Got to Haast after a not too long drive, but then again, I slept through most of it. Think Catherine was cruel and took a picture of me snoozing. The motel here, the Heritage Park Lodge wasn’t too exciting, but it’s fine for sleeping. All these motels have the front wall all windows, so you really do have to be careful to close the curtains. The café and supermarket were already closed and I think it was only 6pm. We had agreed to meet at the pub just down the road at 7pm. Pub 1 had no veggies, so we had to move on. Lots of antlers hanging from the rafters though.
While waiting to here the verdict on whether we were eating there or not, we got a view of a heliguy refueling his chopper. Not your usual gas station. Basically he poured gas from a red plastic jug into the copter…one like I have from when I ran out of gas in front of Harold, only a little bigger. Then he just took off…the helipad was just a driveway in front a biggish corrugated metal garage. We saw this guy make multiple runs during the evening, landing once carrying a cargo of 4-5 giant deer hanging from the bottom. Creepy! It turns out that he’s also the guy who’ll chopper you to the hospital if you crash coming down to the Gates of Haast.
I had gone out on the deck to take some pictures of the heli-scene and there were two guys sitting out there having a beer and a smoke. Liked the look…camouflage capri pants. The princess would have been proud…until she saw the wellis. But tell me, really – which is worse? Gumboots on boys with capri pants or those UGG boots with mini skirts on girls?