1,312 Miles

I’m not loving the universe at this is current moment in time. I should be in a better mood, as of today I officially made it, I drove down the entire South Island of New Zealand and made it to the, literal, southernmost point. I think I’m just road worn and exhausted. And I really don’t like my AirBnB for tonight, this is my least favorite place this trip. I also didn’t sleep well last night. I had a glass of wine (my first this trip!) and a latte on the Milford Sound cruise yesterday and between the sugars from the wine and the caffeine from the latte (I’m sure mostly the latte) I could not fall asleep until after 3am despite the wonderful sleep aids in my system. But alas, my morning wasn’t all terrible. Though I did wake up to the same uncomfortable sensation in my eye, it’s lessening but still there so definitely a scratch. I did get some good news this morning, my “bid” was accepted for my long flight home in a few days so I’ll be upgraded to first class! Air New Zealand does a bid system where you can literally pick your own “bid” to place for what it’s worth to you to upgrade to the next highest class. A week before the flight they go through the bid and based on the bids and availability either accept your bid or reject it. My bid was incredibly weak, their system even told me so when I placed it, so I didn’t think I had a chance but alas, it worked! So when I fly home next Friday I’ll have first class, including an actual lay flat bed, for the 12 hour flight from Auckland back to LAX! Yay!

With that good news I then went on to see about changing my Christchurch flights to spend more time down here in the Southland. Well, you can’t fly directly from Invercargill to Rotoura anyways, you have to fly thru Christchurch, and I already had my AirBnB there, so I ended up keeping Christchurch for a night but making my flight out of here tomorrow later and my flight to Rotorua earlier. Travel planning done, I packed up and bid adieu to my home for last night. My back was feeling questionable today so I was glad I had brought some heat patches and slapped on one. And let me tell ya, throughout my freezing cold day it felt great to have that warm patch on m back. I felt like a rebel leaving 25 minutes after the official AirBnB checkout time. From the time I woke up I could hear the rain pouring down outside and it was cold and wet when I hit the road.

I had a rough outline for the day with some suggestions from Emma-Kate but it mainly involved making my way down to Invercargill and Slope Point to be at the conclusion of the South Island road trip portion of this trip. Thankfully the drive today was mostly flat farmland and not the curvy mountain roads. But it was wet, the rain pelted down at times in the windshield-wipers-in-full-speed-but-still-can-barely-see-the-road nasty type of rain. As I passed field upon field of fluffy wet sheep I couldn’t help but be amazed at how they remained calm and grazing in the nasty cold weather.

The first destination I reached that rang a bell was Clifden. Clifden had a suspension bridge and a cave system. I actually had the bridge on my original ideas list but couldn’t remember why. I pulled off the road and miraculously the rain stopped so I could actually get out and walk it. It’s a bridge. I have no idea what made it notable except that it’s old but that was it. I was unimpressed. And I was cold. The Clifden cave system was just down the road but I decided to take a pass. I am accepting the fact that I only really like a cave if its been made by a volcano or a glacier. And with the amount of rain that’s been bombarding the area I could only imagine those caved flooded.

Further down the road I passed the sign to Lake Hauroko. Emma-Kate had suggested that the lake was worth a visit but considering it would take me about 60km out of my way and it was raining again I decided to pass on that side trip as well. I traveled along through more farmland and all of a sudden I came around a corner and there was a pull off for the McCracken lookout; I realized I was back along the coast! I was officially on the Southern Coastline now! I pulled off at the lookout and I could feel my car rocking back and forth as the wind whipped it. There was another car next to me with four passengers and they seemed to be doing the same as I, contemplating if it was worth getting out for a picture. I decided I had to and braced myself against the fierce wind and rain as I jumped out of my car. One of the folks in the car next to me jumped out at the same time and we exchanged a quick joke about what a beautiful beach day it was.

