Day 35 Picton

Today is our last day on the South Island.. probably could have used a few more days to see the North West part of the island including Abel Tasman National Park but..   We head out early for our drive to Picton and the ferry to the North Island. We stop in Kaikoura, a small town right on the eastern coastline. We walk a bit along the beach with the waves crashing. A perfect sunny day but a little cool for swimming. We arrived in Picton about 5pm and settled in our motel . Then it was off for a hike up another hill to catch a view of the Picton Harbour. We had a nice chat with some locals out for their exercise then it was to supper and an early evening. In the setting sun we found a large fern glowing silver..  a national symbol in NZ.

Day 34 Akaroa

Today we were awakened by the sound of buses arriving on the waterfront in Akaroa. Two cruise ships had arrived in the harbour in the early morning and now it was time for the people to get their tours etc. Akoroa was a happening place today!. We went for a hike before our kayak trip to get a view of the town from above. See the low hanging branch in the photo... Mabel forgot to duck and landed on her back.. Thankfully all ok.. Never a dull moment !
In the afternoon we were picked up in a 4 wheel drive van to drive us to Flea Bay for our Kayak adventure. The drive itself was an experience as we climbed out of town on a steep paved road which soon turned to gravel and maybe one lane wide so we drove basically along the edge of a cliff all the way to the top of the mountain then all the way down to the bay. The kayaks were on a private piece of land owned by a conservationist. We spent about 2 hours out on the bay watching the wildlife, mostly seals and many types of birds and sheep and enjoying the swells as we left the bay and entered the ocean.
The penguins are out to sea in March after their breeding season but we did get to see a couple that had been rescued from the ocean... the one you see in the bucket was born without eyes !

Day 33 Dunedin/Akaroa

We spent the morning touring Dunedin...  not enough time but time is moving on and so should we. We have reservations in Akaroa for 2 nights so we spend the afternoon driving the 430 km from Dunedin to the Akaroa Peninsula. Mostly the drive is through farmland and is relatively flat as we approach Christchurch. Just before Christchurch we turn for Akaroa and the roads become narrower and more hilly. We climb to the top of a hill following several switchbacks and just as we start down the other side ... there is this beautiful bay below us. Now I know why people say you must visit the Akaroa Peninsula ! After soaking in more beauty we head into the village and find our accommodations. They had mucked up our reservation .. so they upgraded us to an apartment right on the water with this awesome view ! I hate it when things like this happen !! Tomorrow we have a kayak trip booked.. hopefully we will see some sea life !

Day 32 Portobello

We left Te Anau before light. We want to drive the Southern Scenic Route to Portobello just outside Dunedin on the Otago Peninsula. We drive through pastural landscapes where sometimes it seems that you cannot see the grass for the sheep. We stop in Riverton for our flat whites then it is off to find Slope Side, the most southern point on the South Island. After a few kms of gravel and a hike across a farmer's sheep pasture, complete with the sheep and their droppings we arrive at the sign post indicating we have reached our destination. The rest of the day we drive up and down winding roadways where the crashing waves of the Pacific can be seen far below us. Looks like it would be great for surfing. Just entering Dunedin we turn onto the Otago Peninsula where the road gets narrower, if that is possible, and the houses get more scarce . Mabel is getting a little worried and wants to know where I found this place we are staying. I said not to worry.. they had sent me an email and said if they were not home they would leave the room and the johnny on the spot open ! Finally houses begin to appear and we find our B&B. The hosts , Wayne and Brenda meet us and Wow.. What a great place ! Mabel is happy !  After quickly getting settled we head to the Royal Albatross Center , which is literally the end of the road on the peninsula. We get to watch lots of birds, including several Royal Albatross, wingspan over 3 meters, gliding effortlessly right before us .
Super Day !

Day 31 Milford Sound

Up early today..  Being picked up for the drive to Milford Sound. Weatherman has forecast rain today but so far it is clear and sunny but the driver tells us we will not know what the west coast will bring til we are over the mountain pass. We drive along Te Anau Lake for several Kms.. another beautiful lake in NZ.. Go Figure ! We have entered Fiordland National Park. We pass Mirror Lakes.. a photo spot since several small lakes reflect the image of the mountains but today the water is rippled so no pictures. We start to climb through the pass and come to the Homer Tunnel, a single laned 1.2 km long unlined tunnel. The walls are unlined granite. We stop to take the short walk into the Chasm.. powerful waterfalls and water sculpted rocks. Shortly after arriving in Milford we board a boat for a 2 hour cruise of Milford Sound. The weather although windy is still clear and we get nice views of the shear rock walls that fall directly into the water to a depth of 265 meters off Mitre Peak. Although it is known as Milford Sound it is really a fiord. We are entertained by a group of Fur Seals.It is raining now but we have had a nice tour.  On the drive back to Te Anau the driver takes us down a gravel road to the only privately owned piece of land in Fiordland National Park and boils water for tea and breaks out the sweets. An unexpected treat !! You can tell from the photos that this is an interesting place. Chris the driver also takes us down to the harbour where lots of Lobster boats are tied up..  this area is rich with lobster, and they fetch about $100-$150 a kilogram. Not bad for a lobster without claws.. I guess we should not complain about $6 a lb.

Day 30 Te Anau

Today we leave Wanaka and head via the Southern Scenic highway to Te Anau. Leaving Queenstown the views are extraordinary with mountains on either side of the lake. We drive along a highway which reminds me a lot of the Cabot Trail as it hugs the mountainside high above the blue waters. The highway is quiet and gets quieter when we make the turn for Te Anau. We drive for a long time through a valley... everywhere you look you can see hills and mountains. Te Anau is another small town right on a lake shore and is beautiful. A lot of tourists stay here on their way to Milford Sound which is of course why we are here. We take a hike on part of the Kepler Track, one of the famous multi-day tracks in New Zealand. The day is perfect, sunny with no clouds. We spend all afternoon hiking then head to the main street for supper.