Southland wonders??
Pete Grooby
Hello southern folk,
Feeling somewhat culturaly deprived I am taking 9 days off in a couple of weeks
to explore all points south of Christchurch. Invercargil, Queenstown, Haast
etc.
I was wondering if anyone can recommend any must sees? I'll check out the
exhibition in Dunedin, and the glaciers and Milford. Any other recomendations?
Pete Grooby
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Ken Davis
Pete - Go to Bluff, and if you're brave, over to Oban on
Stewart Island. There are some v. interesting tours over
there, incl. one operated by a Sam Sampson --- knows his
stuff and tour is well worth it..
Ken
At a point in time, pgrooby@[anti-spam]trimble.co.nz (Pete
Bob Curwood
In article <5ien8f$32q$1...@ukko.trimble.co.nz>, pgrooby@[anti-spam]trimble.co.nz says...
>
>
>I was wondering if anyone can recommend any must sees? I'll check out the
Great Art Gallery! Didn't think much of the art :(
evan and jane bloomfield
On Tue, 15 Apr 1997 10:05:18 GMT, ge...@rait.wn.planet.gen.nz (Geoff
Rait) wrote:
>Pete Grooby wrote:
>
>>Hello southern folk,
>>
>>Feeling somewhat culturaly deprived I am taking 9 days off in a couple of weeks
>>to explore all points south of Christchurch. Invercargil, Queenstown, Haast
>>etc.
>>
>>I was wondering if anyone can recommend any must sees? I'll check out the
>>exhibition in Dunedin, and the glaciers and Milford. Any other recomendations?
>
>Still there, Pete?
>
>An addition to Noeline's suggestions of things to do on the West
>Coast: if you're at all interested in seeing what an active plate
>boundary looks like in outcrop, a visit to the Gaunt Creek exposure
>of the Alpine Fault is well worth it.
>
sorry i missed peters post but here is a scribble on the southern
scenic route from Te Anau to Dunedin.
TE ANAU TO RIVERTON
In Te Anau you can have a gander at the rare Takahe bird at the
Wildlife Centre (sorry no Moas), along with all the famous walks
around the place. On to Manapouri - said by many to be NZ's most
beautiful lake. You can explore Doubtful Sound which is equally as
impressive as Milford Sound in it's own way with a power station
under the Lake - keeps many light bulbs lit this power station.
Clifden is the next township with some cool caves to get lost in and a
historic suspension bridge.
Burst on through the "Sausage capital of NZ" - Tuatapere next, popping
out on the wild south coast at Te Wae Wae Bay. Offshore you will
probably see Stewart and Solander Islands - Stewart Island is of
course inhabited but Solander not - apart from 4 years in the early
1800s when 5 sealers were left stranded on this inhospitable, desolate
isle - bummer.
Explore further nooks and crannies on the south coast such as Orepuki,
Monkey Island, Pahia, Cosy Nook and Colac Bay - world famous
locations. Not. Walk on gemstone beaches, marvel at the macrocarpa
trees growing sideways and if you're keen pop in and see Les and take
a gander at the old Chinese gold diggings at Round Hill.
Riverton is a great place to stay overnite and what a laid back spot
this is to relax in. A fishing village with the best fish and chips
you'll taste anywhere. Walk to the Riverton Rocks, take a photo in
the largest Paua in the world, or just watch the sun set or rise from
The Riverton Rock guesthouse.
RIVERTON TO DUNEDIN
Invercargill is known as the friendly city - and the southerners
surely are. Check out 115 year old Henry, he's an ancient Tuatara, a
lizard like creature at the Museum. Pick up and drops offs for those
heading off to Stewart Island or to explore Invercargill further. From
here it is a full day exploring the Catlins.
The Catlins are the "Forgotten Coast" of NZ. An area of coastal native
forest, renowned for the rugged cliffs , sandy beaches, spectacular
natural features and unique wildlife. Along the way check out ...
Waipapa Point (ship wreck site, lighthouse, Sea-lions); Curio Bay (180
million year old fossilised forest, Hector dolphins in the summer);
Cathedral Caves (beach caverns accessible at low tide); Tautuku Beach
- chuck a frisbee about here or just freak out at the lack of people;
many waterfalls including the much photographed Purakaunui, Cannibal
Bay (if you dare!), Nugget Point - wildlife paradise. This is serious
panorama - a lighthouse, big hunks of rock sticking up from crashing
seas, wildlife for Africa, sea views, all rolled in to one. Hold on to
your kilt though Jimmy, as the southerly wind will make it seem a lot
closer than 4800km to the south pole. We do get our fair share of nice
days here too but the whole area is equally as spectacular on a bright
sunny day as on a cloudy stormy one.
Through the Big River Town of Balclutha to Dunedin - the Edinburgh of
the South, with a lively student population and equally lively night
life. Great character buildings and also recognised as the wildlife
capital of the world with the only mainland Albatross colony in the
world within 45 min of the city. Also on the Otago Peninsula (where
the Albatross are too) is Penguin Place which is surprisingly a place
where penguins are. Then there's Larnach's castle with a story or two
there. You can tour the Speights Brewery with free samples - reason
enough to visit Dunedin. Don't forget to walk, run or crawl to the top
of Baldwin St - officially recognised in the Guiness Book of Records
as the steepest street in the world.
