2216 - 2245 Lake Coleridge Lodge
Probably one of the easiest days ever had. Due to us being early, the plan was to go to Lake Coleridge Lodge and see whether they had beds. If not then go to Methven. And, because of the large distance to Methven, we decided hitching was a good idea. It was either that or end up in the middle of nowhere for the night. It was one of those days you expect to be walking forever.
What wasn't expected was getting a ride all the way to the lodge within twenty minutes and then finding that yes they had a room. At this point it was probably around 9:00AM. Angelynn is seriously good at hitchhiking.
Lake Coleridge Village is a very strange place that makes me think it might be some sort of vampire colony from a Stephen King novel.
All the grounds are very neat and there is housing for perhaps 800 people except none of them seem occupied. The graveyard is almost 100 years old yet only 5 people are buried there. The lodge manager is tall and always wears running shoes. Very suspicious.
On the other side of things today I have had a sauna and then a spa whilst watching the sunset through the power lines from the Lake Coleridge Power Station.
Tomorrow we will be getting a shuttle around the Rakaia River to the trail head. This is because the river is a non trail hazard zone, currently still high from the rain, and filled with great dust clouds from the wind.
Hindsight
- Sometimes you plan for the worst and get the best.
- We got a resupply box at the Lodge that meant I had so much food I gave some away.
- Wandering around the village is quite interesting.
- The Lodge has the shuttle to the trail head. They also stopped at Methven so we could resupply.