Finally I made it to the Orepuki Beach Cafe for lunch. Though Emma-Kate steered me wrong with the crappy Fat Duck in Ta Anau, I was going to give another of her recommendations a chance. This time my meal did not disappoint. I sipped on mint tea and ate lamb kofta as I listened to the wind howling loudly outside. I had a couple Orepuki destinations on my list, the gemstone beach and monkey island. After my lunch I was pleased to find that, though the wind still violently whipped, the rain had stopped. As I found my way to gemstone beach I was excited to go hunt down some of the gemstones that supposedly wash ashore here so I could bring them back for my nephew to add to his collection of “treasure.” Pulling up to gemstone beach I had an overwhelming sense of deja vu. I don’t know where or when, but either in a dream or a past life, I had been there. Unfortunately, it was high tide. Between high tide and the fierce freezing whipping winds there were no gemstones to be found today. I’m sorry Matteo, Auntie tried! On to the next stop in this little town, Monkey Island. When the tide is low enough you can actually walk out to this little island and climb up for a great bird’s eye view. I thought I could make it but as I got closer the water started rushing in again. If I’d had more patience I could have waited for low enough waves and made it out there but it was too damn cold for that. Instead I found some mussel shells that I think will suffice as New Zealand treasure for my nephew and called it good.

I decided to turn down a little road pointing to Colac Bay to see what I would find. Not much. Except that the few folks that live in Colac Bay apparently really love the Simpson’s and have a great sense of humor. The seas are obviously not always kind to this teeny community though as the main road along the water had been washed out. I saw a little sign for a hand spun wool shop and pulled off. As I ventured into the little shop, more of a shed really, I was greeted by no one. And then by a little terrier that came running over from the house next door, and finally the shop owner behind him. She said the little pup was excited to have someone else to talk to. I was excited to coo over him myself. But I wasn’t excited by anything in the shop. I really wanted to support this little lady and her little wool business but try as I might I could not find a single thing in there that I could bring myself to buy, not even as a gift for someone else.

Continuing down the road I came to the town of Riverton. Emma-Kate had told me that there were a number of art galleries in Riverton so I was excited to check it out. I did a little scenic drive around their point and was amused by ship grazing right up against the sea. Unfortunately most of the galleries in Riverton were closed today but I did end up buying a couple more art prints, they will be bathroom art, to bring home with me.

I was finally reaching Invercargill, the southernmost city in New Zealand and the location of my home for tonight. It was already about 3pm, an hour before I could check in, and instead of bothering to try to get a hold of my host to see about checking in an hour early something in me was eager to make it to Slope Point and so I kept on driving. Slope Point is the absolute southernmost point of New Zealand. When I originally added it to my “must-do” list I didn’t realize it was actually on the Caitlin’s Coast area that I had just changed my itinerary to make time for. It was already 3pm but considering it would be light out past 9pm it looked like I was going to squeeze the Caitlins Coast outing today. Yes, the weather sucked with some of the worst winds I have ever been in and constant rain but based on the forecasts there was no guarantee tomorrow would be any better.

Before getting to Slope Point i stopped at the Waipahu Point Lighthouse. There was a little restroom in the parking lot and, I’m sorry for the TMI, the wind was whipping so crazy you could feel it whipping up through the toilet against your hiney! I layered up, put on my fleece beanie hat, and fought against the wind. A big sea lion was resting on the beach and I was envious of how completely unaffected he was by the frigid weather, was he alive?! Walking around the base of the lighthouse was a major challenge, the wind was so harsh it literally was pushing me back and I had to struggle to make progress walking forward. These may be the worst winds I’ve ever experienced.

After the lighthouse, the feeling had barely returned in my hands and nose again when I made it to Slope Point. Now, I expected Slope Point to be pretty close of the car park. I did not expect a sign telling me that it was a 20 minute walk, through a sheep pasture, to get to the point. If you’ve read any of my blogs, you know me, I LOVE a good walk, I’d prefer that it be a 90 minute walk, but not in this weather!!! Once again I could feel the wind rocking and rolling the car as I sat there gathering my strength to face it, literally, head on. I also wanted to eat a snack and was glad I did since by the time my snack was finished, the rain had let up again. I pushed my way through the pasture gate and made the walk basically stumbling like a drunk the whole time as the wind pushed my body around. I was excited to finally make it to Slope Point, I was at the Southern Most Point of the South Island of New Zealand! Over the course of this trip so far that means I have driven down the entire west coast (and now across the south coast as well). I was happy when a couple from the Netherlands showed up a couple minutes after me for we were able to exchange picture taking; there was no way my little cell tripod was going to stand a chance in this weather. The Netherlands couple were exceptionally friendly and I’m still unsure if the gent was serious or being sarcastic when he said that we had gotten lucky with the weather there. Maybe because the rain had let up? By the time I got back to my car my body physically hurt from fighting against the wind. No joke, I feel like I’ve had a major workout.

