Dunedin and the South

Having left our friends at the airport it all felt a bit flat, we had become accustomed to a lot of chatter in the van but now it felt very quiet. We knew we wanted to go to Invercargill so we set off in that direction. We took the road to Te Anau which by now was reasonably familiar as we had travelled that way to go to Milford Sound, it was only once past the Te Anau turn off that we were in unchartered territory. We decided to find ourselves a campsite for the night and make our plans from there. It was very strange cooking supper for two when cooking for five had been the norm, we ate heartily as the quantity definitely was not two fifths of what I was accustomed to cooking!

Invercargill is very much a port town with a long history of seafaring, whaling, oyster fishing and in recent years container shipping. From there we went south down a peninsula to the town Bluff, the oldest European settlement in NZ, where we visited the maritime museum which chronicled the maritime history of the town and area. There was even an old fishing boat which you could go on to see how the crew lived worked and ate; not the most comfortable of vessels. The town of Bluff has a hill called "the Bluff" which overlooks the town and the surrounding area all the way back to Invercargill. It was a murky day so visibility was poor however the tower had a description of what you could see and it also had how an interpretation of the Maori names for the landmarks. One thing that has been impressive where ever we have been in NZ is the quality of the visitor attractions, even the simplest of places have been well thought out and arranged to best effect.

We have now stood on the Lands End of NZ, a place called Sterling Point at the southern tip of the Bluff peninsula from where the next stop south is the Antartic, less than 5000km to the pole. It was blowing a gale and the midges were out in force so we didn't hang around. We did stand still long enough for a passerby to take our photo stood under the sign saying "London 18958kms" and giving the distances for other major landmarks in the world.

After Bluff, we stopped for lunch at Oreti beach which was deserted except for some hardy surfers being towed out to sea by a jet ski. It was cold and overcast so it was not surprising that the beach was empty but it was easy to imagine that on a fine day the miles of golden sand would be a very popular place to be.

Having dawdled around Invercargill we didn't make many miles to Curio Bay for our overnight stop. On arrival we found it to be famous for several unusual things. Firstly it is one of the few places in the world where the sea has uncovered an ancient forest. On the shore it is possible to walk amongst fossilised trees from 170 million years ago. It is incredible that it is easy to make out the tree stumps, the fallen trunks and to imagine them growing in that place. Secondly it is also home to the rare "Yellow Eyed" penguin which makes its nest amongst the shrubs on the hillside and returns from fishing trips in the evening with food for chicks. We went to see them in the early evening but with no joy and we got thoroughly chilled for our trouble. After a fortifying G&T and a hot bowl of risotto we set forth again and this time were fortunate enough to see a couple of them toddling over the rocks to tend to their young. By this time it was wet as well as cold so we retreated to our cosy coccoon which was snug and warm. Finally, the bay is known as a haunt of "Hector's" dolphins. That evening we only saw a sealion playing in the surf. However, the following morning we were lucky to catch sight of a small pod of 3 or 4 of them quite close in shore. This area is a wildlife haven with strong geological and scientific interest, it is also a joy for the observer.


Our next phase of our journey took us in a northerly direction and we were able to meander off the main road to see various attractions on the way. Perhaps the most amusing (as people kept telling us) were the Niagara Falls. Strangely enough, these were in a place called Niagara which was a hamlet of a couple of houses, a three legged horse and a broken truck (not really but I am sure you get the picture). The falls were sign posted from the road so we parked the van and walked up. We were waiting for the sound of rushing water as the sign said they were only 100 metres away. The falls were actually a few stones in a stream over which the water flowed, falling about 12 inches. We were having a giggle at this when two trucks drew up. Both drivers stopped and said exactly the same thing "the chap who named that had a sense of humour" - we had to agree.

These were not the only falls we saw that day. The McLean Falls were quite spectacular as was the walk to reach them. The path had been created primarily by a local high school with help from the Lottery fund. Like everything else in NZ it had been accomplished to an incredibly high standard. We walked through forest which almost consumed you with its trailing plants, mossy branches like enormous fingers ready to grab you at every turn. It was a beautiful day and the sun had to struggle to give a bit of light through the dense vegetation. I was pleased we were there during the day because at night it would be really spooky and a bit scarey. It was quite a walk to reach the falls and to get to the top was a bit of a climb but well worth it as they were quite magnificent.

