Going to the Southside

I’ve now covered the southeast of the south island (Otago Region), the deep south (Southland), and I’m making my way north again.

What a difference a few hours can make! On Jan 26, I wore a bikini on the beach. On Jan 27, I wore 3 layers of clothing. It was the middle of summer, but it sure felt like July. It went down to 44 degrees overnight in the Catlins. I was in a tent. Let’s just leave it at that. We gladly paid for beds for the rest of the week.

Here is a brief recap of the ground I’ve covered since the last blog entry. Click here for the corresponding pictures.

• Dunedin –This is the south island’s second largest city. Auckland and Christchurch get all the attention, but my vote for urban fun goes to stepchildren Wellington and Dunedin. Dunedin, which likes to be known as the “Edinburgh of the South,” had a decidedly Chinese feel. We attended “The Emporer’s Dragon,” a museum exhibit about the dragon’s place in Chinese history, art and culture. A sign proclaimed Shanghai to be Dunedin’s sister city. It remains to be seen whether Shanghai is aware of this sisterhood. Dunedin also opened a Chinese Garden in 2008. The place was hopping for a celebration of the Chinese New Year, which included a surprisingly impressive fireworks display. Our final stop in Dunedin was Baldwin Street, said to be the world’s steepest street. My calves agree.


• Otago Peninsula – A day trip from Dunedin included a stop at NZ’s only castle. It was built by an Australian banker to impress his French wife. Then he got divorced. Then he got married again. Then he got divorced. Then he got married again. Then he killed himself in Parliament. We also found a secluded beach and decided to spend the afternoon sunbathing until high tide kicked us out. The good thing about having everything you own in your car is that you always have a swimsuit and towel on the ready!


• Moeraki Boulders – These spherical wonders cover the beach, which is cluttered with red seaweed. Some of the smaller boulders look like turtle shells or brains.
  The Catlins – This region of Southland includes forests, bays, and other natural attractions. Every 10 minutes, there is a turn-off for some walk, or beach, or waterfall, etc. We took 2 days to drive through this area, but you could probably stretch it out longer if you enjoy the cold and wind. Our stops included: Cannibal Bay, Jack’s Bay and Blowhole, Cathedral Caves (see below), Curio Bay (fossil grounds), and Porpoise Bay.


• Slope Point – The southernmost point in NZ! Next stop: Antarctica! To reach this point, you drive up a 13 km dirt road, and walk through some fields (private property closed for lambing in the spring). Standing atop this cliff looking over the blustery Pacific definitely makes you feel like you’re at the end of the earth.


• Invercargill and Bluff – Southland’s “city.” At least I got cell phone reception here. That’s all about there is to say. If you believe the media, the predominance of boy-racers and hoons (short for hooligans) is tarnishing the city’s fine reputation.


• Cathedral Caves and Clifden Caves – The gates to Cathedral Caves are unlocked only for the 2 hours on either side of high tide. The parking lot is manned by NZ Department of Conservation staff who collect $5 per person. You take a short walk through a rainforest, then along the beach to reach the caves. The caves are a big wide open loop that you can walk through in 2 minutes. No artificial light required. Clifden Caves are the extreme opposite. Anyone can pull over on the road at any time to explore. There is a sign warning you not to enter after heavy rain. But it is always raining, so what is considered "heavy"? And I just drove from 2 hours away, so how do I know if it’s been raining here? The sign also tells you to go in a group of 2-6 people, take 2 sources of light per person, and don’t touch the delicate walls. It is pitch black10 feet into the cave. The ceiling is covered in glowworms. The rocks are very slippery. If you don’t touch the walls, you’ll most certainly break an ankle. Luckily, we had headlamps because I don’t see how anyone could make it through with a handheld flashlight. You need both hands to feel your way and navigate. You’re often on your knees, crouching, twisting or turning to crawl through some narrow opening. I’m not claustrophobic, but after an hour in there, all I wanted to do was stand up and stretch. You come out covered in dirt.


• Te Anau and Fiordland National Park - If you’ll look at a map, you’ll see that this park dominates a very large area of land. The Park’s Milford and Doubtful Sounds have been described as the 8th Wonder of the World! The southwest region of NZ is known as “New Zealand World Heritage Area” because it is in the world’s best interest to preserve the 4 large national parks in this region. We went snorkeling in the rain and FREEZING waters of Milford Sound. It required a full wetsuit. Then we walked through the forest to “shower” in one of the sound’s waterfalls. I also took a day-long cruise on Doubtful Sounds, which can be reached only by a boat ride across Lake Manpouri. Our captian told us we were lucky to have one of the 2-3 days ALL YEAR without any rain. There were 4 retirement age British couples on this cruise who were very curious about why I was on this boat by myself, if my family was worried about me in NZ, and whether I would go to college when I returned to the US. I'm pretty sure they thought I was a decade younger than I really am.