Day 8 - Naseby to Taeiri River Mouth

A driving day today. We left Naseby relatively early (for us) and followed the Pig Route through to Palmerston and then Dunedin. The road winds up and down a lot and it feels in places like the Lindis Pass or the Desert Road with tussock everywhere.

At a spot intriguingly sign-posted as Dead Horse Pinch I stopped to read a plaque. During the Gold Rush days, 8-10 horse carts used to make the difficult trip from Dunedin through to the gold fields. Many of the horses died along the way, especially at this last steep set of hills. Once the railway was put in to Middlemarch, things got a little easier!

We also had to pull over twice for large loads coming the other way. On close inspection, each load was just a single massive digger bucket presumably heading for the Mcrae's open cast mine!! I hate to think how big the digger is.

In Dunedin we visited Olveston Historic House and had a guided tour. This was built in the early 20th century by a very well-off family couple David and Marie Theomin. Their two children had no children of their own and so when the daughter died in 1966 she left it to the Dunedin City. It is an impressive place and you can read more about it here.

We then drove down the coast to the Taeri River mouth and will stay tonight in a Park-Over-Property next to a public park. This seems to be a boat and bus graveyard. Payment is by donation but we have power and a great spot so well done Keith!