Day 26 Haast to Makarora

Day 26 Haast to Makarora

That irreverent, lapsed or ex-communicated, ex altar boy Brother Alp has just sent me a file but I can't open it. He has a sacrilegious take on making the sign of the cross, "spectacles, testicles, wallet and watch" I am forever losing or forgetting things; gloves, glasses, guide book, mask etc and have been thinking one would come in handy for me. Spectacles (sun, reading, long distance) don't need to worry about the next item as wriggling around on a nasty bike seat all day. The guide route instructions are invaluable so I could call them 'instructables' then 'maskes' and 'cardses' credit card and mask. Of course there is also water and vaccine pass and bum butter. All vitals.

It was nice to be hear from him. When the phone pings I usually use it as an incentive and say to myself I'll have a look at the 25 k mark or the top of the next ridge. Txt if u like I may even send you a personal photo. It's pouring outside. The third spot of rain since starting. I don't want to go but it's an easy day in only 79 kms and a 560 m climb to Makarora. I can't believe I can ever think that is easy. I'm getting fitter.

It was raining hard in the night and drizzling when I went down for noodles. I fluffed around blogging and hoping it would stop and it did so after a proper breakfast with coffee at the local shop I finally got mobile at 1100 and after putting the rain gear on and off a couple of times it cleared. I made good time to the Gates of Haast which is about 100 metres.

They even tell you where there is cellphone reception.

BJ a traffic controller.

Stuart Rees from Gore taking photos at the Haast Pass 578 metres.

Dylan and I had a long video call and he eventually managed to explain to me again how to set heart rate, altitude, distance, time onto the screen. In my defence it has 5 buttons and a hair trigger of a screen and it took me a long time to figure out if I pressed the buttons or sometimes grazed the screen. The altitude is useful for a morale boost. Cardrona in two days is a 1,100 metre climb so knowing where you are is a morale boost.

There is a selection of photos; the riverbed at Roaring Billy Falls ..all flat river rock, a tutu bush... highly toxic even in honey if bees have been harvesting it, cattle stop signs (they are nothing to do with cattle there but cattle will not cross over a grate with open space under, they might get stuck!) Baffling for tourists.

There is a picture looking down in off the end of the cattle stop straight down into the Haast River at Diana Falls. The fibre optic cable is there to in a galvanized pipe. This happened a few times at places where repairs have been made to the row and likely to happen again soon. 

There are photos of workers feeding fibre optic cable through 800 metre sections.

Vijay Singh laying fibre, from Palmerston North working 12 days straight then flown home for two days then back at it.

Steve and Mitch feeding the Telco wire.

Christine from Christchurch who had flown to Queenstown and was inspecting the road for the day.

There are photos of a gang of Fulton Hogan so busy tidying up after inspecting a bridge they had no time to talk and others inspecting the end of a bridge tail someone had smacked up. Haast is busy with workers when the weather is good and probably busier when there are slips. 

The road men used to always be leaning on shovels or brooms and there would be a thermette burning twigs and boiling water for teabreaks. Dad would always be omment on what a great job they had. There is a joke about a roadgang writing to Wellington for more shovel and broom handles years ago when MOW was a govt department. Weeks later they finally got a reply," Sorry shovel handles out of stock. Lean on each other."

Rock art on a log like Tibetan rock mounds at a waterfall. Two Kiwis gave me beautiful golden peaches there.

The pub is closed at Makarora and the locals offered me a free beer. They were drinking on the roadside at the 'Covid Inn'. It was warm and pleasant. The manager brought me four slices of bread and a great wodge of Vegemite for me to toast.

Sunset over my chalet. No towels here just a sheet. I should have used the sheet instead of a scrap of muslin cloth. There was no laundry powder, my towel was in with the wash which didn't get washed just wet because it was busted, I discovered after forking out Two $2.00 coins into the machine.