A month ago, I packed up my life in Dunedin and headed out on one last big road trip across New Zealand. Here is week two!
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dates of travel: 9-14 Nov 2016
From Dunedin, I went south. I had already done the Catlins so I contented myself with some time in Invercarill and Riverton. On my first night, however, I camped at Jacks Bay again. I really like this spot, it’s surrounded by holiday homes and close enough to a small town that you don’t feel entirely remote, and it has some of the most stunning scenery. The mottled cliffs that rise to the left of the bay are sheer and – if they were pure white – would remind one of the white cliffs of Dover. They still do, for that matter.
I awoke in the morning to a flat tire – yay! – so I called up AA … before they could get to me, however, a group stopped and helped me change the tire. From there, I went straight to Owaka and had it fixed, then spent some time at a local cafe (writing this and paying attention to the US election). I only had two places in mind for the day: Matai Falls and Purakanui. I was planning on camping at Purakanui that night.
Things went a little bit differently, however, and I found myself exploring not only Matai Falls, but also McLean Falls and Cathedral Caves. I camped at Curio Bay instead of Purakanui, and got pretty up close and personal with some yellow-eyed penguins, or hoiho. It was spectacular to sit on the rocks and watch not only the waves crash over the petrified forest but also to see the penguins shuffle out of the sea and toward the brush. I only saw two, but it was definitely worth every inch of frozen fingers and toes. The next morning, I drove toward Invercargill. I didn’t have a lot in mind for that day either, so I found my way to town and checked into a hostel – there’s not a lot of camping near town – and went to the grocery store. The next day, I explored the Southland Museum and the weird and creepy (but awesome) Demolition World (their website isn’t great; I can’t wait to tell you guys about this place tho!!!) Stay tuned for a post about that because it’ll be coming soon (ish). I also wandered into the Invercargill Brewery; I missed the tour by about five minutes but I ended up chatting with the woman in the shop and tasting a few beers before buying two that are totally out of my usual taste range. Both were delicious, I drank them in Milford Sound.
I hadn’t planned on it, but I actually went all the way to Te Anau that night and finally met up with Janey, of Little Wanderlust Stories. The following day, I hiked to the Luxmore Hut and back, part of the Kepler Track, a Great Walk, and in the process managed to mangle my knee. I’m currently hobbling around and have also pulled a muscle in my right calf, so I look like a right gimp. The hike was phenomenal though, and I’ll be writing about that as well. I feel like I’m going day by day here, but I guess I kind of am. I stayed with Janey that night and in the morning, drove into Milford Sound.
I’ve been here once before, but even knowing what Milford looks like didn’t prepare me for how I felt when I saw it again.
It’s grandeur and immensity are staggering. Describing it with words cannot do it justice. The way that the boats look like tiny ants from the shore against the black backdrop of the sheer mountains, the thundering of the falls, the way that Mitre Peak reflects on a sunny day into the bright blue water below. I don’t think anything in the world can prepare you for Milford Sound. It is powerful, a bold destination that sends my jaw dropping to the ground each time I see it. The drive is incredible as well… and the way that the valley seems to drop out from below you as you exit the Homer Tunnel is pure raw beauty. Even knowing what I know about it, knowing intimately what it looks like, I was floored.
All I wanted was to drive there and back, having already done a cruise in Milford several months ago with my parents. I had thought about camping but the Milford Lodge was booked up and so I drove back to the Divide and camped at Cascade Creek. I made a fire that night, something I have never solo, and kept it going for three hours; I was so proud of myself! In the morning, I awoke to a drizzly day and took my time driving into Te Anau.
As I drove back toward civilisation, I finally got back into cell phone and radio reception and began hearing the news of the earthquake. My phone began to vibrate with incoming messages from friends and family around the world wondering where I was and if I was safe. I went into a tiny coffee shop, immediately called my mother and marked myself as “safe” on Facebook, and then began responding to the many emails and messages from everyone. (Thank you, by the way, for your thoughts and concerns. Please continue to send good vibes to Kaikoura as it is still reeling from aftershocks.)
That afternoon, I headed to Queenstown, where I stayed with my friend/hiking buddy Tom and his adorable black lab before flying up to Auckland for a cheeky pre-wedding getaway and some sibling shenanigans. Stay tuned 🙂