Day 15 & 16 - Queenstown to the East Coast

Day 15 – Monday 23^rd December

Queenstown to the Catlins

A day of two halves with a ‘Gory’ bit in the middle!

For the first time this trip we left a camper site on site – before 10am in this case. The first bit of excitement was the site’s dump station which was literally driving on to a grate and opening the valves! Relax – only for the waste water tank. We then headed for the Queenstown’s ‘Sky Gondola’ that took us to the summit overlooking town. At the top of the gondola we met Hâf – she had a name badge that said that ,and in line with all staff, a flag denoting nationality – she had the ‘Draig Goch’ of Wales. She was from Ruthin and pleasantries were exchanged in the language of heaven.

Not a lot of effort required on this sledge run

The summit has some fantastic views, and also a mountain bike track back down (they bring them up the cable car). Also a bungy jump and high swing. For the less adventurous the ‘luge ride’ – a sledge on wheels down a fast track on the mountain side. When you got back to the bottom (the top cable car station in this case) there was a sky lift to take you and sledges back up. The kids and I had great fun on this. Sarah opted to be photographer and hopefully captured the moment. We then descended and were off on our travels again.

We were heading South for the rugged coastline of the Catlins. This area is the Southernmost point of South Island. Our Land’s end to Auckland’s John O’Groats – except this is the Southern hemisphere and you have to make the weather the other way around. It was.

On the way we had our gory bit as we re-provisioned in the town of Gore. The supermarket was busy – the manager was out making sure only customers were parking there. Something to do with this public holiday on Wednesday I guess. BUT here’s the thing. Quiet aisles – no pushing, shoving and no queue for the checkout tills. Apparently it gets a little busier tomorrow – yes I know Christmas Eve. Even so it is just so much lower key. I have been pondering this one. I think it’s because in the Northern hemisphere it’s winter, dark and generally crap.  Down here it’s summer so Christmas is a special day, yes. It just isn’t one the country stops for a fortnight for (though it is kid’s summer hols now). I can cope with Christmas here.

We then headed to our camp site at Curio bay via a lighthouse at a place called Waipapa point. Apparently this is the southernmost lighthouse in NZ. South stack is better!

So Curio Bay – we are camped in some reed grass/cactus type plants that give us all a generous pitch. It also has power. That’s where the luxuries end. This is described as a “basic camp site”. I have just seen the toilet block. I agree with the description.

Camp Pitch - privacy by nature

Neither is there a mobile signal let alone WI-FI so this update will happen when we are next in civilisation. So why the hell are we here you wonder. Blame Scott’s book. This is a “Jurassic Playground with Friendly mini Dolphins”. So the two nature lovers of the family are happy. They have seen them. You could swim with them. Water is 12C – I think not. It also has an evening penguin parade – “the best time to explore Curio Bay is between 6-8pm when the resident colony of Yellow-eyed penguins come ashore”. These are very rare – not your common as much Falkland Islands varieties Andrea Clausen... What Scott fails to tell us is that the colony size is 8. Yes EIGHT – no zeroes after it. We have seen half of them already. But you know what – you’ve seen one – you’ve seen ‘em all. Yellow eyed penguins & Hector’s Dolphins – TICK! Tomorrow morning we may also get the resident sea lions around us.

Roughly 12% of the colony

Rest assured other overnight stops will be hot & cold showers, WIFI and BBQ areas. The seal huggers will be happy – we are stopping to see some boulders! There are also some great ‘Cathedral’ sea caves that you can visit for the two hours at low water. I have no idea if we will get to see these. Tomorrow is another day.

What I learned today:

• A penguin colony can mean 8 penguins
• Pre-Christmas supermarkets here are not a battle-ground
• Curio Bay – has Hector’s Dolphins, Sea-lions, Penguins, a prettified Jurassic forest but no bloody mobile signal. 

Day 15 – Tueday 24^th December

Seals & Boulders

It has been a wild day in South Island’s South. The weather was certainly reminiscent of home. Though by now (7pm local) the sun is out and once again it will be dinner on the patio – well under the awning. We left Curio Bay (toilets twinned with Soweto) and followed roughly the SE coast around to the east coast proper ending up in a township called Hamden. We have a full tank of diesel although after todays 3.5 hr stint in the wild weather it will be a short Christmas day hop to Timaru – then in striking distance of Christchurch on boxing day.

There is not a lot to report. The main aim of the day was looking at some boulders on a beach. I kid you not. They are egg shaped and unusual I’ll grant you; but they were just big rocks. A couple of miles up from the boulders - our camp ground. It has hot showers and a phone signal.

We stopped for coffee on route at a township called Balclutha. I have liked most towns but I don’t think they get many tourists in this one. A mediocre coffee and cake later and we were out of there. In Dunedin I couldn’t believe my eyes the road announced start of motorway. Some three miles of dual carriageway later and it was back to ‘A’ road – straight through the city centre. Traffic wasn’t too bad and we came out the other side into some seriously bad mist. It was all very Scottish just like the settlers (Dunedin is the Gaelic for Edinburgh).

Kids found ways to make them fun

Another hour or so and it was our next stop – Shag Point! Always a good facebook check-in is Shag Point. But it was a wild outcrop of rock where we had our closest encounter with fur seals – you could walk right up to them if you really wanted to be attacked that much (many were guarding pups). A few photos were taken then on to the famous “Moeraki Boulders” – egg shaped rocks on a beach. Interesting, but not that interesting. Good for photos.

Thing I learned today:

• Motorway shouldn’t be interpreted too literally. Really there aren't any.