Otira to Bealey

If you like old-fashioned museums you'll love the Otira Pub. It's stuffed with colonial artefacts and neat old photos and about five ceramic toilet bowls gorgeously decorated with floral designs. There are also ducks, pigs, Nubian goats and guinea pigs and this African Grey parrot.

Her name is Gracie, she was bred at Gloriavale and she was $2,500. It's the first time I've seen one, but I have read many scientific studies of problem solving and communication by these birds. Gracie has been unlucky in life - she'd love (and deserves)some interesting puzzles.

One night at Otira cured me of antiques, rain and fellow guests so I took the Greymouth shuttle east to Bealey. Suddenly, no rain. Just a huge sunny view over the Waimakiriri River and a window seat at the Hotel (which also offers great backpacker accommodation).

I feel a bit silly. The weather was perfect for walking and instead I was drying clothes, arranging rides on either side of the Rakaia River and fascinated by Kerouac's "Lonesome Traveller" which was in the lounge here. He was a forest fire lookout for a couple of months, utterly alone. "just to know all is empty and awake" was the lesson it taught him.

I am off again tomorrow (2 January) heading for Lake Coleridge. Should be posting again from Methven on 4 January. Meantime, that moa sighting at Bealey a few years ago was kosher!