First thing this morning we headed for Bluff. It has the most southerly fingerpost in NZ.
We then took the heritage coast road along the rugged coastline of Catlin. Many an inlet to go see and we drove down each one. Waipapa Point was one of the first. Said to have fur seals and a wreck we saw neither. What we did see was the lighthouse.
Now, the wind today has been a bit of a bugger. Driving the van was not easy, the wind was determined to push Ian off the road. So at the lighthouse, that wind....well to try and stand upright was an impossibility.
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| Can you tell which way the wind usually blows? |
Most of the roads leading to the various points were gravel and driving to Slope Point had its hazards. Potholes catching one unawares and stones being thrown up as cars sped past. Slope Point is the most southerly part of NZ but parking was difficult and a good walk was needed to get there. So instead we took a photo of the coastline.
The next point, Curio Bay, was the most interesting. Only accessible at low tide, we arrived at the right time. Here a 180 million years petrified forest had been buried beneath the waves. A good hour was spent looking for fossils and the very rare Hoiho (yellow-eyed) penguin. This time of year they come ashore on this beach for the annual moult. Not today though as again we failed in the sighting of one.
A must see was Niagara Falls. Intriguing to say the least. Someone's idea of a joke as they are classed as the smallest falls in NZ. But one of the tallest at 22m was McLean's falls. A 45-minute walk round trip but well worth the effort.
With it getting late we luckily came across a DOC (department of conservation) camping ground. For a small fee, a camp kitchen and proper flushing loos are available. Lovely spot and it certainly was popular with the weekend families. Kids playing tag around the van. Enough to make one dizzy!
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