Heading South

Sometimes I am just too busy having fun to write blogs!!!! Internet connections are also very dicey in this remote area.

We had another couple of days in Wanaka so one of those we spent

heading down the east side of Lake Dunstan and back up the other side. It was interesting to stop off at Clyde and wander round the old historic area.

We had Ainsley with us so there were also a couple of winery stops. The first was at Maori Road where we ran into a big tour party from Texas and played with their lovely black dog, then off the Wooing Tree because it had such an interesting name...and a great cheese platter. Mount Difficulty was the last stop ... not for wine but for a very nice lunch.

Tarun hadn't had his walk for the day so as we entered Wanaka we dropped him off so he could do the Mount Iron walk. That boy is a tiger for punishment!! The weather wasn't that great either and he came back cold and wet .... just as he must feel after swimming in the very cold lakes down here!!

We left Wanaka on Friday morning, heading to Queenstown airport as Ainsley had to fly back to Auckland. We were a little early so detoured to Arrowtown for coffee. If anyone is in Arrowtown  the little cafe called 'Provisions' has unbelievable cinnamon scones!

With one person and one bag less, Tarun  and I headed for Invercargill. South of Queenstown  was all new territory for me which was the reason I wanted to come down here.  I had heard the road alongside Lake Whakatipu was beautiful but hadn't really expected it to be quite so breathtaking.  

We hit Invercargill early afternoon and I left Tarun for a while and went to visit a man I was at Teachers' College with in 1964 and hadn't seen since. I don't think either of us had changed a bit. He was living in an amazing house that could have been a museum. It was built in 1911 and only the kitchen had been added... with the original still remaining.as well. He told me that recently a young boy came to the door selling chocolate for fundraising and asked him if the house was a film set!!!! It well could have been.

There was time for a quick drive out to Riverton before dinner ... just enough time to walk on the beach and watch a big flock of Stewart Island Shags.

Saturday morning was beautiful and a prefect day for a trip to Bluff before heading into the Catlins. I let Tarun off and told him I'd pick him up in a couple of hours. I enjoyed spending that time exploring Bluff while Tarun walked and climbed. He not only climbed Bluff Hill once, he did it twice. I drove up!! The view was amazing. It is oyster season but unfortunately I don't like them much.

After lunch in a cafe with huge  windows looking out over the ocean we headed to Waikawa where we were to spend the night. Our accommodation was in a cute little chalet with lovely views of the harbour. It was a quick unpack and then back into the car for the short drive to Curio Bay and the adjoining Porpoise Bay. It was here that Tarun remarked that until he came to NZ he'd never seen so much sea in his life. 

There were no seals or penguins in sight but as we walked along the beach we saw several groups of Hectors dolphins playing in the surf. Unfortunately they moved too fast to photograph.

There isn't much in Waikawa but there was a truck selling fish and chips. They were cooking fresh blue cod and it was beautiful , but it is a religious time for Tarun and he is not meant to eat meat for a few days so he had to have corn fritters. The timing isn't great as trying to get vegetarian  food while travelling in the Catlins is not an easy task..... it's made even harder as he's not eating eggs either.

There's not too much to do in Waikawa even on a Saturday night so it was an early night ... but not before a bit of stargazing. Without the light pollution the night skies here are beautiful and the stars very very clear.