Days 15-17 - Southcoast

After leaving Milford Sound we headed south, way south to the bottom in fact. Bluff, the very bottom of NZ, the end of the road. You cannot go any further south in this country unless you get on a ferry and head to Stewart Island, the forgotten third island of New Zealand. This post does not take into account that there is yet another island to explore so I will now state that Andi and Dion have been to the very top and very bottom of New Zealand, excluding Stewart Island. Here is our picture at the signpost in Bluff.



We spent a night in Invercargill prior to our adventure to Bluff. It cold and the people seemed weird, isolated weird. I cannot put my finger on it but it was just a strange feeling that life different here.

One real benefit was our encounter with the Russian sausage maker at the local market. This man hooked us up with 5 campfire ready garlic smokies. I can honestly say that it was the best Russian influenced New Zealand garlic sausage I have had on the south island. Perhaps they tasted so good because it took us so bloody long to start a campfire that night. All of the wood was soaking wet after the week of harsh downpours that we have been talking about. But man prevails (mostly woman prevailed) and we (she) made fire and we ate like kings (savages).

After a good rest we awoke to the splendor of the Caitlins, a seldom traveled region in the southeast of the south island. Off to the beach we went to explore, there we were greeted with sea lions and a baby fur seal. Super cool to once again be that close to big marine mammals without some loser conservation officer telling us it is not a good idea to “get that close”. We're tourist dammit and this is NZ, where suggestions about how to interact with wildlife are just guidelines, just like any other “rule” in this country.



A few MORE waterfalls and we're back in civilization, Dunedin. A very small big city that holds onto its students as the lifeline for activity past 6PM. We stayed two nights to shave, shower and shop. Lots of old English style buildings and Gothic churches to be seen. We saw the worlds steepest street while we were here. Just think of the steepest street you have ever been on, this one was steeper. We never took photos, try Google image search if you are keen. St. Paddy's day was last night, we went for drinks with two English blokes and a Austrian girl. I couldn't understand the one guy if my life depended on it, apparently we speak the same language. I was a bit dismayed that the green beer tradition is not adhered too down here. That said they had no problem charging 7.50 NZD a pint, at least somethings are static across boarders.

I awoke this morning to a text message from my mother at 6:45AM. Without fail when a night of heavy boozing happens my mother somehow manages to sense that I should be woken early to punish me for my sins. I love her deeply but just what the hell is the importance and more so the meaning of a message that reads “Puddle Ducks”. I love hearing from you Betty but please observe the no text messages to Dion before 1PM Alberta time rule. My sleeping patterns would be greatly appreciative.

Next town Christchurch.