Curiosities: at Curio Bay…

Distance: 30 kms. Riding Time: 2:45 hours.

The wind had dropped, but a steady drizzle was falling when I woke this morning, so I took my time over my oats and tea. By the time I was ready to go, the sun had begun to appear, and with only a short distance to cover, I set off at a leisurely pace, listening to an audiobook as I went (French Revolutions by Tim Moore).

Soon I reached Niagara Falls café, a truly charming place with a comprehensive menu, in the middle of nowhere. Deciding on a second breakfast, I was convinced by the waiter to try the locally smoked salmon, and it proved truly delicious. In the background, the local ladies musical group entertained by playing their ukuleles and banjos.

From Niagara it was but a few kms to Waikawa and thence on to Curio Bay – a beautiful curving beach. I quickly settled into a backpacker room, then headed for the beach, and spent a couple of pleasant hours soaking up some sun.

Curio Bay is so named for the rare petrified forest on it’s shore, and almost as rare, the yellow-eyed penguins and Hector dolphins. So in the early evening I ventured down and saw the petrified forest and also some penguins. I couldn’t see any dolphins, but the Hectors are quite small at less than a metre, and are hard to spot.

An English visitor staying at the backpacker shared a few beers and a long and interesting chat before I finally called an end to an almost perfect day.