My last stop along the Caitlins Coast would be Curio Bay. I was excited for this bay as everything I’d read and heard listed it as one of the best places for wildlife viewing with dolphins, sea lions, and the treasured Hoiho penguin! Please please please let me see one of these penguins!!! But the weather was violent. The rain was again dropping, the wind was furious, and the sea was enraged. There was no wildlife to be seen, just violent raging waves. I would not want to be out on those seas today.

The Caitlins Coastline now completed, it was finally time to head back to Invercargill and get settled for the night. The hour drive back was the same as my drives had been the entire day, gusty winds to fight with the rain coming on with force and then paling away at its leisure. An hour later I made it my AirBnB for tonight, a three bedroom house in Invercargill. And I don’t like it. Not one bit. The home has a musty smell, a weird layout, and everything in it just seems a bit tired. There’s a hole in the quilt I’m sitting on right now. Blech.

Now, one of the most exciting things about this area to me is that Invercargill is only about 20 minutes from the town of Bluff, home to supposedly some of the best oysters in the world! I had already researched a couple places to go for the best oysters in Bluff but they had already closed by the time I got to my AirBnB and after spending over four hours in the car today I really didn’t want another hour roundtrip drive anyways. I would set aside the Bluff oyster restaurants for lunch tomorrow. That would work as now that I had done the Caitlins today I really didn’t have much at all in this area on my itinerary for tomorrow. I was already thinking that I now had too late of a flight out tomorrow. But regardless, I was hungry. I googled the best seafood in Invercargill and headed out to Buster Crabb for dinner. With a name like that they had to have good seafood! They were able to seat me at a table in the bar and I stared at the menu. I strained to see the menu. Don’t they realized that people like me need light?! It was so dim in there. I had to use the candle on the table as light to be able to read any of it. Hmm. I don’t see oysters listed. I’m right by Bluff, surely they have oysters. I inquired with the waitress and received devastating news. Oyster season is over. Like any fresh food there is a small local season when they are available and that season had passed. I would not be able to get fresh wild Bluff oysters anywhere. Even in Bluff I would only get farmed or frozen ones. All the wind whipped right out of my sails. I was devastated. I ordered a glass of wine. I hate drinking alone, as mentioned the one glass of wine I had on the cruise yesterday while chatting with the crew, was the only alcohol I’ve had this entire trip, but by god if I’m in the southernmost city in New Zealand and I can’t even get an oyster at least I can get a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc! I ended up having a delicious bowl of mussels and an ok salad for dinner. I cannot wait to get back home and have a good iceberg or romaine salad.

I need to look at flight times for Christchurch again and probably change my flight, yet again. I have no reason to really be here much tomorrow so don’t need the evening flight I changed to this morning. I’m not even sure if I’ll go get oysters in Bluff for lunch since, without fresh ones available, I can get the frozen ones they have anywhere and Christchurch will at least have a better restaurant scene. Plus not liking this AirBnB has me anxious to get out of here in general and I am pretty excited for my Christchurch AirBnB. I pack pretty efficiently and have had a great efficient little system that has made it easy to pack up and move every day but now I need to consolidate enough to be back on an airplane. I’m done writing a couple hours earlier tonight than I was last night so hopefully that will also help me get to sleep earlier. The earlier I sleep, the earlier I wake, and the earlier I can get out of here and out of this bad energy space. I am also again feeling a little homesick and lonely. Being in a better energy environment will help with that, this house has bad juju.

I’m really glad to have very minimal driving the next two days. Since my arrival 8 days ago on the northern coast of this island to today, at the southern coast, I have officially driven the length of the South Island of New Zealand, I have covered 1,312 miles (2115km)!!!