Thought about doing the Papāroa Track today but it means an early start and long day. Although the weather was OK, last night's clouds had gone, I woke up about seven already feeling tired.
Waking for an overnight 03:30 - 04:30 online presentation—a lecture by Dr Christopher D. Lewis about British comedian Kenneth Williams—probably didn't help with that. I first heard Kenneth Williams on Radio NZ repeats of Hancock's Half Hour, Round the Horne, and contemporary Just a Minute shows as a kid. Later remember his TV appearances on 'Parkinson', 'Aspel' and 'Clive James' but he was most famous for the 'Carry On' film series. The lecture was mentioned on a podcast, and I knew he had a complex life. Turns out it was far more than anyone realised until reading his diaries after his death. Most of it is outlined in the Wikipedia Article; two deaths, one definitely, another potentially, murder were new aspects to me.
Having booted the big ride to, maybe, tomorrow I had a lazy morning. Breakfast on the deck in the sun (below) and mucking around until midday mulling over plans for the next few days. It was time well spent as decided on a potential ride plan for the Paparoa Trail which would be independent, no need for shuttles or any fixed timetable.
I also found a local trail that would be a good, if short, shakedown ride for En-Trance (my mountain bike) before tackling the Paparoa wilderness. I will have to carry a bit more gear and food for the long day so tried out a couple of options for that in addition to my usual Aeroe day ride front bag.
It was a lovely day, the palm lined bike path felt almost tropical!
Bullock Creek Rd is just a few km north of Punakaiki and worth exploring. I just rode to the end of the 'road', from where a walking track heads into the hills.
Bullock Creek, Punakaiki, is Department of Conservation Stewardship land and borders the Paparoa National Park. Access is by a gravel road which degrades to off road track then trails along former pack horse tracks.
It is a large flat-floored depression in a karst limestone landscape and is surrounded by tall cliffs, and dense beech and kahikatea forest.
Some of the rougher stuff further into the trail.
Some interesting weather up in the mountains. The trail I plan to ride in the next few days is up there somewhere.
Love the Jurassic feel of this landscape.
It was just somewhere to lean the bike, a friend thought I was trying to make the large stump behind look like a wooden rider!
Bone dry today, the this is a river in more normal rainfall times.
This landscape is amazing.
Lunch inspired by rocks
Stopped for a late, was three in the afternoon, lunch on the way back at Punakaiki Pancake Rocks Café. Seemed only fitting to have pancakes and felt like sweet rather than savoury! It was accompanied by a juice and my now obligatory lunchtime iced coffee!
I hadn't brought enough milk with me, had got into drinking Submarino (Argentinean Hot Chocolate) in the evening, and the café had large 2l bottles for sale. Nearly lost it on the way back when my cunning plan to lash it to the front bag, strap through the handle, and a bump combined to have it rub on the front wheel on a downhill to the beach before I realised. The plastic milk bottle had a black rubber friction burn by the time I stopped, luckily not right through!
My home this week is the small grey cottage on the left of these photos (above and below).
Punakaiki river flows down to the sea.
Oystercatchers enjoying a mussel feast.
I loved this stunning green seaweed on the rocks, no filters necessary!
Shuffled pancakes...
Surf beach at low tide.
My Passenger!
I 'parked' my bike against some driftwood at the beach. Seems while I wandered someone hitched a ride. I only found out when I went to clean and lube the chain, ready for tomorrows ride, after getting home. He(?) seemed unharmed by the trip and when moved to the bush by the cabin disappeared.
Some grey clouds lurking in the hills from late afternoon have just delivered some light rain. Perhaps today wasn't the one for the Papāroa Track after all. I did get a lovely rainbow after the rain passed.
Memories of a river I've never seen
A friend on an Aussie road-trip posted a photo of the Murrumbidgee River. That name alone took me back to the early 80s as I posted in this comment.
I can't see 'Murrumbidgee River' without thinking of the Aussie made Fairlight CMI (Computer Musical Instrument) Synth. When it was new, early 80s?, an article in the Aussie "Omega Magazine" about it had an address where you could buy a demo cassette to hear it. I did and one of the demos, all digital synth or natural sound samples from the CMI, was a track by Claude Larson*: Murrumbidgee River.
Although computer instruments are common now it was astonishing technology back in the day. Lots of existing synth makers had considered making a computer synth but decided was 'impossible' after trying with the current tech back then. A few guys in Sydney said (remember the quote): "We didn't know it was impossible, so we just made one".
* I later learned 'Claude Larson is the pseudonym of the German electronic musician Klaus Netzle'.
That track is now more easily available on YouTube (starts at 0:12:00):
Just Fairlight | YouTube
This promo cassette featuring strictly sounds from the Fairlight CMI was included with the purchase of your Fairlight - the first polyphonic digital sampling synthesizer.
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