SOME OTHER INTERESTING BITS...
The Catlins is home to some amazing and rare wildlife including
yellow-eyed penguins, NZ (hooker) sea-lions, Hector dolphins and the
mohua - yellowhead. You may also see NZ fur seals, elephant seals,
blue penguins and a variety of other bush and sea-birds. The sea-lions
especially are unique as there are less than one hundred on the whole
coast of mainland NZ with a majority in the Catlins. They have swum
many hundreds of kilometres from the sub-antarctic Islands so the
least you can do is pay them a visit! (89)
STEWART ISLAND
The smallest of NZ's three islands with a human kiwi population of
about 350 and a bird kiwi population of considerably more - a great
opportunity to take up on the kiwi-spotting trip to see them in their
natural environment. Known to the Maori as Rakiura - land of the
glowing skies and you will see why at sunrise or sunset. Some great
tramping on Stewart Island with 3 - 12 day tramps or if you're not in
to these marathons there are some lovely shorter walks around the
township of Oban. Other activities are kayaking, fishing, diving or
drinking at the South Seas Hotel - the world's southernmost pub.
evan
The Riverton Rock
Riverton
NEW ZEALAND
Seaside accommodation since 1863
Kiwi Wilderness Walks
mailto:evn...@xtra.co.nz
Nathan Mercer
In Invercargill I'd head to the Grand Hotel, and them maybe down to bluff
to the smelter for a look-see then to Stewart Island etc etc etc.
Good luck
Cheers
Nathan
--
Nathan Mercer, MCP
P O Box 3007
Christchurch, New Zealand
Phone +64 21 352339
Fax + 64 3 3659115
Pete Grooby <pgrooby@[anti-spam]trimble.co.nz> wrote in article
<5ien8f$32q$1...@ukko.trimble.co.nz>...
> Hello southern folk,
>
> Feeling somewhat culturaly deprived I am taking 9 days off in a couple of
weeks
> to explore all points south of Christchurch. Invercargil, Queenstown,
Haast
> etc.
>
> I was wondering if anyone can recommend any must sees? I'll check out the
> exhibition in Dunedin, and the glaciers and Milford. Any other
recomendations?
>
> Pete Grooby
>
> --
>
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Lin Nah
If you are going to milford, there's a 2 day trip that's the best value for
money 8) If you have a YHA card it may even give you a small discount
I am not too sure about the discounts.
Anyway the trip is with Fiorland Travel. I took it in jan 1995 and have
since recommended it to a few others 8)
You leave Queenstown at 9am by the Earnslaw to go across Lake Wakatipu
to a farm across the bay. When I took the trip we were served juice,
tea and coffee with a croissant during the boat trip.
Once you get to the Walter peak station, there's a bus (or two) there
waiting for you to hop on. It takes you along the back roads through some
farms and eventually you get to Te Anau for lunch. you buy your own lunch.
Shortly after lunch you head towards Milford sound. You reach the end at
around 5pm because the bus stops at quite a few places. The walks are
mostly very short walks - I think the longest was no more than 20 mins.
When you get to milford, you hop on board. You are supplied with a
sleeping bag and sheets and towels. so all you need is some clothes and
toiletries for the overnight stay.
The boat goes round the sound and drops anchor for the evening.
You are fed dinner and breakfast the next morning.
Beds are single bunks in groups of 4 unless you'd booked ahead for
the double beds.
There's an option to kayak the sound very early the next morning 8)
before breakfast. Then you get back to milford and hop back on the bus.
The bus then drops you off at the start of the routeburn track.
you are there for 3 hours (so enough to walk for the first 1.5 hours of
the track and back). after the walk you head back to the station to
catch the Earnslaw back across the lake to Queenstown.
You can do slight variations but you'll have to discuss this with
the fiordland travel when you arrange the trip. eg you can do the
routeburn and return on a bus (depending on space) many days later.
I had beeautiful weather during my trip. However if you are unlucky
with the weather, you may not enjoy it as much.
The price was around $200 per person - doubt it's gone up much since.
The west coast is spectacular. Places like the pancake rocks, the
waterfalls south of Haast, the Franz josef glacier, the kettle lakes
around the west coast are sights to behold.
You may also enjoy the train trip out to middlemarch from dunedin,
if you like scenery. It was a nice outing for us 8)
There's a nature trip of the Otago peninsula by South Coast Charters.
He's excellent. I've been on his trip twice and enjoyed both (once
in jan 1995 and another time in dec 1996). He covers the yellow eyed
penguins, the fur seals, the sea lions, the albatross and other birds
and other wild life in the peninsula. Both trips were over 4 hours long
and cost only around $50 per person. He provides binoculars in the van
so you can have a closer look at the fauna. Although we had a car in
the trip last dec, I decided to go on this trip again with him as I could
look at the stuff and get his comentary instead of trying to find my
way around the otago peninsula 8)
I hope you enjoy your trip
regards
Lin