“On a Mish” #434 The Riviera of the South (Part One). Aparima / Riverton. Southland. 25.4.2025. If I drive south from my home in Te Anau, in around a couple of hours I will reach the Southern Coast, and a riverside / seaside town called Aparima / Riverton. Since the late 2000s I have been heading down to catch up with friends, some of who are more like whanau now. The sights, sounds and even smells (of the ocean) are so refreshing you can feel it right down to your soul. I have never had a dull time when visiting the ‘Riviera of the South’, and my most recent visit might have just been one of the best…
On the 25th of April a massive earthquake rocked Nepal and killed over 9000 people. My brother from another Mother Dan and his partner Beth happened to be in the country when the shake happened, and they both witnessed first hand what a quake could do. It was a devastating day for the people of Nepal and one that will never be forgotten. It was also an event that sparked an idea in Dan’s head to get a bunch of people together and head into remote Nepal to help where needed. And with that the first of now many Active Hearts Foundation Charity Treks began.
By chance Dan and Beth were home on the 10-year anniversary of the earthquake (plus it was ANZAC Weekend), so I decided to head south with Georgie so we could all be together to remember the day. I love heading down to Dan’s however, little did I know that this mish down to the Riviera of the South was going to be right up there with the best.
Georgie and I left an overcast day in Te Anau and began the voyage south with hopes of an excellent couple of days. Soon we left the cloud behind us and above the sun shone bright, with a surprising amount of heat in it considering it was now the end of April. The weather down these ways has always just been part of the experience, and even on the rough days we have still found ways to have a ton of fun. But on this occasion the skies were the opposite of rough and we were in for a treat provided by the weather gods.
On the first day we caught up with Arjun, our good friend over in Nepal, and the Nepali Boss of the Active Hearts Foundation. Arjun is one of humanity’s greatest creations and his huge smile is matched by his generosity and compassion for the people of his country. Saying namaste & hello got me pumped for our next trip to Nepal in October 2025. After the call we wandered down to the beach to join the other lucky ones who were out enjoying the epic evening. After a feast that night we retreated to rest up for the next day, which was also going to be a sunny one.
Dan’s house has a good view east, and this means it catches the sunrises in Aparima / Riverton perfectly. Starting with a red glow on the horizon, the sky slowly came to life with essences of orange, pink and a fiery crimson red. What a way to start the day, and what a place Aparima Riverton is! The morning show that day was right up there with the best and one that got me excited about what was to come…
