#dailyat6am, #fromtheroad, Henley, Taieri River, Wild Horses

Old Taieri Ferry Road Bridge

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Daily Photo – Old Taieri Ferry Road Bridge

After the turn-off to Henley, the road slipped into that gentle kind of countryside where nothing much seems to happen, and that’s exactly the appeal. A few paddocks, a weathered mailbox or two, and then a striking red bridge appears, stretching over the Taieri River. The ironwork, a splash of colour against the green hillside and blue water below, it was all very pleasant.

I knew I should probably have kept going straight to Milton, but curiosity gets the better of me when I’m on the road. So I stopped, wandered down to the riverbank, and admired how the bridge stood and its surroundings. There’s a stillness to places like this that you don’t get anywhere near a highway.

Later on, I learned the river was once crossed by punt long before any structure like this existed. I remember once reading that the old Taieri Ferry was one of several operating along the river in the 1800s, a simple wooden flat-bottomed craft that carried farmers, travellers, and the odd cartload of sheep across, depending on the season and the river’s mood. Before bridges, these ferries were lifelines, often run by local families who knew the currents as well as their neighbours.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about travelling through South Otago, it’s that the detours are always worth it. They’re where you find the places that don’t try to impress you, they just quietly invite you to pause, look, and imagine all the small stories that have passed this way before.

#dailyat6am, Henley, Maungatua Range, Outram, Wild Horses

Spring Snow in Dunedin

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Daily Photo – Spring Snow in Dunedin

Overnight the temperature dipped, and by morning Dunedin had slipped back into winter, despite the calendar insisting it was spring. A thin dusting of snow lay across the city, settling on rooftops and lawns, as though someone had quietly shaken icing sugar over everything while we slept. It wasn’t enough to cause any trouble, just enough to raise eyebrows, especially from those who had already swapped coats for lighter jackets.

This is one of the curiosities of living here: the seasons are more suggestion than certainty. Spring might well bring daffodils, blossom, and lambs in the paddocks, but just as quickly it can deliver a southerly front that chills you to the bone. And yet, far from being an inconvenience, these sudden turns in the weather feel almost like Dunedin showing off. A reminder that it can shift moods overnight, and in doing so, make even the familiar look quietly extraordinary.

#dailyat6am, #fromtheroad, Henley, Travels in small-town New Zealand, Wild Horses

Henley Road, Henley

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Daily Photo – Henley Road, Henley

From Mosgiel, I passed through East Taieri and Allanton before going some kilometres out of my way to take the scenic road alongside the Taieri River to the small settlement of Henley, which was picturesque in its own unique way. It wasn’t scenic like Milford Sound in Fiordland or the Great Ocean Road in Australia, but carried its own beauty in a slow, overcast winter’s day kind of way. Like many small towns in New Zealand, Henley carried its own quiet version of charm.

#dailyat6am, Henley, Travels in small-town New Zealand, Wild Horses

Henley

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… from a Small City: Travels In Small-Town New Zealand

… from a Small City: Travels In Small-Town New Zealand is a delightful jaunt around the backroads and towns of Otago and Southland. Rediscovering and exploring the quirks, charms, curiosities and forgotten points of interest of small-town Otago – Southland.

Daily Photo – Henley

On my way out of town I had intended to stop at Mosgiel, a suburb on the outskirts of the city. That was before my departure was delayed. I had carefully picked out a photographic location high on a bridge overlooking the motorway. My intention was to capture a long exposure of vehicle lights disappearing into the distance as the town quietly woke from its slumber in the early morning light.

However, I was now running late. So, I parked these plans to one side, saving the idea for another time, and detoured to the small riverside village of Henley, a place that actually does have more sheep than residents, is prone to flooding, and is a delightful spot for a riverside picnic on a warm and lazy summer’s afternoon.

I paused for a moment beside the river. It was still, sedately ambling its way past the village. I got out and walked across the bridge, disturbing a raft of ducks as I did so. They noisily appeared from the reeds, splashed across the top of the water for a moment, and disappeared into the distance. It was starting to rain, and moments later I was back in my car and had rejoined State Highway One, heading south.

Creativity, Dunedin, Henley, Ōtepoti, Taieri River

The Taieri River at Henley

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The Taieri River at Henley

After passing through Outram Glen, the town of Outram and ambling across the Taieri Plains, the Taieri River arrives at Henley. At Henley, the river merges with the Waipori River which then flows to Taieri Mouth. In the early days of Otago, as settlers were pushing inland searching for gold, there used to be a river barge at Henley. It took travellers and their belongings across the river as they headed into the gold fields of the Tuapeka and the Dunstan.