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Eastward Bound: Dunedin

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We reached the end of the road when it comes to going south in New Zealand.  There is nothing beyond Steward Island so it is time to start heading east toward Dunedin.  But, we take the time to enjoy several stops along the way.

Fortrose Cliffs

The Fortrose cliffs offer a stunning view of beach, rocks, and cliffs.  Super pretty magical spot to be in first thing in the morning.

It was a bit cold and rainy so we continued on to our next stop, the Waipapa Lighthouse.

Waipapa Lighthouse

The Waipapa Lighthouse was constructed in 1881 after NZ’s worst passenger ship disaster occurred.  131 of the 151 souls on board lost their lives that day their ship ran aground.  Some of the bodies were transported back to Fortrose, but over 60 people were buried in a mass grave site near the lighthouse.

The lighthouse was operational until about 1976 when it finally became automated.  People lived on the grounds until about 1981 before moving away.  The lighthouse is a short and stubby one standing at only 12.4m tall.

Views from the lighthouse were a little obstructed by the grounds, but the walks around the lighthouse were lovely.

The rain was starting to come down a little more so we departed and made our way towards Curio Beach.  I hopped out to snap a photo and when I returned to the car a bird was keeping watch.

The photo of Curio Beach.

Dunedin

We finally make it to Dunedin and wow – we were surprised at what a big, bustling city this is.  We did not expect it at all.   The first thing I wanted to see is Baldwin Street which was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records to be the steepest street in the world!

This 350-metre stretch of road has a maximum gradient of 19 degrees (though there are little bits that are 21 degrees) with the ground rising a metre for every 2.86 metres you cover horizontally.

The photos just don’t do it justice, but we did force our little BMW to drive up and down it just because we could.

At the top there is a little memorial.

Matt is not too fond of Dunedin because there are lots of one way streets, lots of traffic, and just lots of everything.  Its a good thing we are only here for one night.  We start to move north tomorrow.

  • Kilometers traveled: 275km
  • Hotel: The Laws Court (would not recommend!)
  • Time traveled: 5 hours
  • Kilometers walked: 4.3

Events from this blog post occurred in early March. Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind live events.  In our last blog post I share our experience at Stewart Island, the 3rd largest island in New Zealand.

Stewart Island: NZ 3rd Island

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New Zealand’s third largest island is Stewart Island which is located 30nm further south from the South Island.  It is truly the furthest south you can get in New Zealand.  At this point, I have gone to the furthest north point of Cape Reigna in the North island and the the furthest south point in Stewart island.

We arrive to the ferry dock early, so we decide to detour 10nm down the road to Stirling Point which is 46 degrees south on the South Island!  That’s pretty far south!  I am pointing to each direction I’ve been (Cape Reinga and Stewart island).

We have to take a ferry ride across Foveaux Straight which is known to be a treacherous crossing.  Our ferry holds about 100 people and is about 23m long and 8.5m wide.  When filled with passengers and cargo, it can weigh up to 70 metric tons!  We cruised at 22kts and had a bit of a lumpy ride over, but not terrible.  The “no go” threshold is 50kts of wind and or 4.5m seas.  Can you imagine?  No, hell no!

We get waves crashing on the sides of the window more times than I can count.

We leave the Bluff on the south island around 0945 and arrive into Half Moon Bay (or the city of Oban) around 1045.

Stewart Island Tour

We immediately hop on to the bus to take our 1.5hr Stewart Island tour.  It is a small island with only 410 full time residents.  There is a small library, community center, museum, market, school (2-12 years), fuel station, shops and eateries.  

After we drive through town, we stop at Observation Rock which gives you a beautiful view of the town and harbour.

We drive by bathing beach and Meghan’s beach which have absolutely beautiful sandy beaches.

The very stunning Half Moon Bay took our breath away.  Perfect sandy beaches and not a soul on it!

