Stunning day

Ahhhhh.......one of those days that just keeps on giving - glorious weather, superb places to see.........love it, love it, love it!  

It didn't begin too well though. Perusing the news over my morning coffee I was shocked to read about Shane Warne's sudden death at just 52 - far too young to be taken.  Like everyone else, I'm stunned.

So the day began on a bit of a sombre mood.  I left Colac Bay (main pic) and headed back to Riverton to fuel up - I'm not sure where the next petrol stations will be or how many kms I'll do over the next few days, but I certainly don't want to be stranded.  Funnily enough, I travelled less than 40kms today, to Gemstone Beach, near Orepuki via a cute and intriguing wee spot called Mullet Bay but known commonly as Cosy Nook.  Until the 1960's Mullet Bay was the base for up to 7 fishing boats that worked in Foveaux Strait.  The small dwellings in the bay (cribs/baches/shacks/cottages) were originally huts built by fishermen in the days when there were no regulations, or no-one knew about them, and no-one cared anyway.  Gradually they have changed ownership though they have no land titles, they can't be enlarged and no more can be built.  The owners pay rates plus a land lease.  The one in extras had a sign attached to its front revealing that the owner has died and asking people to respect the house, as the owner had.  He was obviously a man of wit as the yellow sign on his cottage reveals - he'd called his cottage the "Pollyfilla Villa".

After a good couple of hours spent at Cosy Nook I headed just down the road to Gemstone Beach.  Wow!  Crystal clear, blue water, very few people, a few surfers (extra - clearly a staunch Southlander........not a wetsuit in sight!) and a beach full of pebbles and stones of an amazing array of colours.  I'm heading back there tomorrow to see if I can build myself an interesting and colourful collection.

Until then though, tonight's stay is at Monkey Bay, just a bit further back from Gemstone Beach.  It's packed!!!  But then, it is the weekend.  I suspect I'll stay here more than just one night.

In COVID news, there were 18,833 new cases today......another small drop.  There are 597 in hospital and 10 in ICU.  Sadly, today also saw the loss of 5 more lives to COVID.