Opuha-Cave

[Sunday 14 Oct]
We decide to explore the northern reaches of the Fairlie Basin, we head to Monument Corner, appropriately named in the middle of the road a monument dedicated to servicemen from the area whom died in the Wars, it is a roundabout on a country road. From there we continue on the Lochaber Road climbing up to the Meikleburn Saddle between the High Clayton’s and Four Peaks Range opens up into beautiful valley with the Orari River making its way east. Big well run stations, we continue up as far as we can go approx 26 km, stunning area surrounded by river valleys and ranges. On the way back we make a detour up to the North Opuha conservation area and Fox Peak ski field unfortunately not able tp proceed to ski field as closed.
[Monday 15th Oct]
Morning dawns frosty and clear, now I have empathy for those travellers in cars converted into campers, boy they must feel the cold on these bracing frosty mornings on the other hand we snug as a bug in a rug with the luxury of the diesel heater ☺️. Sitting outside for brekky enjoying the morning sun was very pleasurable. I decide to go for walk round the southern side of lake and Shane is going to fly his drone to get aerial perspective of surrounding area. Approx 4 km later I come to the Opuha dam on the way I spied a white heron in the shallows feeding, l could not get very close to it for a close up photo he or she was very camera shy! Plenty of trout lazily cruising the shoreline, wading birds and ducks.
On my return we decide to move on going via the Fairlie-Cave Road, first stop at Fairlie for the renowned bakery pies yummmo😋. Lovely drive down the valley to O’Neills Reserve by the Tengawai River, a beautiful sheltered spot to spend the night. We unhitch “Jimmy” then head off through the rolling hill country to the Waratah saddle and onto the McKenzie pass between the Dalgety Range and Rollesby Range the vista opens up to the magnificent McKenzie Basin. We stop at the monument which commemorates where James McKenzie was caught in 1855 but he escaped that night from his captors! A fabulous drive through wonderful farmland. On return to Cave we stop for a beer at local tavern learn the history of the area it’s one of those places you pass by and never take time to stop and look, what we learnt was fascinating especially about St David’s church and the Burnett family whom also owned Mt Cook Station.
The church was built in 1930 commemorates Thomas Burnett’s parents and all runholders, drovers, shearers on early high country runs. It is built of uncut glacier born boulders from near Mt Cook station, totara and beech no nails used in construction. The Burnetts also had a down country farm opposite the church with an eye catching grand gateway, iron gates flanked by massive stone walls 20 m in each direction on the walls printed in Gaelic that translate “We keep the old ways, the good ways and ” What we have, we keep”. Cave is an idyllic village tucked in a beautiful valley well worth the stop.

via PressSync