NZ South Island Week 2 — Mika's Photos

We continue our drive in this second week along the green markers: a little further south, and then back up the east coast.

A quick stop at the southern end of Lake Wakatipu, as we drive from Queenstown to Te Anau.

One of Lake Wakatipu's claims to fame is being the longest lake in NZ, at 80km. And third-largest by surface area.

Clear waters, and Bayonet Peaks in the background.

Clear waters invite you for a swim: nevermind that it's 10 degrees outside.

We were on a small beach made up of skipping stones.

Or throwing stones, in the case of some.

Affordable ice cream cones when we reach Te Anau, our home for the next 3 nights.

As you might have surmised, Te Anau sits on the edge of Lake Te Anau!

Riding a ferry over to the famed glow worm caves.

Lake Te Anau is the second largest lake by surface area.

Beautiful mid-afternoon layers in the sound.

Did we mention it was breezy on the upper deck?

Someone's excited to be using a Hills Hoist for the first time.

Dinner at one of two pizza joints in town. Not bad!

We encounter our first Kia the next morning, on the way up to Milford Sound.

He's very smart... and waiting for the tourists!

Quick stop at "The Chasm".

The powerful waterfall has sculpted the rocks into interesting shapes.

They look like moon rocks.

Finally, we arrive at the famed Milford Sound.

For a place that gets over 6 meters of rainfall a year, we were damn lucky with the weather!

Waiting to board our cruise boat.

And we're off.

Dramatic lighting thanks to the sun, and sharp peaks.

Mitre Peak: one of the world's highest peaks, to rise straight from the sea floor.

More dramatic sunlight creeping in over Stirling Falls.

An up-close look at the trees growing on the edge of the peaks.

They're full-sized trees; they just look small because of the scale of the mountains!

Copper Point: named for the copper found in the rock.

More full-sized trees.

One of the hundreds of waterfalls in the sound.

And from underneath!

And the rainbow below.

We were fortunate to spot a playful pod of dolphins coming into the sound for a visit.

The tour took us all the way into the Tasman Sea.

Looking back toward the sound, it's hard to spot the entrance!

Aha! That's how to get back!

Another (larger) cruise ship: for a sense of scale.

Layers of peaks: the classic Milford Sound view.

Another waterfall.

And wait! Who are these jolly guys?

Just some friendly New Zealand fur seals!

Looks like a nice lazy day for them!

Stirling Falls: falling 146 meters.

We were able to get up-close and personal with the falls.

It's one of only two permanent falls in Milford Sound.

Great patterns as it hits the water.

And Lady Bowen Falls - the other permanent falls.

Enjoying a few minutes of warmth down below, before we dock back at the port.

Exhausted from a long day of... sitting in a car, and standing on a boat.

Another pub dinner.

Heading back up toward Milford Sound, for the second day in a row.

Quick stop at the golden views of the Eglinton Valley.

And Mirror Lake.

You can see where they got the "Mirror" from, but "Lake" is a bit overstated.

Perfect reflection in the background.

Here's what we came all this way back for: a hike up Key Summit Track.

While we're still under the tree line, it's Jurassic-esuqe landscapes. Like this moss-blanketed tree.

Making progress!

Another giant old tree.

Translucent red berries! Related to the translucent blue berries we saw last week?

Finally, some golden evidence that we're making progress.

Looking east: that's Mt. Christina!

Aha! This is what the poles were for.

Looking north, into the Hollyford Valley.

On top of the world!

Almost at the top!

We made it to Key Summit, altitude 918m!

The vegetation at the top is quite martian-like.

Really on top of the world.

Spot the tree line.

Marsh-like lakes all the way up here.

Boardwalks to ensure no damage to the environment underneath.

More martian marshland.

Mt. Christina again...

... with Lake Marian in its valley.

A glacial chunk up in Mt. Christina.

And a peak that could rival Mitre Peak. Wouldn't want to fall onto that one.

Proof that all 4 of us made it up!

And back down again we go.

That-a-way, toward the valley.

Good-bye, spectacular views.

Tessellation leaves.

Yay! We did it! Back in one piece!

To reward ourselves, we stop at the New Zealand Model A Rally, which takes place every 2 years in rotating locations.

The inspector, taking in the details.

Cars came from around the country: and even Australia.

Medallions from the previous NZ Model A Rallies this car has participted in.

Trying Deep South ice cream: a specialty of the South Island.

The sign of the trip!

Wong way! You're going the wong way!

Trying something different for dinner: bao from Te Anau's only food truck.

The next morning on our way south to Invercargill, an impromptu stop at the Clifden Suspension Bridge.

The bridge was built in 1898, and was (at the time) an important transport link in a remote part of Southland.

I understand it underwent significant renovation post 2010. Perhaps this is not the original giant rusty bolt.

And a quick stop at McCracken's Rest, (our southern-most point so far) where you can sometimes spot Hector's Dolphins.

We saw lots of picturesque waves...

... but alas, no dolphins.

And here we are at Gemstone Beach.

Home of the very round stones.

Which rock would be the best doorstop?

Indeed, that is a very graphic sign.

We stopped for some picturesque sheep as we continued east.

And here we are at Bluff, colloquially known as the southern extremity of NZ.

Also home to a giant chain.

Te Araroa - New Zealand's Trail - spans 3000 km, from Cape Ragina (the northernmost point) to Bluff.

The cute little town of Bluff itself. Population ~1800.

Bluff is famous for its oysters: so that's what this happy camper had for lunch!

And down town Invercargill: the southernmost and westernmost city* in NZ.