We pass by a telephone tree which actually has a telephone on the tree!   We ate at Kai Kart which has been voted the best fish and chips in NZ!  They were pretty darn good.

A life size chess set sits on the coast just by the ferry dock.  Our ferry is coming in as I snap the photo.

We head back to the hotel just in time to enjoy the sunset at the 7th floor bar.

Anchored to the South Island

Maori creation stories tell how Maui, a legendary Polynesian voyager, pulled up from the sea floor anchor stone Te Puka a Maui (Stewart Island) to act as an anchor for the great ancestral canoe Te Waka o Aoraki (South Island of New Zealand)

The stylized anchor chain is secured firmly on land by a shackle but disappears beneath the Foveaux Straight to remind us of the physical and spiritual connections between the traditional taurapa or stern post o the Te Waka or Aoraki.

The bronze anchor chain is on Stewart Island and the silver is at Sterling Point (Invercargil).  Stewart Island anchors more than Maui’s canoe.  It anchors in its rocks, rivers, and rugged shores and in its garnishments of plants and animals, the hope of generations unborn that places like this will always exist.

Fun Facts about Stewart island

  • Stewart Island is 180,000 hectres (bigger than Hong Kong and Singapore combined)
  • 85% of the island is protected as a national park
  • 6% is protected by the government DOC
  • 6% belong to the Maori tribe
  • 3% belong to local NZ
  • All households are sold and currently unavailable.  It is a 4-year wait to hire the 2 local builders on the island and bringing in housing materials costs 3-4 times more than standard fees.
  • There are no mice, ferrets, stokes, or pigs on island.  However, they do have rats, possums and feral cats which they are desperately trying to remove from the island.

Fun filled and fabulous day.  Wonderful opportunity to go to this little island.

  • Kilometers travelled:  75km
  • Hotel: Laglands Hotel
  • Kilometers walked: 5km

Events from this blog occurred in early March.  Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind live events.  Our last blog post took us to Invercargil where we visit a rockin transport and motorcycle museum.

Invercargil: The Southern Tip

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Invercargil is the southern most city on the south island of New Zealand.  It is known for its sweeping landscapes, unique museums, and quirky attractions.  We come here to access the ferry which will take us to Stewart Island.

We had a leisurely 2.5hr drive from Queenstown.  It was a brisk morning, but no rain or cloud cover which is a nice change.  We did not have anything “scheduled” to do in Invercargil, but there were a few museums we wanted to visit.

Bill Richardson Transport World

Bill Richardson spent decades restoring vintage vehicles – now, his family has infused his collection with their own interests to create a world-class experience. There are over 300+ vehicles, memorabilia, toy cars, antiques, and more.  

We were a little gun shy after our disappointing visit to the National Transport and Toy Museum in Wanaka.  But, we were so happy we came to the Bill Richardson Transport World.

This museum is gorgeous, clean, orderly, and filled with surprises in every room.  I did not go crazy taking photos of all the cars because, well frankly that would be boring to blog about. But here are a few of my favorites.

A few old, and very small BMWs

And even a few fashion designs made of the most unusual recycled items (including tires, stamps, balloons, gloves, stickers, and more).

Classic Motorcycle Mecca

Our next stop is the Classic Motorcycle Mecca which takes up an entire city block!  From motorcycles (classics, antiques, racing), to bicycles, bikes and side cars, a few race cars and more.

I am not a huge motorcycle fan, but I sure can appreciate a beautiful bike!  I am particularly fond of Harley’s, Indians, and Nimbus.

And they had the actual bike from the movie “The World’s Fastest Indian.

Wouldn’t be a good day if we did not have a few photo ops.

We enjoyed another tasty burger at Burger Fuel and walked around the fairly large town.

  • Kilometers traveled: 195km
  • Hotel: Langlands
  • Kilometers Walked: 4.2km (gesh)

Events from this day occurred in early March.  Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind live events.  In our last blog, we visit Milford Sound by bus, boat and plane.