Travelled: 36 kms (Total 1,779 kms)

A lovely calm journey back over Foveaux Strait to Bluff and the Bluff Campground.

The start of the bluff oyster season encouraged us to walk the 2km through town to Fowlers Oysters for the freshest oysters I have had. Battered and deep fried – delicious!

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Bluff has a Ranui of its own…

And luck would have it that the Awarua Communications Museum was open on our way back to Invercargill. What a fascinating meander along the timeline of radio communication starting with a short film in a remake of a victorian picture theatre.

The Awarua Radio Station was part of NZ Post’s team of 6 nationwide stations. It provided a vital services for weather and shipping in the area and down to Antarctic as well as intelligence services during WW1 and WW2.

For me, Greg, this was special, I was fascinated by the magical romance of wireless as a child and can remember sitting around a big valve set with my great-aunts when on holiday at their home and with my grandmother at the farm in the mornings during school holidays – the children’s programme serial was not to be missed.

Later on shortwave radio had me entranced, listening to stations all over the world – utterly exotic.

The BBC World Service’s triumphal chords of what google tells me is Lillibullero (the quickstep from a March by Purcell written in 1686 apparently) and chimes of Big Ben, washing in and out on waves of static as the hour and station name was announced in such British english, is a vivid memory.

I remember distinctly in the early hours of one morning hearing first on the BBC the Erebus disaster begin to unfold.

Also, building a transmitter and operating it from my bedroom, an aerial strung the length of the back garden. A broadcasting career prematurely cut short by the neighbour complaining about inexplicable interference with their TV reception.

So it was a nostalgic visit for me, looking at all that equipment that was a so much an enthusiasm of my childhood.

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We were lucky enough to be offered a room back at Joanna and Russell’s and so started the week of high luxurious living, not a tent in sight!

I worked for a couple of days and we continued to explore Queens Park while we waited for my Mum and Dad to arrive on Thursday.

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We had hired a car for a week to do some touring around for a week. High luxurious living indeed.

We started with a drive out to Bluff to Stirling Point.

And then up Bluff Hill, something we neglected to ride up while in Bluff on our bikes.

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Friday’s adventure was Invercargill’s Transport World. Bill Richardson was an avid truck collector during his lifetime and had amassed a huge range of vintage trucks and automotive memorabilia covering nearly a whole city block. It was very impressive.

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With a display of some household items too.

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And a late afternoon stop at Queens Park aviary.

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Saturday we headed off to the Catlins for a few days.

Our first stop was the Waituna Wetlands and its lagoon. Waituna is an important habitat for local and migratory birds.

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And then a stop at the nearby Toetoes Bay. The sand looked golden but a closer look showed it was made up of lots of tiny well worn pebbles.

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On to Waipapa Lighthouse where the coast was stunning. Large sweeping and rugged coastline, with continuous rolling waves provided a great backdrop to the lighthouse.

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Curio Bay was our next stop where we were hoping to stay the night.

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Not thinking that there would be a need to book ahead, we found ourselves passing a multitude of “No Vacancy” signs, with no online bookings available either. Oops!!

Driving on further we saw a sign for Chasland Farm Cottages and decided to drive the 2km down a metal road to check it out.

And yes, accommodation sorted!! There were three old sawmilling cottages taking us back in time. Perfect – 2 bedrooms with facilities and heaters but no television. Not great for watching America’s Cup racing, but thankfully wifi for the iPad saved the day!

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It had been a long day, so sandwiches for dinner and a game of rummikub to finish.

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On Sunday, we drove back to a lovely cafe at Niagara for a cuppa and a quick look at the mischievously named local Niagara Falls before driving on to the Florence Hill lookout.

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We drove onto Papatowai and stopped at the highly recommended Lost Gypsy Gallery. A fascinating array of automata.

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We looked around the bus and out front but promised to come back to explore the outback gallery when we rode through.

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Again accommodation was scarce but I managed to get a cabin at the New Haven Holiday Park, where Mum insisted on taking the bedroom which had bunk beds and taking the top bunk for herself. Nothing is going to stop my mum!

Greg and I walked down the local Surat Bay to find a few seal lions snuggled into the warm sand for a snooze.

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We nearly stood on the first sea lion we came across thinking it was just a large piece of drift wood lodged in the sand.

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After dinner we walked back to the beach to watch another glorious Southland sunset.

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Monday took us back to the beautiful Purakaunui Falls. Even though it has been very dry, the falls were still stunning.

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Back to Owaka, we stopped Teapotland and then at the Owaka Museum for a wonderful display of local history.

Continuing on the Southern Scenic Highway, we drove through to Nugget Point.

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Greg and I walked the 900m out to the lighthouse.

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In one of the rock formations at Nugget Point, Greg spotted a pool where a nursery was in session. Young pups and mums were swimming and playing around in this gap in the rock. Again, another win for the binoculars!

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Balclutha was the stop for the night alongside the Clutha River.

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Driving inland, we drove through pastural country to Clinton stopping to ride the Clydesdales.

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And then onto Gore and what a delightful town Gore is. A pretty main street with colourful roadside gardens and hanging baskets.

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And the Eastern Southland Gallery was amazing. The works of Marilynn Webb, Theo Schoon, Rita Angus, Johanna Elizabeth Qiao Tong, and Tony Fomison on display were truly stunning.

I particularly enjoyed the works of Theo Schoon, who of Dutch descent, was heavily influenced by Maori art.

Leaving a rainy Gore, we passed the Flemings building. We had just been talking about Creamoata the day before. Dad remembered the slogan to be Sergeant Dan the Creamoata Man.

A stop at the Croydon Aviation Heitage Centre, was a great chance to see our de Havilland history up close.

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The sun was shining on arrival back in Gore and Queens Park was a lovely place to stop for lunch.

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With a look around the winter garden after lunch, completing our Southland tour with my Mum and Dad.

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When I asked them what was the highlight of their week, they both said seeing us was it. Ah, so nice!!

Thanks for coming Mum and Dad and enjoy your well deserved rest back home.

Back to Joanna and Russell’s for us. They must be thinking we will never leave, the rumour is they have adopted us, but our bikes are beckoning…