Turning northward into the snow

A chilly night was broken by a very chilly morning. The increasing light was largely diluted by the clouds, rain and, to both our delight and disappointment, the snow. It was cold enough in the night that snow had fallen and stayed on the ground in elevated areas. With the heat blazing in the car, we left our little cabin and drove to our final Catlins destination on this trip.

In the parking lot for Nugget Point we were first greeted by a pelting of hail that quickly built up the windscreen of the car. Can you tell which of the two has recently been through a terrible winter in Canada?

The trail to Nugget point carved its way along the cliff side, which did provide beautiful views of blue-green water, rocky outcrops, and grey horizons. The occasional monolithic stone stood alongside the cliff as a prelude of what was to come.

At the end of the trail stood yet another lighthouse in the usual New Zealand architecture, warning of the treacherous rocks below. Although ancient sailing vessels no doubt would have seen this as a hazard, it was a delightful view for us, with this unique outcropping of eroded headland forming the numerous nuggets of rock. Great bull kelp swayed  with the crashing tides revealing sea lions playing among them in the shelter of the rocks. We kept our eyes open for sharks which no doubt would target areas like this with high seal abundance, if they were present at all.

Tired after a long cold night and a busy day before, we kept our sightseeing to a minimum, and headed straight for Dunedin and out to Otago Peninsula to see our last creature destination. On the cliffs at the end of the peninsula, the only "mainland" Royal Albatross nesting ground can be found. At the time of year we were visiting, the parents only return infrequently to feed the chicks who were a large, white, fluffy ball of feathers. There were six chicks in view from the blind on the hill where we sat and we managed to get a good look at them as the moved around scratching their itching skin. In New Zealand, these endangered birds are kept relatively safe by a large predator fence and trapping that keeps rats, stoats, ferrets, possums, and cats from venturing in and harming either birds or eggs. Our knowledgeable guide also pointed out that many birds die from malnutrition, due largely to the immense amount of plastic the birds pick up out at sea. When you see how an entire plastic sandwich container full of plastic junk was taken from the stomach of one bird, it really shows how wasteful we are as a society.

We did see one juvenile who was flying around close by but we were unable get a good shot of him. The distance made it difficult to really judge the size of these birds, but fortunately there was a model on the way down that gave a good sense of scale. My beautiful model demonstrated how the close to 3 metre wingspan far outstretches most birds in New Zealand. We could also see some of these huge birds dancing on the winds, dipping and weaving on air currents in a majestic dance across the oceans surface.

Just before we left though, I checked out one last little beach to see if we could spot some more penguins. Much to my surprise there were numerous fur seals hauled out onto the grass flats and rocks, nearly having stepped on one. I backed off and grabbed Mary-Ellen to get a nice, up close view of these lethargic creatures. One was still playing in the water though, and reminded us of just how graceful these animals can be, a stark difference to their appearance on land.

The light soon faded and we checked into our cabin in Dunedin, enjoyed a nice cold taco salad, before heading back into town to get a coffee and dessert. With our heater running in the cabin, we jumped into our sleeping bags and settled into a much warmer sleep, only interrupted by the occasional downpour of hail on the tin roof.

The Bluff and the Catlins

With a new found sense of adventure after a good night's sleep, we loaded the car once more and headed southward to one of the more southerly points in New Zealand. Just as Mary-Ellen and I had been to the most northerly point a few months earlier with my family, we were off to reach the other extent of New Zealand, if you don't count Stuart Island. Going through the town of Bluff, we started by heading to the lookout at the top of mountain whose shadow housed the sleepy commercial village. The weather was spitting mostly but to our surprise, managed to cooperate with our activities most of the day. The view was amazing, seeing the harbours and beaches in 360 degrees, unimpeded by buildings, trees, or other mountains. Rotund clouds rolled in the heavy winds, visibly shedding their heavy load of water all over the landscape. To the south, there was little sign of Stuart Island in the rain but you could see gigantic container ships being tossed around like little toys in the swells.

One of the more amusing parts of this leg of the journey, and a product of not having the shelter of those impeding trees, mountains, and buildings was the complete exposure to the wind. And what a wind it was, gusting across the mountain top in such ferocity that we found it difficult to stay in one place. Between the gusts we ran through the lightly spitting rain to try and get our pictures and take in the views, laughing and trying to stay in one place whenever a gust tried to knock us over.

