Sunday. Today is Sunday, and we have been here in New Zealand for about a week and have already done and seen soooo much, and the time is already flying and we're already adding things to the list for the next time because we know there will be a next time, and crikey it's just.....so......beautiful.
Yesterday - still a day behind, but hopefully I can catch up tonight - we woke up late, we needed to just let ourselves be on vacation and sleep. The fresh air and hiking and excitement and great food was catching up to us. And Kaka Point is definitely the place to do that. As soon as I got up, I opened the blinds and a couple of windows to let in the sea air and the sound of the waves. So this is what it's like to live by the ocean? Yes, this is where I belong. By the water. I want to spend time with the waves - plant my feet in them, turn my camera toward them, feel their castoff droplets on my face, and smell the freshness of each and every one. I want to breathe in the oxygen they generate. Hear the thunder and roar they make when they crash onto the rocks at the base of a cliff.
But the morning is calm, and the sun is up and out and warm early. Earlier than we are anyway. The plan for the day is to backtrack to Invercargill, and start making our way back through the Catlins at as many stopping points of interest that we can, and when we get to a point where we need to get back, we'll start there the next day. We have a list, although for Invercargill, we feel like just kind of driving around and getting lost, exploring to see what the city looks like.
First stop is the Catlins Cafe in Owaka for a coffee and muffin. The muffins are huge, and light and fluffy and so delicious! I decide on a Blueberry Orange White Chocolate and a flat white (of course). Then the baker comes out and stands behind me with a large basket of fresh-from-the-oven scones - cheese and onion with chives. The smell makes me crazy, so of course I have to get one of them to save for lunch later. They pop a little packet of butter and a wooden knife in the bag with the scone. (Great sales technique). Of course we'll be back tomorrow! Off to Invercargill - taking the "fast" route - which is probably shorter also, but not very scenic.
We wind up first at Queens Park, only because we had seen a recommendation for it, Linda loves gardens, and it was right there. Just turn left, right off Hwy 1. Ok. In we go. A sign points us toward the animal exhibit, just past the enormous children's playground. There are lots of interesting animals, lazing about in the sun. A rooster crows, bunnies hop about, and kids seem to be having a grand old time. The sun is hot, however, so we stop at The Cheeky Llama cafe for a cold drink, and then wander about for a bit enjoying the shade of large trees, seeing many of the flowers and shrubs of the gardens, and then decide to move on. The park is massive, and has something for everyone, but we have many other stops to make.
We had a brochure that had been given to us somewhere along the route, (oh ya, in Clinton, at the cafe and bottle store from the night before on the way to Kaka Point), that pointed out all the best things to see and do along the Southern Scenic Route. Just south of Invercargill is a town called Bluff, which gives it's name to a certain oyster, and is most famous within New Zealand for being the oldest continuously European-populated town on the Island. It's a lovely drive, and there is a lookout (of course) at the end of the road that juts out into the Southern Ocean. Which I had to look up in Google Maps. The view is quite incredible - aren't they all here? The best part is that the lookout platform is round, and you can see 360, and the platform wall has a brass inlay with the names of everything you see engraved in it, along with the shapes of islands and mountains in the distance so you can tell what you are seeing.
Although it's very hazy today, we can see Stewart Island, a place we had considered going to, but simply couldn't fit it in. And now, I think it's on the list for next time.
We pass a sign for Fresh Bluff Oysters, and I almost stop for one, but keep thinking about all the other places we want to see, and how our late start has meant we probably won't get to very many of them. Later, I discover that it was only the second day of oyster season, and they were about as fresh as they could ever be. Oh well.
We punch the next stop into the GPS/Google maps - Slope Point. Right from word go, we had wanted to get to the most southerly point of the South Island. Slope Point is that. It's a bit of a drive off the scenic route highway, and by the time we arrive, it's already getting late - only a couple of hours left of daylight and the sky has clouded over. There is only one car in the parking lot. Another pulls in after us, and a lone male gets out. Hmmm.... but he seems all right, and it doesn't look like he's going to follow us down the path anyway, so we jokingly tell him that if we're not back in half an hour, to call for help. There are certainly enough warning signs to give us cause for some concern. Not enough to stop us from this mission.
A number of sheep watch us go by, unfazed by our intrusion on their property. The folks that were there before us are returning from the edge of the precipice, seemingly unscathed, so we continue on. It's about a 20 minute walk from the car park to the point, we should have enough light. Suddenly the gentleman that had pulled in behind us appears on the path and overtakes us. He certainly has more energy than we do! We stop and chat for a moment, he offers to take our photo by the sign indicating we are at the southernmost point of the South Island, and we take his photo. We get to chatting more, and it turns out we had nothing to fear - he's a Catholic priest! (In disguise apparently, no collar, but a hoodie and shorts). He's on holiday from Christchurch, and a delightful and interesting person. We all head back to the car park, and carry on.
By now, we're pretty hungry. We haven't really eaten much except our morning muffin, and the scones we had saved, and it's still at least an hour back to Owaka where we're not sure if anything will still be open. But the drive - although slow due to winding roads - and stopping for more lookouts - Florence Hill especially - through the Catlins along the Southern Scenic route is just awe-inspiring. We can't wait till we can do the drive again tomorrow with better light (hopefully!).
As we drive into Papatowai, a place that had been recommended by the Bottle Store lady, we find a cafe that's open! It's a campground as well, Peake's Place, and is a welcome sight! We go in, and explain that we need something - anything - to eat, and they share that the food truck is closed, but they'd be happy to heat up a sandwich for us. Ok! We find some drinks as well, and ogle the other items they have in the gift store/grocery, pick out a couple of snacks for later, and they heat up a ham and cheese on a croissant for Linda and a chicken/cranberry/brie on a ciabatta for me. Then we spy what looks like pavlova - oh dear. It's actually a meringue, they explain, but they are the size of my sandwich! And apparently flavoured with tropical fruit. $6 each - although we got an extra because it was the end of the day, and one was broken. Still tastes good! Oh my, oh so good. The sandwiches are divine, and we are serenaded by a New Zealand Fantail as we sit at the picnic table at the side and gobble our sandwiches.
The meringues are wonderful - crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and they taste like banana kind of - like those marshmallow banana candies. SOOOO YUMMY! We vow to be back tomorrow for lunch - or supper - depending on what time we manage to get back. They assure us the stop will be worth it, that they are known in the area for their food. By the looks of the menu they're probably right.
Back to Kaka Point we go, sighing all the way at the amazing day we just had. Once again.
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