Sat, 7th Mar, 2026 (p1) Lake Ruataniwha free camp, near Twizel to Rest area near Shag Point, NZ (lakes, power stations & limestone)

7am 10 degrees outside. Clouds on the hills but mostly clear.

Fran sent a video of Sophia’s early birthday present from us and her parents - a plush cow rocking horse. It looks so cute and she loves it.

Continued along the road to the Ohoa A Powerhouse. Water from Lake Tekapo canal comes down the pipes into the turbines then the water continues down past where we were camped on the high bank and into Lake Ruataniwha and onwards towards the east coast.

Back out past a big rowing event on the lake that lots of people are arriving for.

Across the spillway again and onto the road to Oamaru. Passed a big salmon farm on a side lake off the spillway area. Continued through farm pastures with big irrigators.

The valley narrowing as bare mountains (no trees) loom over us on all sides. Across Ahuriri River.

Into Oamaru. Another place doing Glider flights over Mt Cook area. Nice little town.

Turned onto the road to Kurow then through low grassy hills. Lots of cyclists on a separate path.

Over a rise - lovely view of the next lake which is an offshoot from Lake Benmore.

Interesting plant. View of Lake Benmore from the lookout. Nicer to the west but we are heading east.

Around the edge of the lake to Sailors Cutting - nice campground with room for motorhomes etc.

Turned away from the lake into the grassy hills to Otematata which is near a long waterway that is connected to the last lake.

Benmore Dam Power Station is further up that waterway but we didn’t go up.

Thicker clouds coming over as we drop down through a narrow valley - view of town and water. Where we are on map.

The waterway narrows between the mountain and us on the road. Lots of ‘shack’ leases under the power lines - fenced vans along the edge.

Lake Aviemore - man-made lake. Clouds hanging on the tops of the mountains.

Aviemore Dam wall, opened 1968.

Stopped at the lookout. Further east is Lake Waitaki. Bit of information. The map is missing Lake Waitaki!

Continued along to Waitaki Dam wall which is nearly full. More information about the power scheme. Dug by pick and shovel.

More info off an older info board with a very good map of the hydro scheme. Waitaki power station was built 1928-34.

Good tourist map too.

Water from the outlet continues east as Waitaki River which reaches the coast south of Glenavy.

Misty cloud still hanging on the mountain tops.

Continued on into Kurow - nice little town. Had a cuppa in the park, still only 18 degrees outside with a light breeze.

Quick photo of 1892 St Albans Anglican Church. Churches are always have nice architecture.

Irrigated green pastures for cattle and back to the tall hedges again and poplar dividers. More dead possums on the road.

Irrigators up on the hillslopes too.

Pulled off to check out Takiroa Maori Rock Drawings in the limestone.

These are a bit newer!

Nature made its own artwork - I think this looks like a head of some long-forgotten animal!

More art further around. Some have been removed - dug a big hole in the wall too.

Lovely view back to the mountains and green fields.

Walked around to a sign on the rise before we headed back to the camper.

More things to see in the area.

Continued on to St Martin Anglican Church, 1901.

Into Duntroon - so many places with similar names to Australia but of course these were made by the same English, Scottish ancestors who settled in both places. The pub.

Across the Maerewhenua River - not attempting to say any of these names.

Turned off and headed through dairy farms to see the Elephant Rocks which are on a private farm. Passed another rock site by the road but no where to park so we continued on. The limestone rocks are the remains of an ancient seabed, apparently.

Continued on to the Anatini Fossil Site also on private land. Very nice of them to allow access. Lots of interesting rock shapes here.

This picture is from the movie, Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe that was filmed here.

I think these are thistles - there are a lot here.

The only fossil is under Perspex which is old and we can’t see through it any more.

Very pretty area.

Lots of cyclists on the provided trail - good on them. I rather walk then pedal.

Back to the main road then continued eastward to the coast and the Pacific Ocean.

On the way we spotted the trees spelling the farm’s name, Altavady.

I took a photo of them too in 1982 but when I googled the info I found a post from the owners that those trees I saw had died so this is the new planting of 400 cypress pines.

Through more farmland. We are beside hills but to north it is all flat again to where the Waitaki River flows to the sea.