Around the historic Danseys Pass Hotel....
...before a scenic twisties and sweeper run down to Middlemarch for lunch at Maggies, the only shop in town nowadays.
I quickly ducked into the reception of what used to be Blind Billy's Holiday Park and found a cheery young couple had taken over the place, which looked spic'n span at first glance.
They still rent out the converted railway-wagons, the camp kitchen is still the same....if it was a later in the day,I'd love to stay again.
www.middlemarchholidaypark.co.nz
Short-cutting the Clarks Junction stretch via the Rocklands Road dirt proves a bad choice for the Hima.....it's a bugger to pick up in that deep and loose gravel/pebble/ dust mixture underfoot.
No hurt, no damage....hello Dunstan, here we come!
The eastern half of the Old Dunstan proves to be a doozy....close enough to a dirt-highway.
Dropping into the Gimmerburn Flats.
The skies are leaden and there is some hesitation to tackle the western half of the Dunstan.
If it's as soft/clay/powdery as the first part....and being a LOT steeper + deeply rutted in parts .....one single half-arsed shower will see this caper turning into a gigantic F'-UP.


Then again, if it's as smooth and quick as the first p[art we might just dodge that black stuff chasing us.....maybe we're lucky.
