Roadtrip to the deep South

After two weeks in Christchurch and thanks to a couple good connections, we got ourselves a big ol’ van! A 1997 white Ford Econovan that runs on pure Diesel. We packed up our gear, threw a mattress in the back and we were on our way. The plan was to head south along the coast with several stops along the way. Our first stop was Oamaru, but we didn’t stay long because everything was closed due to how late we arrived. Just enough time to see a penguin or two! We spent the night in Moeraki at a little camp ground run by a cranky Swiss lady in a bathrobe. She yelled at me because we arrived after she was already in bed, but we still managed to secure a sweet spot for the night. In the morning, we made a stop at the Moeraki boulders and then had a fresh caught seafood brunch at Fleur’s right on the coast. Then it was back on the road towards Dunedin. Dunedin is a beautiful city, but our favorite was the Speight’s brewery tour with unlimited samples at the end! The next day we made our way down to the Catlins and stayed at a holiday park in Pounawea and decided our next move. It’s hard to believe that it doesn’t get dark until aroun 11pm this close to the Antarctic. In the morning, we headed down the Catlins coast with a big day planned. Our stops included Nugget Point, Jacks Bay Blowhole, Purakauhui Falls and Curio Bay. The petrified forest in Curio Bay was by far the best for wildlife. We saw yellow-eyed penguins and a sea lion up close and got some good pics and video. The weather is crazy right now, as we are sitting in the van getting pelted by hail and strong winds. A massive “friendly” sea lion came right up to the office at the campsite, but while trying to take a picture Alison was charged at and managed to escape with her life. Invercargill was our next stop way at the bottom of the south island. It’s one of the bigger towns along our route, but it was rather quiet when we arrived. We had a very nice kiwi-style meal at the Speight’s Ale House and had the rare opportunity to watch some good old fashioned AMERICAN football on TV (I believe Green Bay was playing the Steelers in Pittsburgh). Before leaving town, we treated ourselves to some delicious Blue Cod fish & chips and continued on our way. The key is, dip everything in lots of mayo…. I’m sure you can tell that Kent wrote this post since the main highlights are beer and food….