The Otago Peninsula extends into the Pacific Ocean east of Dunedin, the vibrant southern city dubbed the Edinburgh of New Zealand, where we once stranded following the second breakdown of Smaug. We decided to plan a stopover there on the way down to the Catlins. Through one of our ever-helpful guidebooks and also through word-of-mouth of a backpacker we met in Oamaru, we found a place called Billy Brown's that sounded like one of those great hidden treasures that we've been so pleasantly surprised by in the past. We gave Billy a ring, and he let us know that he was just coming back from vacation, so the place had been closed for a bit, but he'd be happy to host us for the evening. He gave us directions on how to punch it up the tricky steep gravel driveway, and told to us let ourselves in and make ourselves at home.
We made it up the driveway with no incident, although later, when we met Billy, he recounted the tale of a Japanese backpacker whose car battery bounced out of place as she was trying to floor it up the drive. Minutes later, she watched helplessly as the last of her tires melted while her vehicle went up in flames. So when we say we made it up the hill with no incident, we did so with no knowledge of what could have been.
As if we haven't so many times before, we won't bore everyone with details of yet another cool place we found to sleep. We'll just say that if you ever find yourself in the south of New Zealand, pay Billy a visit. He's a great guy who will talk to you for hours, build you a fire and let you pick through his record collection. We had a beautiful house overlooking the ocean to ourselves, and once again we had found yet another place where we wished we could have spent an entire week.
The next morning, after a few more lengthy conversations with Billy about rock concerts and American automobiles, we began our short journey to Owaka, a tiny town that sits on the north-east corner of the Catlins. After a short stop-off for supplies in Balclutha, we left civilization behind for a few days as we headed for our first stop, Purakaunui Bay. After several miles of driving and wondering where we were, if we were driving in the right direction and at what point the car would break down, the windy dirt road opened up to an indescribably beautiful beach resting in a bay formed by steep cliffs rising out of the ocean. The campground was perfectly situated a few hundred feet from the surf, just far enough away to keep everything from being covered with sand. As peaceful and lovely as it was, the campground was a little bit crowded, so we decided to see where the road continued to and if we couldn't find a spot where we could have more than a few feet between us and the next tent. Our exploratory spirit was rewarded with one of the most spectacular campsites we're likely to discover.
The next morning we saw the entirety of the sunrise from its beginning as a tiny speck of light on the horizon until its full mass was hovering just above the South Pacific Ocean. It was the perfect start to a day full of hiking and sight seeing.
First we set out on a moderate walk to see the Cathedral Caves, a large U-shaped cavern formed in the ocean cliffsides of Waipati Beach that can only be accessed at low tide. After that, we went on a short walk to the famous Purakaunui Falls, which was more of a trickle after a few months of drought in New Zealand. Finally, after driving past it a few times, we had to see what the Lost Gypsy Gallery was all about. Located in the barely-noticeable village of Papatowai, this funky bus-turned-gallery is an incredible collection of machines and automatons created by New Zealand artist Blair, who sits in the corner and works on his latest creation while you explore his innovative collection of works. Extraordinary talent hides in unexpected places.
And this sums up our roundabout tour of the south South Island. Before the Catlins, we had been exploring a revolutionary new labor concept where you move in with strangers that you meet on the internet and work for them for free. We managed to line up one such lucrative gig while we were staying at Billy's, and finalized plans to do some housesitting/gardening/landscaping in Sawyer's Bay, just outside of Dunedin, for a few days after our Catlins exploration. We were planning on lining up a few weeks of this type of work (known as WWOOF-ing, and it really is an excellent way to travel), but we had also been in contact with a work opportunity way up on the middle of the north island, and during our weekend of housesitting, we accepted new jobs in Rotorua. We had about 10 days to get there, so it was a bit of a rush, but we had a little time to check out a few more sites on the way.
On the South Island, with all of our ponging around, a few segments remained to be explored, so before we crossed back over to the north, we mapped out our route to do a little bit more bouncing around to Mt Cook Village, Hanmer Springs and Kaikoura. Of course, we could spend months exploring and enjoying the many corners and hidden treasures of the South Island that we hadn't yet uncovered, but this whirlwind tour afforded us the opportunity to check a few more highlights off of our must-do list.
Our final week on the South Island (for now) flew by, and before we knew it, April 5th had arrived, our four month anniversary in New Zealand, and we were driving back onto the ferry to Wellington. We were sad to be leaving the South behind, but calm seas and a beautiful sunset over the Marlborough Sounds eased our bittersweet recollections and sparked our optimism at the promise of new places and people to encounter.
Obviously, April 5th was a while ago at this point, but writing a blog is pretty hard work, okay? Yes, plenty has happened since then that needs to be recounted, but as the Ents say, there's no need to be hasty!
Very beautiful. Sounds like the adventure continues. We miss you and love, be safe.
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