Dunedin to Te Anau

We left Dunedin (overall a less than inspiring place) and headed via the Southern Scenic Route along the south coast of South Island, through Invercargill and then up to Te Anau. On the way, we stopped close to the southern tip of NZ, from where we could see Stuart Island some 30 miles further to the south. Curio Bay had interesting petrified forest remains in the rocks just beneath the spot we stopped for a sandwich. Lis was pleased to see masses of shags on a rock, something which will amuse those at Kettlefields.

We met these sheep on our way.

A new grandson has arrived

When walking back from the city centre in Dunedin we received a phone call from Chris (our son) telling us the good news that Edward William James had just been born. He is doing well.

Dunedin

Today the weather has been disappointing - with drizzle after lunch and thick mist over the Otago Peninisula so, we did the city sights today. These included the famous Victorian railway station, a building built in the same grand style as St Pancras in London. Inside are an impressive staircase and stain glass windows. We then visited the Settler's Museum, which has some fascinating information on the early Scottish and Chinese settlers at the time of the gold rush in the mid-1800s.

Penguins and albatrosses

The weather was good when we arrived in Dunedin, but the forecast for the next day was not so promising, so we decided to head straight out to the Otago Peninsula to catch a glimpse of the royal albatrosses at Taiaroa Head. Several glided over our heads on their enormous 3m wings, looking just like gliders.

We also visited the yellow-eyed penguin reserve, a few miles away, where we saw several of these delightful birds in their natural habitat. Two had just come up the beach as we arrived. What amazed us was how far up the hillsides these birds nested. In a couple of cases they must have been 300m from the beach and 50m up the hillside. The picture is of a 3 month old chick.

Christchurch to Dunedin

The first part of this journey was through the flat lands of the Canterbury Plains, a landscape not that dissimilar to the Fens. After Timaru , the landscape again became more interesting with stretches along the Pacific and through rolling hills not unlike Perthshire. You can see why the Scots came here over 150 years ago.

On the trip we stopped to see the Moeraki Boulders, which are a strange geological phenomenon causing almost perfectly spherical bolders on the sands as big as 4m in circumference. They were formed on the seabed about 60 million years ago.

Also on this journey, we stopped near a place Shag Point where we got good views of NZ fur seals. Again, we enjoyed this view from about 20m distance on our own.

Here is a picture of the room where we are currently staying in Dunedin. It is an old chapel in what was formerly a Catholic school.

A day in Christchurch

It was beautiful today, despite an unpromising forecast. We managed to do three things in this pleasant English-like city. Firstly, we punted on the River Avon, which winds through the city and its splendid botanic garden. Then we took a trip 10kms south of the city to Lyttelton, where we ascended in a gondola to Crater Rim a high spot from where the view was stunning. In gaps in the clouds we could see the Southern Alps to the west. To the west we could also see all of Christchurch and its port. To the south and east we could see the beginning of the Banks Peninsula as well as Lyttleton harbour. On our return to the city we enjoyed a trip around town on the clunky old trolley buses, stopping off to walk around the botanic gardens, considered one of the top ten in the world.

Tranzalpine train across the Southern Alps

After an early morning breakfast (6am) we caught the Transalpine train from Christchurch via Arthur's Pass to Greymouth on the west coast. The train crosses the Canterbury Plain before climbing up through dramatic mountain scenery to reach Arthur's Pass. After this point it descends through an 8km long tunnel and eventually on down to the sea. The journey takes around 4.5 hours each way. It made a welcome change from driving.