Otago beckons

An early morning check of the highways reveals that, thank Heavens, a detour route on the main highway south was opened late yesterday. There are reports of a huge traffic backlog but hopefully this will have cleared by the time we get there.

We emerge into the cool morning with heads still foggy from jet lag but a walk back to yesterday's cafe and a hearty breakfast does wonders to clear the haze. 

Back to Unknown Chapter - our Christchurch haunt

We stock up on some essentials from the supermarket before checking-out and  jumping in a taxi to the car hire place near the airport. There we're introduced to our new companion for the next 7 days - a small but zippy Toyota Corolla. It takes some contortion to fit our suitcases into the boot, and eventually the rear seat has to give way to fit everything in. And so, late morning sees us on the highway south with Christchurch rapidly receding into the distance. Ross takes the first shift while I try (and fail) to work the satnav. Thankfully my phone proves to be a worthy back-up over the next few days. 

The detour is better than we expected and while it takes us quite a way off the main highway, at least the traffic is moving. We cross the Rangitata River, which is responsible for flooding the main highway downstream. It is still wide and fast flowing but thankfully the river hasn't taken out this crossing as well.

The swollen Rangitata River

We change drivers after a few hours and I take us to just north of Dunedin. Ross takes the last leg so I can focus on navigating and we pass along the very steep, narrow and winding roads of Mt Cargill. The views over the bay from the top are quite spectacular.

Looking down from Mt Cargill

Finally we locate our B+B at the top of a very steep driveway. Our host tells us we were lucky to miss the backlog of 15,000 vehicles that took hours to clear yesterday once the detour opened. We're shown to our own little studio in the loft, which will be our base for the next three days. Apart from the sloping ceilings that take some getting used to, and a very squeaky bed, it is clean and comfortable and we have all we need for our own breakfasts for the next few mornings. Best of all is the view of the Otago Peninsula, and around us nothing but steep hills, bleating sheep and amazing birdsong. 

Looking down to Sawyers Bay and Port Chalmers from our window

The rolling green hills behind

We are both tired but Ross gallantly drives us the 5-minute journey to nearby Port Chalmers where we follow our host's suggestion and dine at the Carey's Bay Historic Hotel. 

                      

It is a cosy refurbished pub and we enjoy some beautiful local fish and very kind and attentive waitstaff. Then it's back to a welcome sleep, both of us trying to lie as still as possible so the bed doesn't squeak, eyelids drooping in the long twilight and drifting off to the serenade of a million birds.