More Catlins

Up about 8:00. I was the first one up in the house. Showered, breakfast, packed and took off. Last night was the most comfortable bed I've slept in. When I climbed in last night, he even has electric blankets under the sheets, and mine was turned on high, so my bed was very toasty warm when I went to bed. I turned it off for the night, though, as there were about 5 blankets and duvets on the bed as well. Rained all night last night.

Drove to Florence Lookout to see views of Tautuku Beach (supposed to be one of the nicest beaches in the Catlins), then stopped at Cathedral Caves, but the gate was closed. Cathedral Caves are only accessible at low tide, and low tide was at 12:04pm today, and they open the gates about two hours before low tide. I got there about 9:45. There was also a sign there indicating that it was closed yesterday, perhaps it will be closed today, because of the huge waves. So, I continued on, less than 1km down the road was McLean Falls. The turnoff takes you through a bunch of sheep fields, with sheep running rampant all over the road. Parked the car, then about a 15 minute walk to the falls. WOW!! Spectacular falls, made even more spectaular because of all the rain, it was GUSHING! AFter that, about 10:45, drove back to Cathedral Caves, the gate still close, and they didn't change they info board, still had yesterday on it. I assumed they aren't open today. So, continued on.

Turned off the main road and took the Catlin Scenic Roadway (or something like that) through Waikawa and drove to Curio Bay to see the 180-million year old petrified forest visible in and on the rocky coast of the bay. The huge waves crashing up on the rocky plane where the remains were was much more spectacular than the dumb forest.

Then on to Slope Point, the southernmost tip of the south island. I just took a picture from the roadway, I couldn't be asked to walk the 20 minute track through the wind and rain to the actual point.

Then on to Waipapa Point, the site of the worst maritime disaster in New Zealands history, in 1881. I think the information board said more than 100 people were killed when I ship went ashore. There were some sea lions on the beach further down, so I walked towards them. I was totally downwind of them, and as I got closer, their noses went up, and they started moving away. There were three of them, and as I got closer, one of them took off into the ocean, so I left them alone.

Continued on to Invercargill, a flat, rectangular city (pop. 53,000), with nothing for tourists except simplicity. It's nice to not have to negotatiate twisty, windy roads and streets going up and down and around hills (Dunedin was really bad for that...you could never tell if something was coming up and over a hill, when you were trying to make a turn). Checked into Tuatara Lodge, right downtown, $20/night. Nice hostel. This hostel did NOT get a thumbs up from Let's Go, I passed over that hostel in favour of a more non-home style hostel for tonight.