turning out to a be a journey of lessons...haha

Over Lindis Pass to Cromwell

One of the many rewards of this trip has been seeing how diverse the South Island's landscape is. Sometimes, the contrast has been noticeable within a short distance. 

Lindis Pass is an example of this. It's barren, remote, unique and breath-taking. 

Lindis Pass Scenic Reserve was formed in 1976, and was one of the first tussock reserves in New Zealand. The road through the pass is hilly and winding and is about 60kms long. 

The rolling mountainside (with an altitude of 971m) is covered in tussock grass, and for many months of the year you can see snow, sometimes down to the side of the road.

Lindis Pass links the Mackenzie Basin with Central Otago and crosses a saddle between the valleys of Lindis and the Ahuriri River.

The little bus chugged up the pass without any trouble, the long stretches of road made it an easy climb. Once near the summit, I pulled over, it was time to give the dogs a break and for me to admire the view.

After the dogs had sniffed everything in sight and stretched their legs, we were back on the road. Before long, without looking at any road signs, I knew we were in Otago. 

How? The countryside gave it away - the distinctive craggy schist rock formations suddenly appeared along the countryside. 

I was rapt when we arrived in Cromwell. Finally, we were here, in the area, known for it's spectacular autumn scenery! 

I was hoping to stay at the Rotary Glen NZMCA Park beside Lake Dunstan, I had read reviews about it being a nice spot to stay, however it has a limit of 10 campervans. Knowing there were other places I could park if there were already 10 campers, I went to check it out.

Luckily, when I arrived there were only two others there. So I drove in and parked beside some spectacular golden poplars.

And, as we always do. It was off with the key. On with the gas. And then the three of us set off to explore.
Directly across from the park, was lovely Lake Dunstan.

Lake Dunstan is a man-made lake and reservoir which was formed on the Clutha River when the Clyde Dam was developed.

The lake provides irrigation to nearby stone fruit orchards and vineyards. It's also popular for swimming, boating, waterskiing, fishing and rowing.

Clearly the smell of rabbits in the air was strong. The dogs were eager to check out every bush and cluster of plants in sight.

We followed the edge of the lake for an hour or more and then turned back.

Parts of the foreshore was lined with Briar Roses. Their thorny branches were hanging heavily with bright orangey-red rose hips.

Legend has it Chinese Goldminers back in the 1860s brought briar roses to New Zealand as a source of vitamin C. The Otago winters were (and are) harsh and as rose hips have many medicinal uses, the Chinese used them as an aid to help them survive the cold winters.

During WW11, due to the lack of citrus fruit, rose hip gathering was a popular and meaningful pastime in autumn and early winter. 

Rose hips are the fruit of the briar rose and also contain the seeds. Rose hips are high in vitamin C, which assist with immunity. They also contain anti-inflammatory properties and evidence suggests these properties are effective in relieving symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. 

Being rich in essential fatty acids (omega 6 and omega 3), makes them beneficial to skin care, e.g, dermatitis, acne, eczema, sunburn, scar tissue and wrinkles (*sigh* - if only I'd known that earlier, I would've collected bucket loads of those rose-hips and smothered my face with them! haha). I'll chalk it up, for another reason to come back and visit!

Birds and maybe rabbits, have helped disperse the briar rose seeds. Briar roses are considered a pest to farmers, they establish resistant thickets in poor pastures and can tolerate drought, hot to cold temperatures, and can thrive in low fertile soils. 

When we arrived back at the NZMCA Park, we were greeted by lots of rabbits. They barely glanced in our direction, obviously we weren't a threat.

The dogs were on their leads and they were truly mesmerised. They would've done anything to be let off!  

Honestly, I don't think Oakly slept at all that night! Every time I woke, he was sitting beside me with his face glued to the window. I could see the rabbit's silhouettes as they sat on the nearby ridge. Admittedly, they were entertaining, jumping in the air, twisting and spinning around (this cute behaviour is known as a 'binky'). Others were grooming themselves, licking their paws and rubbing their faces or just sitting still.

Thankfully, Oakly spent the whole night watching. He never made a noise. So Boo and I had a great night's sleep.