Invercargill Thur-Jan-28

Tom and I were looking forward to this part of the trip; home of the “World’s Fastest Indian” and Burt Munro! The day was excellent from beginning to end. We left Te Anau at 10 am, driving the scenic route to Manapouri along the mountain ranges of the Fiordland National park to Tuatapere, continuing along the rugged coast to Riverton, into Invercargill only stopping to turn around at Bluff where the road ends or begins for NZ.
Our stops along the way included Lake Manapouri which is NZ largest lake. Deep below Lake Manapouri is their power station. The station generates hydro-power by diverting water down 200+ metres below the ground. Massive turbines drive a generator and the water is discharged along a tunnel into Deep Cove in Doubtful Sound. Tours were available however we didn’t relish the bus drive down a 2K tunnel!
The drive was better than expected; straight roads through fertile valleys, a few one-way bridges and sheep farms. We had gentle mountain climbs through reforestation successes & into deep valley gorges – no traffic – great vistas! We snapped a photo of newly sheered sheep grazing alongside the road and estimated 3000 or more in just that one field. Sheep are everywhere....in great numbers! We noticed more power lines and grid systems, yucca-type plants line the roadside and tuffs of amber growth adorn the hillside. Closer to Tuatapere the farms appear more prosperous. Entering Tuatapere we read “last place in NZ to see the sunset and home of the sausage king”!
At Orepuki we stopped to view the southern NZ coastline and the Tasman Sea. Across the Foveaux Strait we could see the outline of Codfish Island, NZ largest pest-free island. Pest-free means free of rats and rabbits! Stewart Island was 52K across and we were 60K from Invercargill. We stopped at Riverton, one of the oldest settlements dating back to the sealing & whaling days in the 1830s. We ate our picnic near the beach on a cedar picnic table. The children’s playground was also built from cedar; benches shaped like Blue Cod and Whales with the smell of cedar. A refreshing change from the real thing!
We walked on the beach and watched people swim and play in the surf. Liz & I managed to dip our toes in but couldn’t imagine going any further. I collected beach stones; amber, orange, white and multi-coloured; small, round stones smoothed by the rolling waves. A tiny slice of heaven!
We drove on to Invercargill; a quick stop at I-Site before driving to Bluff. Bluff is the oldest town in NZ and it shows! It is where you catch the ferry to Stewart Island but at $63 (one-way fare) plus the cost of tours we couldn’t justify $500 to see nature the way it was in 1824. We drove to the start of state highway 1 but didn’t see the signpost for the most southern point on the NZ mainland. Excluding Stewart Island, the next stop is Antarctica!
We stayed at Comfort Inn Tayesta Motel in Invercargill, guests of Diane & Stewart Whitney. If you visit Invercargill you will not find a friendlier or nicer place to stay! Great value and a great location; we felt like we were visiting family and were treated like long lost relatives. A welcome relief after a long day of touring! At their recommendation we ate dinner at The Cabbage Tree Restaurant & Outpost Tavern; known for their seafood and door-to-door courtesy van service. We were not disappointed and Tom had a break from driving. The restaurant is near Oreti Beach where the motorcycle race in the “World’s Fastest Indian” was filmed. Each November the local motorcycle club hosts a Burt Munro Challenge to honour him, the love of speed and motorcycles. Invercargill is a destination as well as a beautiful and striving town to visit with lots of history similar to that far eastern city in Canada!