Into the Maniatoto

Were heading into the hills today with our ultimate destination being Naseby some 600 metres above sea level.   The road from Dunedin to our 1st stop in Middlemarch about 66km from Dunedin was all uphill and more like a roller coaster than a highway.   A quick coffee stop at Middlemarch and we continued on our way to Naseby stopping briefly at Ranfurly for a look around.

 

John Turnbull Thomson the first surveyor-general in New Zealand

We had a look through the iSite which is situated in the old Ranfurly Station building.   The Ranfurly Railway station was built to transport farm produce and people from isolated inland Otago to the Port City of Dunedin.   Until 1898 Ranfurly didn’t exist, the closest places were Eweburn and Naseby both about 9km away and they were considered to far from the rail route so Ranfurly was surveyed into existence.   A township created to meet the train.   The 1st train arrived on 1st December 1898with people and supplies and overnight Ranfurly became the hub of the Maniatoto.

 The Former Ranfurly Station

Continuing to Naseby where we had booked in to the Larchview Holiday Camp.   As soon as we had eaten some lunch Pauline and I headed off for our main reason for coming here – the only indoor curling rink in NZ.    A quick DVD and a lesson from the onsite tutor, jackets on ! and out on to the ice.   A little chilly to say the least.This was real good fun as I thought it would be and apart from the cold and slippery surface
has a striking similarity to lawn bowls, a sport we have both played.

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          I try to deliver the stone                         Pauline trys to Sweep it Out !