The Catlins
Trip Start
Mar 20, 2006
1
32
70
Trip End
Sep 09, 2006
The Catlins, New Zealand
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
A slow start as we have to wait for the roads to de-ice. Balclutha is famous for its 6 span bridge and so we check it out. Its a bridge. With 6 spans. Awesome.
We're going to spend the day driving along the Catlins coast road - picture rugged coastlines and windswept beaches. It is a beautiful drive and Rich is enjoying the great handling of the hi'ace along the often unsealed roads "if we take the bumps at 80 they'll feel smoother than at 40" "I can nay give ye any more power captain". The additional insurance looks like a bargain now!
We pass through Kaka Point where seal colonies and penguins abound and Nugget Point with its nugget like cliffs. A short walk off the dirt track takes us to Owaka falls and Purakaunui Falls. Due to the recent flooding many places are closed along the way and when we get to Porpoise Bay theres none about as it's too rough. Curio Bay has the best preserved fossilized forest in the world.
It is a drive through stunning scenery and the place is deserted. We see about 5 other cars through the drive.
We charge on to Bluff which is almost as far south as you can get in New Zealand. On to Invercargill which is a rural city, good if you want to buy a tractor!
The scale of New Zealand is beginning to become apparent. We are driving on and on through glacial valley into desolate plain and see just no sign of life other than the odd Mack truck thundering through. The scenery is fantastic and we are enjoying seeing the place from the road.
As the temperature drops in the evening the heavens open again and so we stop in Riverton for the night...
