One week in the South of the South Island

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On Friday January 18th we started our trip. We didn't get out of Queenstown until around 11am and it wound up making for quite a long day as we didn't arrive in Dunedin until about 9pm. About an hour out of Queenstown we stopped at a well known fresh fruit stand just outside Cromwell. We bought some fruits and some tasty ice cream. Jordana got one of their choose your own fruit ice creams and I got a regular considering I'm not so much a fan of fruity ice cream, although I tasted hers and it was quite nice if you like that sort of thing.

We continued driving on until we reached the coast with the exception of a stop in Ranfurly to ask for directional help and pick up some hot chips. The lady we asked help from was more than helpful because we were planning to take a back road to get where we were going, and as it turned out it was very good we had missed the turn-off because it was a very unfriendly road. Just as we were passing through Palmerston we spotted our first hitch-hiker and snapped him up. He was a 21 year old German by the name of Kris who was busking and hitch-hiking through New Zealand. We had a good time with him that day and were quite grateful for his "reboot the car" advice. Somehow (we figure it must've been Jordana's knee) the car popped out of gear. I attempted to retrieve it but the car just wouldn't have it so Kris suggested turning the car off and restarting it. It worked, smart German. He made a crack that it was a good thing Microsoft didn't make cars. In that case we would have had to do a multitude of things to attempt turning the car off and back on.

At our first Oceanic beach sighting we got quite excited, and although we managed to miss a couple pull offs, we got to it eventually. Our next stop was the Moeraki Boulders and then on to a place just outside Oamaru where we were supposed to spot some penguins. On our entire journey we did not see one penguin but on that day at that beach we were mere feet away from a sleeping seal. Unfortunately we scared to poor creature and he drowsily but quickly ran off.

We dropped Kris in Oamaru and headed back down to Dunedin. After a bit of searching and unhappy hilly turning roads we discovered On Top Backpackers which we could reside in for the next two nights. As it turned out it was the same one Bruno, our mate who works in the same hotel as us, was staying in. We waited in the pool bar below our hostel for him to get off work and had a beer with him before heading up to bed.

On our first day in Dunedin we woke up rather late and headed to the isite for some info on what to do. We had already set our sights on the Cadbury Factory and Speights Ale House tours so we booked ourselves into those. Although bother were interesting to learn about and we received free chocolate at Cadbury, Speights was far more enjoyable. Our Speights tour guide was witty and entertaining whereas our Cadbury tour guide looked as though he had done the tour a few too many times and was ready to punch himself out for boredom. After tasting the six different Speights beers we headed for some Thai food. Absolutely delicious although I mixed a bit too much chili into mine and accidentally rubbed my eye after eating. I have never felt a burn quite like a burning eyeball.

Somehow we were still tired so we went home for a rest before meeting Bruno. He was acting as temporary chef for a new restaurant so we went to meet him there when he was finished. The big boss gave us some wine and before we knew it we were a bit tipsy. We decided to go out for some dancing but on our way into town we passed a karaoke bar and made it no further. I couldn't tell you if we were any good but by the time we had a few beers and sung a few songs I realized it was time for me to go back to our room and crash. Funny enough I didn't get to bed quite right away as I wound up talking to a friend on the phone for a bit while wandering around on a bit of the roof. (Not to worry though it was walled in but my feet got quite black, I'm not entirely sure why...)

The following day we were to leave Dunedin and we decided it would be a good idea to steal Bruno away with us. Our first stop was Baldwin St. in Dunedin, apparently the steepest street in the world. We then took the quite enjoyable drive along the Otago Peninsula. We skipped Larnach Castle as we reckoned the price was not worth it but continued on to the Albatross Colonies. We didn't stick around for long as we had to attempt getting to the Catlins Coast and it was already getting a bit late.

Along the way we stopped at Kaka Point, Nugget Point, and Purakaunui Falls finishing up at Dolphin Lodge in Curio Bay. Our backpacker had direct beach access so around midnight after some dinner and a bit of card playing we went for a walk. It is possible that this night had the most intense yet positive impact on me. I wandered off on my own and experienced something I cannot describe in comprehensive words. That night I had a very interesting dream.

In my dream I was sitting on the beach there in Curio Bay watching the moon. It was setting and then it rose again very near to where it had set. It continued setting and rising in smaller and smaller circles until it was standing in place a small distance above the water. At this point the sun began to rise and the moon faded away into the daylight.

The next morning we went back to the beach for a few hours in which we wandered and swam. I attempted making a sun dial but it didn't work. Not only did it go backwards but I discovered that it was not possible for the shadow to make a full circle because it could not reach the north side of the stick. After a bit we had to move on as we were attempting to make it to Invercargill by evening.

We stopped at the Petrified Forrest and Slope Point (the southernmost tip of the south island). In Invercargill we were recommended Tuatara Lodge by a guy at the isite and after finding some parking and settling in we went for some food at Hell's Pizza. It was a first for me and it was definitely a delectable experience. We walked around a bit then decided to get a milkshake. We were given three options; milkshake, milkshake with ice cream, or a thick shake. I reckoned why not go for the one with ice cream, should be right. It was the milkiest milkshake I have ever had, so I would recommend to anyone who is used to having a milkshake made with a lot of ice cream to get a thick shake. We then played some cards and headed for bed as we had to get up early in the morning so we could put Bruno on a bus back to Dunedin.

That day we did a bit of shopping and then headed to Bluff to catch our ferry over to Stewart Island. We headed up to Bluff Point but it was too cloudy, windy and cold to see anything of to even stay for very long. We caught the 5pm ferry, had a very choppy ride over and nearly ran to our hostel to get out of the weather. We cooked up some dinner and passed out quite early.

For our day on Stewart Island we tried to walk about at first, exploring the shops, taking the Fuchsia walk and going up to Observation Rock and back down to Golden bay before heading back in for some lunch. We went to the Wharfside Cafe where we had the most delicious sandwich, my mouth waters just thinking of it. After this we checked out the information centre and decided it might be a good idea to take their bus tour. We saw a lot more and got some rather interesting information about the island. To finish up our day we had some fish and wedges from the Kai Kart.

Our next morning we had to wake up rather early as we had to catch the 8am ferry back to Bluff. We decided rather than driving straight up towards Queenstown that we would take a roundabout route through Te Anau. It turned out to be quite a good idea although it took up our entire day and we only just got the car back on time. Some of the places we stopped along the way were Monkey Island, McCrackens Rest, and Clifden Suspension Bridge before eating lunch in Tuatapere. We wandered around Te anau for a bit, had a milkshake then headed back home. Successfully safasafied.

*I will add pictures, but not right now. Hopefully soon. If you know me, I'm sure you know my facebook. There are many on there, much more than I will put on here.

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