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Published: March 3rd 2015
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On Fri 13th Feb, we drove to Queenstown, stopping at The Wrinkly Ram for a coffee. At the back of the café are sheep which are part of a demonstration on sheep shearing at 1pm each day. On Fri evening we took the Gondola to a restaurant with aerial views of Queensland. It was a fabulous buffet and having recently survived on pasta we took full advantage of the seafood, lamb, beef and vegetables and salads with the obligatory visit to the dessert section too. It was Chinese New Year and New Zealand and particularly Queensland seemed to be the destination of choice! The food and views were lovely but it was hardly the quiet, romantic Valentine's eve meal we were hoping for!! The next day we had booked to sail across the bay to Walter Peak on the TSS Earnshaw, the only coal powered steam boat operating in the Southern Hemisphere. 90 yrs old and still going strong! It was a lovely day if a little breezy and again was a popular choice for Chinese tourists. When we arrived we were given a demonstration in sheep
shearing, which was really informative, and a demonstration in sheepdogs herding a small group of sheep. This was followed by a sumptuous barbecue buffet - there seems to be a theme here! On the return sailing there was an organized sing song to a piano. We were provided with song sheets with the words to lots of old time favorites, Waltzing Matilda, It's a Small World, Edelweiss. It was surreal listening to an assembled throng of Chinese people singing in English - they knew the words better than we did! Once back on shore it was time to head off again towards Te Anau. From Queenstown we drove to Te Anau in Fjordland to stay in a hostel. On Sun 15th Feb We were picked up at 7am by a coach to travel to Doubtful Sound which is inaccessible by road. It is so named because Captain Cook decided that it was 'doubtful' that there would be enough wind to enable him to leave the fjord if he entered it. The coach dropped us at the Harbour of Lake Manipouri where we had a 50 min
The Roaring Meg
The stream drives the hydroelectric power for the area crossing to pick up another coach at the other side for the difficult drive across Wilmot pass to Doubtful Sound. At the far end there is a hydro-electric power station and in order to transport supplies it was necessary to build a road over the pass. It took many years to complete and its estimated that it cost $2 per centimetre to build! It's a difficult journey for a coach and lorries still have problems negotiating the climbs. We got on a boat and sailed the length of the sound out to the Tasman Sea where we saw a colony of seals basking on the rocks. On the return we explored some of the arms of the sound. We also saw a Blue Penguin. It was an absolutely fabulous experience with the most stunning views of the fjord created by glaciers. There are lots of waterfalls and trees clinging to the rocks with only moss and lichen to support them as there is no soil. It's possibly one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen! On our return we had to drive 120 km to our next destination, Milford Sound. We again stayed in a hostel The only downside
of our day on Milford Sound is that I was eaten alive by Sand flies, so much so I had to get up at 3am and stand in a cold shower to alleviate the itching! They are mainly found on the West Coast of New Zealand so if you plan to visit, stock up with spray and bite cream!! At 9am we were booked onto a cruise along Milford Sound and made sure we were in the car park in plenty of time. Imagine our surprise, as we hurried towards the dock to be passed by a brown kiwi walking through the car park!! After our experience on Doubtful Sound we eagerly anticipated being stunned by spectacular views but by comparison it was really disappointing. There were steep tree covered sides and a couple of waterfalls but it had no arms to go and explore and there were lots of other boats running trips and helicopter tours which made it feel more commercialized. The highlight for me was seeing more fur seals! We drove out to the Chasm which is a 15 minute walk to a waterfall but with stunning views and a reminder of the power of nature, and
water in particular, in eroding rocks and landscaping the world we live in. The next day we drove south stopping at Mirror Lakes, a quiet unassuming spot next to the road but with a beautiful still lake reflecting the sky and mountains around it. Perfect photo opportunity. From here we drove to Invercargill for one night via Roaring Meg Waterfall in Kawarau Valley, the site of the first bungee jump! We also stopped for Fish n Chips en route and had Blue cod served on a paper plate wrapped in tinfoil. On arrival in Invercargill, on the south coast of New Zealand, we visited Bluff cove, the southernmost town in New Zealand. Like Cape Reinga in the north, it has a signpost showing distances to London, the Equator and the South Pole etc. Its quite awesome to look out to sea and realise there is nothing between you and Antartica. In fact it's closer to the South Pole than the Equator!! We spent the night in a nice apartment and the following
morning visited Queen's Park in the centre of the town which was lovely and introduced us to the art of Stumpery- making sculptures from dead tree trunks. We then went to E Hayes hardware store to see The Fastest Indian. The shop is an absolute Aladdin's cave of ironmongery but also home to a large collection of old tools, vintage motorcycles and cars including the motorbike which appears in the film the World's Fastest Indian with Anthony Hopkins. Then it was time to say goodbye to Invercargill and head east, still following the Southern Scenic Route along the south coast towards The Catlins for our next stop.
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