“Let's go see Milford
Sound”, I said to Graham as I fried eggs and bacon,
“OK” He agreed, “And then we will back-track down to the
southern most tip of the
island, Bluff, before heading our way up to Dunedin
on the Otago
Peninsula for the night.”
Full tummies, and happy that we had chosen the camper-van alternative
to travel, we packed up and headed down Route 6 over the Mataura
River, which runs through Gore,
(known as the “Brown Trout Capital of the World.”) After a
coffee and stretching our legs, we drove on to Lumsden,
turning right onto Route 94, through Mossburn
arriving at the town of Te
Anau on the shores of Lake Te Anau over the Downs, to Cascade
Creek, through the Homer
Tunnel in the Southern Alps and bursting out the exit to the
sight of Milford Sound.
Buses from Queenstown and Te Anau were disgorging tourists, some
fortunate enough to be including a Red Boat Cruise around the Sound,
and after that a scenic plane flight back to Queenstown.
We were perfectly happy to sit in the front of our home on wheels and
share a bag of crisps, watching all the busy people brandishing their
cameras, and take in what is described as the “Eighth
Natural Wonder of the World,” one of the most incredible views
we had ever seen in our lives. Water from the Mitre Peak tumbled and
crashed down, disrupting the slumbering blue waters below.
“Wow!” We both exclaimed, crunching our salt and vinegar crisps.
Unable to verbalise how we felt about the place.
We would have liked to stay the night there, but as we still had so
much of the island to see, and limited time in which to do it, we
returned the way we had travelled. Driving past Te Anau onto
Manapouri, then a connecting
road (53) to Clifden, where we viewed the historic
suspension bridge, spanning the Waiaiu
River which was built in 1899.
Soon we arrived in Tuatapere
and connected onto Route 1 which leads through Invercargill
and down to Bluff
overlooking the Foveaux
Strait onto the distant view of the port village of Halfmoon
Bay on Stewart
Island.
“Time for lunch!”, Graham announced as we pulled up at the
southern most point of New Zealand.
I clambered into the back and started preparing tuna sandwiches,
while Graham took a stroll.
Taking our sarnies to a nearby rock that looked as if it had two
bottom sized dents conveniently carved in its surface, we sat and
looked out at the sea.
A dwarf sea-gull ambled up to us and told us off for not sharing our
tuna with him, “Cheeky! Go catch your own fish!” I shooed him
away.
“Didn't work Babe,” Graham laughed, “he's summoned his
mates...”
Obviously well meaning people who travel to that part of the island
throw scraps for the persistent little birds, and as we were not
sharing ours, they were fed up.
“Ewww, makes me think of Alfred Hitchcock's film “The
Birds”, let's leave before we are devoured!”
Graham raised an eyebrow, “No, let's leave before your imagination
overtakes both of us...”
Tracking around the outskirts of Invercargill, we travelled on the
unsealed connecting road (46) to Fortrose,
connecting to road (28) to Tokanui,
Papatowai,
on through the beautiful Catlins
Forest Park to Kaka
Point.
“Mmmm, wonder who named this place?” I mused.
“Maybe someone who needed to kaka?” Graham suggested. I gave him
a friendly punch on his arm.
Balculutha was our next port of call, where we turned right onto
Route1, through the towns of Clarksville, Milton and Waihola, over
the Taeri River to the University
city of Dunedin on the central-eastern coast of Otago. This is
the second largest city in South Island after Christchurch.
It is also called “The
House of Pain,” due to Carisbrook
Stadium, where
rugby, New Zealand's most popular sport is played.
As it was growing dark, we made our way through the city along the
twisty road clinging to the Otago
Peninsula overlooking Macandrew, Company and Broad Bays, to our
over night camp Portobello
Village Tourist Park in Herewek Street, Portobello.
The park was close to a spit that had the Dunedin
Aquarium perched at the end, so we walked there to have a look
around, but as it was late, the place was closed.
Not phased, we turned around and returned to our camper, ready to
settle down for the night.
“Beer?”
I heard the clink of bottles and fizz of the cap as Graham opened our
evening sun-downer.
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