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Published: January 3rd 2007
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Hello again everyone, I hope you all enjoyed your New Year's celebration!
Kirsty and I have been having a great time, and we have been doing a little traveling with our time off for the holidays. As you can see, we used our Christmas break to head over to Queenstown for a few days, and this past weekend, we took some time to travel to the Catlins, an area near here on the very southeast coast of the south island. We were recommended by the girl who lived in our flat before us to have a look, and as we had the time and the means, we decided to take her up on the idea. To be honest, it was a bit of a last minute decision, but our luck seemed to hold, as we called and were able to book a room at the Falls Backpackers (one of the highest rated backpackers hostels in our guide book.) It seems that another couple had just called to cancel and we were able to slip into their spot. So with this luck on our side we packed up the trusty honda, and headed off Saturday morning to do a little exploring.
The Catlins coast is just 2 - 2 1/2 hours south of Dunedin. It is an area of wilderness, dramatic coastlines, temperate rain forests, and waterfalls, lots of waterfalls. We only had one night in the area, so Kirsty and I had to pack in as many activities as we could in the limited time available.
Our first stop on our whirlwind tour was at Nugget Point, a windswept promontory that juts out into the southern ocean, and has many rocks that lie just off its point. These rocks are called the "nuggets" apparently because of their resemblance to gold nuggets. The geology of the area is interesting, as the sea has exposed the layers of rock set down millions of years ago. The remarkable thing is that these layers have been turned vertical, and the erosion from the constant wave action has only made this more dramatic. We parked the car and walked the short track up to the still working 1870's lighthouse. On the rocks below were southern fur seals, barking and making a ruckus. It seemed that the cubs were using the tidal pools as a nursery training ground, we watched amused as they climbed around
the rocks and jumped in and out of the rock pools, swimming in circles. The adults either basked in the sun, swam lazily in the surf or honked at each other.Some of the other people, with the aid of binoculars, said that there were elephant seals down on the rocks as well. These do come here rarely, and are usually found in sub-antartic waters. We stood at the lighthouse for a while taking in the view, but after a bit the wind off the cold sea chilled us off, and we headed back.
Next on the agenda was Jack's Blowhole. We drove over to Jack's Bay, and walked through sheep pasture up the trail to the blowhole. The hole is actually the collapsed roof of a sea cave, and while you can see the water at the bottom at high tide, not many, if anyone, has actually seen it spout. The hole is about 50 meters deep, and it is about 200 meters from the edge of the water. We could hear it before we actually saw it, the noise of the water crashing at the bottom echoing up to the fields above.
Afterwards we decided to drive
to the Hostel and check in before doing any more exploring. The Falls backpackers is located on a sheep, deer, and cattle farm near the Purakaunui falls. It was very comfortable, and the room that we had was one of the nicest that we have stayed in. Since our place was so close to the falls, after checking in we went for a walk down the road to take a look. The falls are supposed to be the most photographed in New Zealand, and they are beautiful, as they cascade down several large terraces. We had a look, and I fiddled with my camera trying to get that classic waterfall shot, which I finally figured out how to do. (It only took about 15 shots.) I took some pictures and then we walked back to the hostel.
We had a look at the local map, and as we wanted to pack in as much as we could before dark, we decided to make the drive to McLean falls, about a half an hour up the road from Purakaunui. We parked the car in the gated carpark (have to keep the sheep out you know) and walked the trail about
Purakaunui Falls
The most photographed falls in New Zealand half an hour up to the falls. The falls are located in a temperate rain forest, with lots of vegetation and humidity. There was green everywhere, with the trees and ferns, and moss covering everything. The falls in our opinion are more impressive then purakaunui falls, and the setting is more stunning, They cascade down in several stages, and we could see more, inaccessible just upstream. I climbed out on some really slippery rocks to take some more photos, and then we explored the area around the upper falls for a bit. It was really beautiful and serene, even with the noise of the crashing water on rock. We took in our fill, and then headed back to the Hostel for dinner and a good nights sleep.
The next morning we checked out, and after a harrowing episode where we thought Kirsty had lost her beloved sunglasses (they were hiding on the floor of the car), we drove to Matai falls. We figured that if we were going to see one of the waterfalls in the area, we were going to see them all! (Plus I wanted to try out my new photo technique that I had just discovered).
Purakaunui Falls 2
I have been playing with my camera to get these nice waterfall shots. Thats why there are a lot of them. Matai falls are a short slippery walk through a forest of fuchsia trees (named after the color of their bark once it peels) to a viewing platform. They were nice, though not as impressive as McLean's, but Kirsty figures they were her favorite. (I think that she was still riding a high from the recovery of her sunnies) What made them nice is that just upstream and a two minute walk up the trail were horseshoe falls, a small but pretty cascade. Again I snapped away with the camera (your probably sick of waterfall photos by now) and then we headed back to the car.
We arrived back in Dunedin by the afternoon, cleaned ourselves up and prepared for the celebration of the New Year. The city throws a party in the Octagon (the central square) with bands and fireworks. We had a few drinks at home and then we walked down into town for the "bells" as they call it in Scotland. The atmosphere was festive, but somehow different then what we were used to, maybe its because its in the middle of summer here. We listened to the music, and then wished each other a Happy New
McLean Falls
Can you find Kirsty? Year as the fireworks exploded over the city.
Well that's all for now, we will keep you informed as always about what we are up to. This weekend we are going to Wanaka, a town in central Otago somewhat like Queenstown, and a possible stopping point for winter. Stay Tuned!
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