Daily Photo – Ophir

The very small town of Ophir has a delightful post office, a wonderfully creaky old bridge, a charming pub, and for a glorious stretch of time – the claim of being the coldest place in the country. This, of course, was before some mean spirited person decided to rifle through forgotten weather records and unearthed the inconvenient fact that neighbouring Ranfurly had once managed to be even colder. Three degrees colder, in fact. The record was promptly reassigned, leaving Ophir with its post office, bridge, pub, and the rather less marketable distinction of being merely the second coldest place in New Zealand. 

Ophir’s near-record low of -21.6 °C was reached on Monday, 3 July 1995. To put that in perspective, the average temperature at Scott Base in Antarctica – a place where penguins look like they’re regretting their life choices – is a comparatively balmy -19.8 °C. Ophir was so cold that day locals swear livestock froze to the ground, hens had to be prised off their perches, and hypothermia was a very real threat. For years, the town proudly held on to this shivery claim to fame, until 2015 when the past inconveniently caught up with it. Old records were dusted off and revealed that back in July 1903, a site just west of Ranfurly had clocked an arctic –25.6 °C. And just like that, poor Ophir slipped from first place to second – which is a cruel fate for a town that was already small enough to be overlooked on most maps. 

Fortunately for Ophir, the post office is delightful, the old bridge is wonderful, and the pub is charming. I arrived from nearby Omakau in bright sunshine on a fine but chilly afternoon, wandered about the old buildings, and walked across the bridge – which I rather enjoyed. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I walked across it once more. Then, for good measure, I skipped, hopped, and danced my way across as well, before climbing back into the car and slipping over the hill into the Ida Valley.