Freezing our ... off

Where were we?  Oh yes, heading south from DELORAINE towards the Great Lake with the intention of spending leisurely days fishing. 

After we left MOLE CREEK the weather gradually improved, and although windy it was quite sunny.  As soon as we started south from DELORAINE the road started to climb up to the CENTRAL PLATEAU, and the temperature started to drop.  As the altimeter ticked off the meters above sea level, the thermometer counted down.  We watched in alarm as it fell to single figures and kept falling.  Up on top of the escarpment at an altitude of 1250m it was down to eight degrees.  As we travelled south along the central highlands we could see dark clouds ahead. 

Then we hit the clouds and down went the thermometer, 8-7-6-5-4-3-2^oC, and then hello, sleet, and what the hell is this? SNOW!!!.  We got to a lookout at the north end of the GREAT LAKE but couldn’t see more than 50m out onto the water. Snow showers were rushing across the lake whipping its surface into a wild sea of whitecaps. So much for our leisurely days fishing by the lake.

We drove the 30km down the side of the lake with the snow getting heavier all the way, to the point where the wipers were just coping.  Like driving through the Desert Road in the middle of winter, only this was a metal road that hadn’t seen a grader for many years. 

We finally got to the bottom of the lake at a small town called MIENA.  We called in to the pub and joined a few locals by the roaring fire for some hot chips and a cuppa – it literally was too cold for a beer - and watched snow showers beating across a very angry and cold looking lake.   The snow showers eased a bit, and we headed off again southwest on the MARLBOROUGH Highway which runs down to the HOBART to QUEENSTOWN Road.

Don’t let the word highway fool you.  It was more of the same sort of road, very much like a rough version of the road from AHITITI to OHURA. We spent the whole time swerving from one side of the road to the other dodging the larger potholes.

 We gradually came down off the Central Highlands and eventually came out on the main HOBART to QUEENSTOWN road where we hit tar seal again for the first time in over 60km.  We then turned west and after about 30km arrived at DERWENT BRIDGE.  All the time driving through periodic snow showers with the temperature at a constant 2 degrees, even though we were now down to an altitude of about 800m.

DERWENT BRIDGE is a settlement about the size of EGMONT VILLAGE and gives access to the southern end of the CRADLE MOUNTAIN – LAKE ST CLAIR NATIONAL PARK.  We wanted to spend some time exploring this area and of course to try our hand at fishing.  By now we had decided that due to the weather, tenting was out of the question, so enquired about the price of a chalet.  The $265 a night quoted had us believing she had misunderstood us.  We only wanted to stay the night, not buy the bloody place.

We drove 5km up to LAKE ST CLAIR village in the National Park at the end of the lake, and got a dormitory room for $88.  All the time there were squally snow showers falling.  However we were soon snugly settled in to our room with the heater going and tea cooking in a cosy kitchen, along with several other campers and trampers.  Very much like WHAKAPAPA HOLIDAY PARK at Mt Ruapehu. 

The forecast for the next 3 or 4 days is for similar weather so our plans are a bit up in the air at the moment.  We want to check out QUEENSTOWN and STRAHAN on the west coast before heading north again, but obviously the weather is now the deciding factor in our plans.  With 2 degrees and snow showers at this time of the year, we are wondering what winter is like down here.  And to think in a week’s time we will be sweltering in about 40 degree heat again.