The Road Goes Ever On

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Southern Coast, 2

After Curio Bay we turned about and drove back to Invercargill, stopping there to stimulate the local economy (another Kathmandu, Warehouse, E. Hayes, the famous hardware store, Countdown) and then proceeded westward along the coast, stopping at Cozy Nook and then spending the rest of the day and night at Monkey Island Beach. Next day, January 30th, we left the coast near Mackinnon's Rest, and headed north into Fiordland.

Hayes' hardware store; could well be the world's largest, as sometimes claimed;
I easily found the obscure bit of iron-mongery I had been looking for all the way
from Christchurch

Hayes is equally well-known as the resting place of Burt Munro's souped-up
1920 Indian, on which he set a world land speed record in the 50s, the subject
of an Anthony Hopkins film of note;Munro was an Invercargillian; Hayes' is
as much a museum of motorcycles and race cars and other curiosities as a
hardware store; Invercargill's other very famous resident is dealt with at:
http://roadeveron.blogspot.co.nz/2009/02/henry-tuatara.html

Could easily pass as scenery from Acadia National Park in Maine; but better

The southern coast is generally a windy place, but this day was relatively calm

Interesting house on the road to Monkey Island

Monkey Island Beach, as far as the eye can see

Monkey Island, at low tide; we walked out and climbed to its little
observation deck

Incredibly clear water

The beach; and cliffs; Monkey Island was so-called because of a monkey-winch
installed there to bring ships up onto the beach

We were not alone

Touring residence of a nice young Kiwi family; as students of this blog know,
such rigs are not uncommon in New Zealand, see http://roadeveron.blogspot.co.nz/
2014/02/kiwi-rvs-at-gypsy-fair.html for further, more lavish examples

Incoming tide, and Monkey Island is again an island; think: Mount St. Michel;
no, don't

Sunset on the beach and cliffs

Sunset on the beach

Our encampment; it's a "freedom" camping spot, and became quite crowded
as the evening progressed

Next morning, looking across the bay toward Fiordland

Pano of Monkey Island Beach (click to enlarge)

On down the road, at Mackinnon's Rest (ah, memories of '45, the Mackinnons
of Skye...rusty nails...)

Looking the other way, more miles of deserted beach; note the wind has picked
up, blowing hard toward the sea...Fiordland in the backgound

One of the more locally-oriented Kiwi signposts (usually they'll tell you the
distance to London, Tokyo, or New York)

Waipohatu Waterfalls Loop Walk

We needed another hike and this 2-3 hour day hike in the bush near Curio Bay seemed right. The vegetation was beautiful and endlessly interesting, but very bush...and humid.

All good DOC walks begin with a bridge

Fern trees in the 15-20 foot range

And other weird trees

Much of the 6k trail was corduroyed, paved with fern tree
logs

Thus

Creek; required for waterfalls

Vine city

The short fat waterfall

The tall thin waterfall

Us, there

Tree vs boulder...trees always win

OK, it was a conglomerate boulder

Gondwana beeches

Walking the home stretch, a large bird--maybe 3 times the size of a pigeon--lighted
overhead and stayed, unperturbed as we walked beneath [turns out it was a pigeon]

Thalatta! It was more of a hike than we bargained for, especially
with the humidity, and we were glad to get back to Rooby and
our Nemo

Southern Coast, 1

We drove on south to old friend Invercargill (and Henry, the Tuatara) but then turned east to spend a couple days re-exploring the southern coast of the South Island. Temps were in the agreeably low 70s and 60s though there was occasional light rain and much humidity. We stopped on the sound at Fortrose, camped there, and then carried on the next day to Slope Point, then the Waipapa lighthouse, and then to Waipohatu, doing the bush loop walk with its two waterfalls (next post). Next day we visited Curio Bay before turning back to Invercargill.