I seem to be getting further and further behind with this I can almost remember what it's like to be stressed, so might need to start being a little more concise and stop waffling so much!

Friday, 21st April 2006 - so following the excitement of the Sounds (did I mention that they are actually fjords (probably not, as I can't remember the scientific reasonings - something to do with U and V shaped valleys!)) and Te Anau, it was off to Invercargill, which has very little to recommend it, apart from the fantastic drive to get there, although most of this is along unsealed (ie. gravel) roads. Today's trip included stops at Clifden Suspension Bridge (not nearly as impressive as the one in Bristol), Bluecliffs Beach (and they did look a bit blue in the haze), Gemstone Beach (which you guessed it is made up of tiny gemstones - amazing), Monkey Island (accessible during low tide, but didn't chance it on the basis I'd turn round and find it was an island again and not sure I'm up to a Moses impression!), Cosy Nook, Wakapatu Beach and Colac Bay Beach - all beautiful and pretty much deserted. I met a very nice woman at the YHA who works for the British High Commission in Wellington and said to look her up if I ended up in Wellington (only catch is I can't remember her name: note to self - really must start to make better notes of where I am and who I meet). After dinner I had a wander round town, which was pretty dead except for the teenage population 'hooning' around town, ie. accelerating very noisily away from junction and occasionally stalling their suped up motors (apparently the prevalence of hooning is due to car insurance being so cheap over here).

Saturday, 22nd April 2006 - after a wander round the town in daylight (when it was far more socially acceptable) I headed for the Southland Museum and Art Gallery for a bit of culture .... well actually to see their tuataras, but a bit of an anticlimax, as these prehistoric reptiles haven't moved for at least the last 200 years (I think that may be the secret to longevity)! It was then a short drive down to Bluff (home of the world famous Bluff oysters, although I thought it wise not to sample any) to catch sight of Stewart Island. I also noted, thanks to the handy AA signage that I was 18,958km from London (although only 6km from Dog Island), which is a very long way from home and all my mates (bout of homesickness threatening). I had planned to do a bit of kiwi spotting on Stewart Island, but at this time of year there is no guarantee that the trip will run (the wind may be blowing in the wrong direction) and you have to book accommodation on the island over night, so thought I'd add that to my list of things to do next time I'm travelling round.

So staving off the tears, I headed for Dunedin, which includes a very scenic drive through the Catlins, highlights including:
Waipapa Point - where I got a bit too up close and personal to two seals frolicking on the beach, before realising that they could probably run faster than me on the sand, so I had better beat a hasty retreat!Slope Point - the southernmost point on the South Island, which included a 40 minute walk, but well worth it for the views and anyway it's good not to have EVERYTHING served up to you on a plate and have to work a little bit for some of this scenery.Curio Bay - petrified forest, which you can walk on (seems a bit lacking in preservation), although visitors are asked not to remove any of the forest!Porpoise Bay - where amazingly you can swim with these tiny 4 foot Hector Dolphins for free, as they come in very close to the shore! Unfortunately, it was a bit late in the day and a bit cold without a wet suit to try this (another item on the to do list for next time). On driving out I saw signs to a penguin colony and got there just in time to see very rare Yellow-Eyed Penguins walking across the petrified forest to their homeAll of these were incredible sights, however after 5 hours driving I was only 76kms away from Invercargill, despite have travelled over 200kms .... thanks again to all those 'unsealed' bone jarring detours! Given this slow progress it was evident I wouldn't make it to Dunedin in time for dinner, but thankfully found a nice little hostel in Owaka, where I had the luxury of a three bed dorm all to myself.