With the girls hair completely blown out of place, we headed back down the mountain and to the bluff signpost to get our picture. Luckily here, we were sheltered by the mountain from the intense southern winds that were blowing. The sign was nestled in a little cove, where rampant growth of kelp on the rocky shores swept gently with the lapping waves. This was our furthest point south that any of us had been, closer to the south pole than we likely would be for the foreseeable future. We took our customary picture just as the rain started to pick up.

Before we left though, we used the local restrooms which were situated next to this oversized statue of an anchor chain. I went on to take some pictures of the numerous gull species that frequented the rocks, and returned to rather profuse laughter at what was to likely be the highlight of this stop. The "Jetsons" bathroom which I was told to use, was almost completely automated, complete with voice acknowledgement of activities such as closing the door, flushing, and washing your hands. It even played music while you were using the facilities.

After we had our fun with the talking toilet, we packed into the car, and headed back to Invercargill to try and find a magnet. This venture was unfortunately folly, as we found no specific magnets to bluff. Instead we wandered around town enjoying the unique architecture of some of the older buildings, including the famous water tower.

Slightly disappointed at the lack of magnets, we stopped at the grocer for some provisions and journeyed on into the Catlins once more to continue our exploration of this fantastic strip of coastline. Our first stop was lunch at the same little rest stop, although the inclement weather forced us to enjoy our sandwiches from the car this time. The weather however, cleared as we rolled over mountains enjoying the long windswept beaches. We took the opportunity to try and walk one of these beaches near Papatowai, however we didn't stay too long given the sandblasting we were receiving.

Onward we went, saying a brief goodbye to the coast in order to venture into the lush rainforest. We trekked through the dripping canopy of green which was vibrant in the now sunny sky above us admiring the fungus and ferns on our way to Purakanui Falls.

I can't be certain if it was just because it had rained recently, but the forest definitely seemed wetter and had more species of moss than any of the other forests in New Zealand we had visited. Regardless, the copious water amalgamated into probably the most elegant and magical waterfall we had seen since coming to this island nation. The numerous cascades of water sprinkled in every angle among the greenery. This tiny glade was almost as if it was out of some fantasy, and you half expected some mystical creature to come bounding or flying by. This was by far my favorite waterfall I had ever encountered. 

We stayed to admire these waters for some time, playing with camera settings to slow down the water and create a greater veiled effect. Time however was also against us as we knew we wanted to get to Surat Bay during low tide, so we eventually wandered back up the slippery track to the car.

We first checked in to our accommodation for the night which gave us a great sighting of several Royal Spoonbills foraging in the shallow waters of the incoming tide. After the delightful introduction in Pounawea to the local area by our host, we wandered over to Surat Bay to see if we could spot a Sea Lion.

The tide was well on it's way in at this point, reducing our chances of seeing anything, but we were not to be disappointed. Basking in the last rays of the days sun was an enormous sea lion. Hardly disturbed by our presence, we wandered about 10 metres away from the great beast in order to try and get a good look at it. He rolled around on the sand for a while until he sat up once more and yawned before returning to the sea.

With another sighting crossed off our list, we meandered along the road back to the village to get ourselves some of the "famous" blue cod fish and chips. In the cabin we sat around the table dipping fries and fish into piles of Ketchup. Definitely good, but the fish had an unusual texture, sort of like chicken, but with the definite fish taste. Eating fudge and chocolate, we reminisced on the multitude of sights we had seen that day, checked the weather, and did some repacking before heading off to bed once again.

The great penguin journey

The next day came bright and early, as there was much to see and limited time to see it in. The long road south would be filled with novel landscapes that would tempt us to linger and enjoy all the views they had to offer. We were, however, on a tide schedule as we needed to get to Curio Bay at low tide for our best chance to see the rare and highly endangered yellow-eyed penguin. So we ate our breakfast and as the sun just began its own daily journey, we packed the car and headed off as the frost just started to lift from the grass.

Once again, we were treated to the cloud dusted blue sky, interrupted frequently by the enormous figure of the southern mountains.

Our first big distraction was a sign post sitting at the crossroads where we turned to head parallel with the mountains on our journey to the ocean. Somehow it doesn't get tiring to get out and take pictures with these signs, seeing where you are in relation to the rest of the world as you stand on the corner of the middle of nowhere.

We crossed the logging roads, great fields of sheep and early morning mist as we traveled further south. The sun danced across the mountain tops for most of the morning and as it rose in the sky, the shadows of valleys transformed to the usual yet never tiring, multitude of greens.

