Travelling New Zealand’s South Island 3 – To Bluff – by Rob Shackleford
Other Travelling NZ Blogs
When driving New Zealand, I’m always struck by how close things are. In Australia it isn’t rare to drive 4 – 8 hours in a day to achieve any kind of distance, like arriving in the next town, while New Zealand, like the UK, an hour’s drive really makes some progress.
After our stay in Dunedin with family we were thoroughly spoiled, but it was time to go. Our first destination was a local recommendation, Tunnel Beach, a very cool destination close to Dunedin where the beach is accessed via a steep track. part of the beach can also be accessed through a tunnel, but the promontory with an arch through which the wild seas surged was outstanding. In many countries, this would be a major tourist attraction, but here in New Zealand it seemed to be a local secret.
The Caitlins
There was another short drive through fields and forest, a pause at quirky Owaka, to get to the Catlins Conservation Park and forest reserve. Owaka has an odd little teapot display in someone’s yard.
As we head to Caitlins we are pretty well in the most southerly part of the South Island. Lush temperate rain-forests and waterfalls beckoned and we took a walk to the Purakaunui Falls. Coming from Queensland, we are kind of used to waterfalls, but these were very pretty. The forests were the most different to home as they were cool and we saw a few of the iconic New Zealand tuis, each with their little cravat-like feather at the throat.
Like every place, we didn’t see everything the Caitlins had to offer, as we knew we had a distance before us and we had to get to Invercargill. There is much to return and see.
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Invercargill and Bluff
It was only a short drive to Invercargill, where we stayed the night, then it was off to Bluff for breakfast and to search out some of their famous oysters.
Bluff is a sleepy little town at what is recognised as the ferry point to the remote Stewart Island to the south. Drove to the famous guidepost and then breakfasted in a pretty cafe. Coffees excellent, weather cold, but alas there were none of the famous Bluff oysters. It seems the oysters’ fame as a gourmet food means that they sell out almost immediately. Their main attraction is their size, but they are also understood to be superb.
While Deb does not shed a tear, I will have to continue my quest.
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Other of our Travelling with Traveller Inceptio Blogs
Rob and Deb live at Burleigh Heads, on Australia’s Gold Coast.
Rob is an author of Traveller Inceptio, published by Austin Macauley Publishers.
Deb is a yoga teacher and administrator par excellence.
If you have any questions regarding the contents of this blog, please email Rob via his email: [email protected] or Instagram @rob_shackleford_
If you have purchased or read Traveller Inceptio, please take a photograph of yourself with the book and send it to me. I would be delighted to post them to my social media.
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