Further along the coast road there were loads of places to stop to take photos as the views were stupendous. There was a vantage point  called "Florence Lookout" which was fabulous, the point jutted out into the sea and miles of empty golden sand and clear blue sea framed the land around, quite lovely and a great place to have lunch, so we did. We made several stops along the way, where we saw a beautiful lake, heard wonderful bird song so clear and musical (probably Bell Birds but we were not sure), and rolling hills which reminded us of the Sussex downs, and sheep by the million ( I am not joking when I say that ).

That night the stop was in Dunedin, a much bigger town than I had thought. We met some lovely Americans who were also touring NZ and were really friendly and very welcoming, a nice evening was spent chatting to them. John was keen to go on the Taieri Gorge Railway, apparently one of the great rail journeys of the world so it was a must while here. It was also nice to have a couple of nights in one place to catch up on a few domestic things ( eg this blog). We had the morning looking round Dunedin and took the train in the afternoon for the four hour round trip along the Taieri Gorge.


What a journey it was. The first part is along the main line but after 15 kms it branches off on to the private line. When the line was closed in 1989, Dunedin city bought the bit through the Gorge. They then raised $1.2million by public subscription to restore it to commercial standard. The money was spent renovating the track and the rolling stock, and the line reopened as a tourist attraction. It has been a great success, not only because it is an incredible journey but also because of the feats of engineering necessary to make it possible, evident to even the untrained eye. We have done several train journeys on our trip but this one has to be the most dramatic and scenic of them all. The line follows a deep deep gorge most of the way, the track climbing ever higher, hugging the rugged cliffs along the side of the gorge that towered in front of us nearly all the way. It was dramatic, beautiful and awe inspiring in the execution of such a railway line. It was an incredible experience.

Before leaving Dunedin we wanted to visit Larnach Castle (the only castle in NZ) and the Albatross reserve, both of which are on the Otago Peninsula. We had thought that Dunedin would hold few further surprises for us in terms of scenery but we were so wrong. The drive round to Larnach Castle was just brilliant and the views were to die for. We could fully understand why William Larnach had chosen this spot to build his castle as it was magical. He had married an heiress which I am sure must have assisted him in the purchase and building of the property.  He was a banker and probably well off in his own right but it must have cost a fortune to build this wonderful house. To call it a castle is a bit of a stretch of the imagination but the castellation along the roof line certainly gives the appearance of a castle. Inside it is quite cosy for a large house with all mod cons; eg bathrooms and inside lavatory. It was certainly grand and was presented in a clever way, telling you the history of the building and the Larnach family as you went around the house. The present owners rescued the building in the early 60s and have done an amazing job of restoration to both the house and the garden, it was well worth a visit.

We followed this up with a visit to the only mainland based Albatross colony in the world. All the others are apparently on islands. There is a mystical quality about these birds probably due to the 'Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner'. Neither John or I had ever seen an Albatross and I do believe that unless you are a fisherman at sea, when I suppose they are a common sight, they are a rarely seen over land. We were therefore privileged to visit this colony where the birds are monitored and protected but also left to their own devices and not disturbed by the general public. We saw Albatross in flight soaring above the nesting sites, the size of the bird is just incredible with a wing span of around 9 or 10ft fully grown and it weighs about 10kg, the weight of a generous Christmas turkey. We also saw a couple of birds sat on nests where they either had a chick or were hatching an egg and then, just to add to the excitement, a couple of Albatross chicks. Like other attractions in NZ it was all wonderfully organised with a knowledgeable guide who was able to not only give us an understanding and insight into the life of an Abatross but also draw us into the magic and mythology of the bird and of our visit.

It was with great regret that we left Dunedin behind as we had thoroughly enjoyed our time there and felt there was much more to see...
perhaps next time!