It was difficult not to stop on every corner and get out to try and take in the enormity of the landscape around us. I tried to keep these stops to a minimum, but we were prompt to get out and stretch our legs when we could, and took a delightful pit-stop at this tiny village cafe which was full of antiques and home made preservatives with a little ole lady at the counter to complete the grandmother stereotype.

Finally, by mid-morning, we were in the presence of crashing waves and long sandy beaches. Although the surf itself was not particularly inviting, the windswept shores were perfect for leisurely walks. We kept our stopping here to a minimum as we knew we needed to get through Invercargill to get to Curio Bay, but we did manage to find yet another signpost at McCraken's Rest!

Refusing to drive by this gorgeous beach and not take the opportunity to stretch my legs again, we stopped at Gemstone-Beach, an area where tides and freshwater have eroded away parts of what was an ancient river bed, where sandstone walls encase the smooth round river rocks. Although we found no precious minerals, it was nice to get out and walk the sandy beach. We also found what appeared to be a hut built into the sandstone and limestone cliffs that we guessed could have belonged to some early prospector although there was nothing to indicate who or why it was built.

Driving through Invercargill where we would stay that evening, we headed into increasingly inclement weather. Into the Catlins we blazed forwards, driving across the forested hills and paddock fields with only small mountains to accompany us. We made decent timing, and even had time to stop and enjoy our lunch at this tiny roadside rest stop. Arriving a bit before low tide, we were able to enjoy the sites in Curio Bay without fear of incoming tide. In the now raining weather, we trudged across the rocky intertidal remaining vigilant for resting sea lions.

Great Antarctic southerlies sent chilling winds and crashing waves against the headlands in great salty sprays that sprinkled the tide pools high above the ocean. Enormous kelp were the only large macro algae that was able to maintain it's purchase on the rocks at the interface of ocean and air, with their enormous holdfasts that were thicker than my arm. Their great fronds surged with the water, flowing in and out with each breaking wave.

Having seen no sea lions, we ventured to the cliffs to get a different view of the beach and crashing waves of Curio Bay, and hopefully spot one of these sea lions or perhaps a dolphin or two playing in the waves. Although there was no major animals to be seen, the waves were spectacular as they collided with the bedrock that sits guard, protecting the sheltered waters of the bay.

Having spotted neither sea lion or dolphin from these vantage points and the sandy beach of Curio Bay, we headed to the petrified forest where we could see the remains of ancient trees and hopefully catch a glimpse of the elusive yellow-eyed penguin. The forest for me was spectacular. Great lines of petrified wood could be seen from the observation deck, running towards the ocean. The trunks of trees that had fallen some 180 million years ago. The stumps were largely eroded but still present throughout the bedrock. It was like walking through the past, stepping back to a time when man did not exist and life was far from what we know today. It was a wonderful reminder that although it may not always be obvious, when you look at a rock, you are looking at a time capsule, a piece of data that tells you what the earth was like in the past, albeit a specific moment and a specific point if it is a pebble. Rocks are windows to the past, they can tell you what the environment was like at some point in the past, and the rock walls with their many layers are like pages of a history book, just waiting for someone to examine and interpret their meaning. Yet another reason why I love geology.

So I explored the fallen trees while Mary-Ellen and Lisa kept a lookout for returning penguins from the observation deck. We got a bit discouraged when we read that at this time of your the parents are molting and not feeding much, which meant our chances of seeing one would be slim. But much to our surprise, and with great spotting by Lisa, there was not only one, but two penguins, sitting almost directly below the observation deck. We were incredibly lucky that Lisa thought to look straight down, as I for one would not have expected them to stay so close to the deck where people would be able to see them. Nevertheless, there they were, sitting next to piles of feathers and much as we were, sitting crouched down trying to stay warm in the chilly rain. It was stupendous to get the opportunity to see these penguins, one of the most endangered penguins in the world and endemic only to New Zealand.

Content with our sighting of these amazing creatures, we piled back into the car and started our backtracking to Invercargill. Although tired, I made one last scenic stop, to Waipapa Point lighthouse. No sea lions here as well, but the stormy skies made for a fitting backdrop to a historic building that would have once been critical for travelling ships to direct them away from the crashing rocks we had been admiring all day.

As the sun set we managed to get ourselves back to Invercargill, get our accommodations settled, and get a proper feed at Lonestar restaurant. With bellies full of warm, Southwestern American food, we grabbed some warmer clothes before hauling our tired bodies back to the holiday park to get some much needed rest.