E. Hayes & Sons hardware store: one of the more interesting sights in Invercargill.

The store showcases one of the largest private collections of classic motorcycles, automobiles and engines.

The World's Fastest Indian (replica made for the 2005 movie).

The game-changing Smith Motor Wheel.

Invercargill architecture.

More Invercargill architecture.

And the landmark Invercargill Water Tower.

Built in 1889, to provide sufficient pressurized water to fight the fires that often plagued early colonial towns.

Spoiling himself: having an ice cream for breakfast the next morning!

And here we are at Slope Point (claim-to-fame to be revealed shortly).

A relaxing amble through a very well-located sheep farm.

And lots of bushy toupees.

Our destination: Slope Point, the Southern-most point of the South Island of NZ!

Someone thinks he can get a little further south yet.

Wait. I think those craggy rocks are even further south!

What a scenic place to live.

And now a great opportunity to sheep-spot on the way back.

"Do you see what I see?" "I dunno, mate. Do you see what I see?"

"Hehehe! Funny."

Has anyone seen Bob? I really need to find Bob.

Hello, handsome.

A sea of sheep... flowing into the sea!

Next stop along the southern coast: the petrified forest of Curio Bay.

The forest grew over 180 million years ago.

Imprints of a fallen tree.

And leaf patterns.

More leaf patterns.

Interesting -- but slippery -- walk around.

We were looking for Yellow-Eyed Penguins... but all we found was thick seaweed.

And a one-legged seagull.

With Porpoise Bay in the background.

Quick stop at Florence Hill Lookout, in the beautiful Catlins.

A very cute ketchup bottle. All ketchup bottles should be this shape!

And finally at Nugget Point - here to see the famous nuggets!

Walking on the edge of the world.

Spot the seals and sea lions down below!

The lighthouse was built in the 1870s, because the Nuggets posed a danger to small vessels near the coast.

These are the Nuggets; the culprits.

Posing with the Nuggets and the late-afternoon sun.

Rocky cliff there; wouldn't want to slip off that one!

Final stop of the day: Roaring Bay.

He's a gentleman of many tricks. Here he is standing tall.

And here he is, headless.

And here he is, doing his one-legged dance!

Finally we reach our destination: Law Courts Hotel in Dunedin.

We believe Queen Elizabeth stayed in our room during her global coronation tour.

The Dunedin Law Courts.

(And from the front.)

And the picturesque Dunedin Railway Station...

... opened in 1906, and was built in famous Flemish renaissance style (!)

Inside the railway station, which is still in use today.

Ornate, yet relaxing.

Attention to detail...

... all the way down to the stained glass motif...

... and the tile mosaic on the floor of the main entrance.

There is lots of street art in Dunedin -- like in Christchurch.

We spotted a gallery featuring Nic Tucker, the artist from whom we bought a painting over Christmas.

The Dunedin Centre, on the Octagon.

Dunedin at night.

Mum's much-belated birthday dinner at Francesca's. Delish!

We were fortunate to catch the Dunedin Farmer's Market on Saturday morning.

Here's dad, starting his wine tasting at 8:30am.

Look at all the colorful produce... and the LONG beetroots!

So many kinds of apples!

The morning rain eventually gave way to some blue skies, too.

Too much to buy, and not enough time to eat it.

Another token shot of the Railway Station - because why not?

And one last view of the Dunedin Octagon - this time in daylight.

Stopping at the University of Otago: what Dunedin is famous for.

It's NZ's oldest university, and second-highest rated today.

Also spotted on campus: a tree that was held up at gunpoint.

The university of many very tall, very straight trees.

It seems they used the same architect as the Railway Station did.

Here too.

And our last stop in Dunedin before heading back to Points North is...

... Baldwin Street, the steepest street in the world!

At its steepest, the street's slope is 19°, or 35%.

Put on the breaks!

(The poor residents of this street must get so tired of the tourists.)

Careful how much you lean! It could be a quick and fast roll down!

(For the record: in 2018, an 11-year-old rode up the street on a pogo stick for charity. His ascent took about 10 minutes.)

We have a chance encounter with an alpaca.

With beautiful eyelashes, I daresay.

And our last pit-stop for the day: the Moeraki Boulders.

The Moeraki Boulders are "concretions".

Here, some scale for reference.

Some of the boulders sit in the water, as the tide comes in.

And sometimes, when the conditions are right, the boulders turn into ice cream.

Careful not to break them!

Our passengers catch some Zzzs as we make our way to Fairlie.

Here we are in Fairlie, where our AirBnB hosts operate a sheep and deer farm.

One of the town highlights.

We were traveling with our own honey bee this whole time, and we didn't even know it.

And a scrumptious (but early-bird) dinner at the Red Stag restaurant.

Last day on the road! On our way back to Christchurch, we detour to Akaroa and the Banks Peninsula.

Just south of Christchurch, it's probably a great weekend getaway for city-dwellers.

Akaroa town is a holiday town, located on a harbor. Reminded me of Talloires, where Adrien and Solene's wedding was.

The French settled here in 1840, and some influence still remains.

Evidence of the many holiday-goers who come here.

Can't go a day without a NZ ice cream!

Lots of cute old shops, in this town of ~620 residents.

Like the former courthouse, on Rue Lavaud.

No sun today, but a giant sunflower will do as a stand-in.

There's a giant chocolate Easter egg in the Air NZ lounge at Christchurch Airport, which can only mean one thing: our trip is winding down!

But first! We have to finish the giant milk we bought the other day.

And here we are back in Auckland International Airport; time to part ways!

But not before we sneak mum into the lounge...

...and set her up to plane-spot for the afternoon.