Gladstone- Another River & Another Church

This is where we are staying tonight, the Gladstone River Reserve, south east of Masterton.

Not our first choice but as it’s turned out the best one. The first spot was also on the Ruamahanga River near Gladstone but was a seedy looking area, dark & depressing and stunk to high heaven.

The source of the stench revealed itself to be a fresh deer carcass, it’s eyes looking blankly back at us out of the long grass. A swarm of blow flies led us on to a pile of trout bodies, likely netted,  quickly & poorly filleted & dumped in a pile to create the worse fish stench I have ever smelt. Poaching is obviously alive & well in this area. It wouldn’t surprise me if the truck parked under the willows a little further on & loaded up with beehives hadn’t been lifted too!

David did think about pulling out onto the gravel river bed and setting up camp there but going by the compacted shingle & tyre tracks it was obviously a well-used route to somewhere further down river.

David did some more fishing but failed to hook anything this time although he did see one fish. Later on he tried further up the river but still to no avail. While he was fishing I went for a "tiki-tour" & located the Gladstone Church, another one to add to my file.

This is "Scarecrow Country" and all along the roads in the district are dozens and dozens of scarecrows of all shapes & sizes and designs. November 7th was "The Scarecrow Big Day Out", a fundraiser for the local school. They have been holding this event since 1998 and by the looks of the scarecrows, each year they have got more inventive & creative.