Day 55 | Murchison Settlement caravan park: the patch of grass out behind the roadhouse

82 km | zzOz total: 2,850 km

I’ve cruised into Murchison before, but that was Murchison, NZ.

We used to turn up to Murch, as it was invariably known, on a Friday afternoon when I was up at my school’s, what should we call it, wilderness lodge. They’d bus us down the 30 odd km from the back of beyond where we’d been out in the bush for a week and thirty 16 or 17 year olds would have time to kill while waiting for the standard bus into Nelson a couple of hours away.

It should be pointed out that it was a two pub, and not much else, town, the teachers would head for the slightly less downmarket variety, although you could still get in with gumboots, boys with sideburns sidled into the other, despite the fact the drinking age at the time was 20, it really was an isolated locality and the locals would take any money they could get.

Despite my height, and almost mature appearance, I generally preferred fossicking around the town, there had been a massive earthquake, 7.8, centred there in 1928, and another 7.1 I remember feeling in Nelson back in 1968.

Earthquakes were about the only thing Murch had going for it.

I’ve ridden my bike through on occasions, Nelson to Christchurch a couple of times and heading down the West Coast another.

More immediately Murchison Settlement is publess: a roadhouse and a few hidden houses.

The major feature seems to be 5 polocrosse grounds, the type played with a lacrosse style racket/net. I learn this after 5pm when 2 hi-vis clad riders emerge out of the shrubbery on ponies and practice throwing a ball around, while getting the pony to walk backwards, lurch from side to side, etc.

The local shire, the local government body, prides itself on being the only shire in Australia that has no town. It services a largish area, 50,000 square kilometres but only has 160 inhabitants, most who live on one of the 29 cattle stations.

Hunh? No town? Well, Murchison is it.

The caravan park is another in the series that I have seen, and even stayed at in Beacon, that has been recently constructed with state government money from mining royalties, great warm showers, even some grass, brand new shiny barbeque facilities, picnic tables etc.

But I’m the solitary occupant tonight, probably because the Road Closed has only this afternoon become Road Open.