New Zealand: South Island

This was our third summer in New Zealand and we still hadn’t seen the South Island. Nothing major broke on the boat this year (yay!), so we didn’t have to spend our whole time in NZ working on projects; we picked up a few camping items, hopped in the car and headed south for a month.

The South Island exceeded our highest expectations. It was like the best of the Pacific Northwest, from northern California to British Columbia, compacted into a small geographical area. After so much time living on the ocean, reconnecting with land felt deeply gratifying.

Come along with us on our counterclockwise circumnavigation of Te Waipounamu, the Maori name for the South Island. The magnificent scenery seemed endless (hope the photos don't seem that way!)...

We got a wee taste of rural life staying with Russell and Cathie Prior, 

cruising friends with roots on a farm near Wellington

This boat managed to cross Cook Strait much faster than ours would have!

We spent almost every night in Department of Conservation campsites, 

NZ’s equivalent of US National Forest sites. 

(Though we had remarkably good weather, especially for the first half of the trip, 

the large tarp came in handy.)

Pancake Rocks, at Punakaiki on the west coast

An unplanned stop at Monteith's Brewery in Greymouth,
one of the few NZ breweries that makes a good porter

Franz Josef Glacier, a gem of the Southern Alps:

Placid Lake Matheson,
one of the most photographed lakes in the world

Fox Glacier,
just south of Franz Josef

Both of these prominent glaciers
are receding at precipitous rates

Leaving Glacier National Park, we drove over the river and through the woods, but didn't end up at Grandmother's house. The road instead took us through canyon passes and past waterfalls to the Blue Pools, which were startlingly clear--and startlingly cold!

A typical campsite setup, this time at Lake Wanaka

Art always enjoys playing at a beach--even a rocky one

He met his goal of making the tower
taller than I am
(and it was amusing to watch many other visitors
take photos of it the rest of the day)

Our only guided activity was a boat trip on Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) in Fiordland National Park.

Milford Sound is usually rainy, 

creating many giant cascades

The tour boat pulls right up underneath one of the waterfalls,
spraying anyone who wants to be out on the bow
(guess who couldn't resist?)

It was so gorgeous, I took lots of photos!

Waterfalls were everywhere

Mirror Lakes, on the way out of Fiordland

Burt Munro is a national hero in NZ, and many museums have exhibits about him--
but his original record-breaking motorcycle is housed in a hardware store in Invercargill!
(If his name isn't familiar, watch The World's Fastest Indian starring Anthony Hopkins)

       

Clinging to a signpost at the far southern end of the island,
on the day Cyclone Fehi blew across the country

The route along the Catlins Coast, the southeast part of Te Waipounamu, had many enjoyable sights:

Sea lions at Waipapa Point

Petrified forest;
180 million year old tree trunks
visible at low tide

Parakaunui Falls

Another bay, another sea lion

Jack's Bay

Grazing sheep were part of
every day's drive...

...though having them herded
down the road in front of us
was a bit unusual!

Dunedin was a lovely city, full of interesting architecture and museums

Interior of the train stsation

Anglican Church

In Dunedin we stayed at a backpacker inn called Hogwartz on one of the rare occasions 

we didn’t camp; we were in Room 9 ¾! (If you’re a Harry Potter fan, that number will ring a bell.)

Speight's Brewery in Dunedin
had an outdoor spigot for locals to fill water jugs
(too bad it didn't dispense beer)

The Moeraki Boulders are supposedly geologic features, but we chose to believe they were petrified eggs from a giant creature’s ancient nest.

A worthy side trek into the Clay Cliffs:

Our day at Aoraki (Mt. Cook) was a rare gem. We chatted with a local woman who had hiked into the park many times over many years and had never seen the top of the peaks. Amazingly, we had no cloud cover and a perfect sky on our one and only visit--a spectacular experience!

A four-sided monument on one of the trails is covered with plaques dedicated to climbers
who have lost their lives on these peaks

We checked out the Cave Stream en route to our next destination. The water got too deep to explore very far into the cave, but it was a fun side trip.

(The cave opening is the dark area
near the center of the photo)

No need to label this one!

Braided rivers,
whose beds intertwine and often change courses,
are a common sight in this area 

And yes, there were more waterfalls

The kea is a rare alpine parrot.
One half of this pair preferred to stay on the ground,

but its mate enjoyed hopping around
on the roof of our car!

Speaking of birds,
this tui sang to us off and on for a couple of days
at the Kowhai Point campground
(where we had the whole place to ourselves)

Happy Hour at Kowhai Point,
next to another braided river

The Marlborough area is well known for its many excellent wineries; we stopped for a tasting at a couple of them.

Alas, it was finally time to get on the ferry,

wind our way back through the Marlborough Sounds,

and cross over to the North Island
(barely visible on the horizon)

Our final campsite was quintessential New Zealand, with a lovely track through tall tree ferns and towering rimu trees.

It had been a marvelous trip, with the awesome peaks of the Southern Alps and innumerable waterfalls etched in our memories. Perhaps the best thing we carried away with us, though, was sound. At almost every single tent site, a gurgling river was nearby and a variety of birdsongs kept us company: musical treasures.

Back on Second Wind in Whangarei, our home away from home...