Crossing the Southern Alps

The drive across the Haast Pass is spectacular with narrow roads, single lane bridges, high mountains and plunging waterfalls into tumbling rivers. Rather incongruously we stop and park alongside two British registered jaguar cars, part of a group of jaguar enthusiasts who are touring NZ having shipped their cars out (two per container) for a one month tour.

The Haast coastline is spectacular with wild windswept beaches and rocky cliffs with rainforest tumbling down to sea level from the mist shrouded mountains. Our campsite tonight will be a Department of Conservation (DOC) site at Lake Paringa. Basic, cheap but in great locations. It is by a lake formed as part of the geological movement of the Indo-Australian plate which is both sliding along and underneath the Pacific Plate.

The drive across Cental Otago

An early departure as we are heading back into the mountains with Wanaka our destination. The drive follows the old gold route north from the coast and after some miles runs parallel to the long distance Otago Central Rail Trail, now a cycle and walking route. It crosses our route many times and we reflect that this might be something for a future visit to NZ. Wanaka is another lakeside town and we are surrounded once more by high mountains and snow capped peaks. Our overnight stop, where we decide to remain for two days, is on the lakeside and in open bush. Like almost all the sites where we have stayed there are good facilities.

We eat out in the town and the following day we decide to do a walk up the lakeside. It is hot and the walk is through farmland and open countryside. The views across the lake are stunning. Our destination is a lake beach which we find after two and a half hours of walking has the timber debris of several winters, bleached misshapen pieces of wood in stacks at high water level from several years. We swim! It is cold but very refreshing after the walk, and a temporary escape from attack by sand fly...the plague of which is the curse of NZ!

The Otago Peninsular

Before leaving Dunedin we set off for a tour of the Otago Peninsular. The coast road is spectacular with blue seas and skies. We visit a garden at Lanarch Castle with views over Otago harbour then continue to Taiaroa Head where the albatross colony has become an attraction. A very expensive attraction which we opt not to visit! The continuing drive to Sandfly Bay is spectacular and on arrival we head across the dunes for the beach. This is a fur seal area and there are many resting up on the beach, flicking sand over their backs as they lie in the sun. This is another penguin site and although we don't see them here, their footprints are visible as they cross the dry sand at the head of the beach and disappear into the dunes.

Our site for the night is back in Dunedin where the owner's son has a cabin adjacent to our pitch and offers the use of his barbecue to cook! I have never seen one like it and take great pleasure in preparing our evening meal.

Visit to Ali and Knott family in Dunedin

We are made to feel very welcome and though not an ideal time to visit, they are about to sell the house and have an open day the next day as well as a birthday party for Mia. We watch the sunset from the balcony at the back of the house, enjoy a delicious supper and are entertained to a concert performance by Helen and Mia. Wonderful hospitality and sleep in a bed for the Mary and I. Very welcome after our first full week in the van!

Brush with nature 2

The following morning Mary wakes us to tell us that a sea lion is on the grass in the camp site. This proves to be the first of several who come out of the sea in Porpoise Bay and after f frolicking in the waves make their way onto the beach and continue to play together on the sand. They remain unperturbed as I take my camera down onto the beach for some close up photography! These will appear on Facebook on return!

We move on to visit some sea caves and then after further visits along this beautiful and unspoiled coastline we make contact with Ali Knott and head for Dunedin.

Brush with Nature 1

From Te Anau we head south and east with Dunedin our destination and an evening with Mary's cousin Ali and his family. En route we decide to visit the coastline of the Catlins. One of the attractions is that this coast is known for its native wildlife. The drive to Invercargill and on to the coast is less spectacular than where we have been to date, but the journey proves worth it.


















We decide to camp at Curio Bay, where the guides say there is a chance of seeing rare yellow eyed penguins. The camp site is in a magnificent setting with the rocky headland of Curio Bay and the wild Pacific on one side of the headland where we park up for the night, and Porpoise Bay on the other. We check with the site office and are told to go straight to the Bay as the penguins come out of the ocean in the evening at this time of year to feed their young. The timing is perfect and we are on the beach only minutes before the first penguins arrive. As they waddle up the rocky beach they start to call out to their young and the chicks emerge from the sand and rocks at the head of the beach to be fed. A great sight!

Glow Worm Caves Te Anau

New Zealand has lived up to expectations. A combination of magnificent scenery with marvels of the natural world.

From Te Anau we visit glow worm caves on the other side of the lake which requires an evening cruise followed by a walk into the cave and then a subterranean boat trip in pitch darkness with just the lights from a million glow worms in the rocky roof above us. We arrive back late at night for Caroline to have a telephone interview for a job back in the UK. We hear the following day that she has been successful.