July 19, 2008
The campervan is beyond filthy at the end of its trek from Dunedin to Invercargill. We took the Southern Scenic route through the Catlins. This region is supposedly extremely scenic and picturesque. Personally we found that it looks for the most part like the rest of New Zealand, rolling green hills covered in varying quantities of sheep or cows. There was more native forest here than we’ve seen in most other places and there are more forest reserves too.
The first place we went, in an attempt to see elephant seals and sea lions, was called Nugget Point. This is reached by driving 15km down a rutted gravel road with blind curves and steep grades. The road travels through ever more sheep pastures until emerging along the coast. (Though even here there is the ocean on your left and sheep on the right.) At this point the road becomes a single lane for added excitement. The ocean was breaking violently on some very interesting looking rocks. They were layers of some sedimentary rock that have been tilted and so the layers are at about a 45 degree angle. The wind was roaring along making it difficult to stand in one place. It was also somewhat chilly. We rumbled out to the end of the point and found no seals of any kind.
Our trip out to Nugget Point was not wasted though. Along the way we discovered that sheep are afraid of the sound of the camper’s horn. As we trundled by we would honk and then giggle about the mini stampede we created. (Kimberly wants it noted that though she laughed, she strong disapproves of tormenting simple farm animals.) We only indulged in this activity a few times so as not to cripple the wool industry by traumatizing the nation’s sheep.
Our second stop was more rewarding. We stopped at Purakaunui Falls Scenic Reserve. The track passed through a native forest to a delightful waterfall. The forest reminded me of the Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park. The trees, rocks, and even the signage was draped in a hundred varieties of moss. Birds twittered unfamiliar songs in the canopy. This is the kind of forest that most of the two islands were covered with when Captain Cook arrived, the forest that the giant moa lived in before being hunted to extinction by the Maori.
From there we headed for the Cathedral Caves which we discovered are closed for the winter. Moving right along we drove out the Curio Bay. At this place we reached the southernmost point of our journey. Here there is a forest of petrified logs which can only be seen at low tide. The wind was even more ferocious here and the cold even more unbearable. Most of the fossilized trees are laying on their sides half exposed. In a few places there are stumps in which it is possible to identify the bark and some of the rings.
We’ve ended up at a holiday park in Invercargill. Tomorrow we are off to Te Anau to see a glow worm cave and prepare for our drive out to Milford Sound.
The campervan is beyond filthy at the end of its trek from Dunedin to Invercargill. We took the Southern Scenic route through the Catlins. This region is supposedly extremely scenic and picturesque. Personally we found that it looks for the most part like the rest of New Zealand, rolling green hills covered in varying quantities of sheep or cows. There was more native forest here than we’ve seen in most other places and there are more forest reserves too.
The first place we went, in an attempt to see elephant seals and sea lions, was called Nugget Point. This is reached by driving 15km down a rutted gravel road with blind curves and steep grades. The road travels through ever more sheep pastures until emerging along the coast. (Though even here there is the ocean on your left and sheep on the right.) At this point the road becomes a single lane for added excitement. The ocean was breaking violently on some very interesting looking rocks. They were layers of some sedimentary rock that have been tilted and so the layers are at about a 45 degree angle. The wind was roaring along making it difficult to stand in one place. It was also somewhat chilly. We rumbled out to the end of the point and found no seals of any kind.
Our trip out to Nugget Point was not wasted though. Along the way we discovered that sheep are afraid of the sound of the camper’s horn. As we trundled by we would honk and then giggle about the mini stampede we created. (Kimberly wants it noted that though she laughed, she strong disapproves of tormenting simple farm animals.) We only indulged in this activity a few times so as not to cripple the wool industry by traumatizing the nation’s sheep.
Our second stop was more rewarding. We stopped at Purakaunui Falls Scenic Reserve. The track passed through a native forest to a delightful waterfall. The forest reminded me of the Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park. The trees, rocks, and even the signage was draped in a hundred varieties of moss. Birds twittered unfamiliar songs in the canopy. This is the kind of forest that most of the two islands were covered with when Captain Cook arrived, the forest that the giant moa lived in before being hunted to extinction by the Maori.
From there we headed for the Cathedral Caves which we discovered are closed for the winter. Moving right along we drove out the Curio Bay. At this place we reached the southernmost point of our journey. Here there is a forest of petrified logs which can only be seen at low tide. The wind was even more ferocious here and the cold even more unbearable. Most of the fossilized trees are laying on their sides half exposed. In a few places there are stumps in which it is possible to identify the bark and some of the rings.
We’ve ended up at a holiday park in Invercargill. Tomorrow we are off to Te Anau to see a glow worm cave and prepare for our drive out to Milford Sound.
July 20, 2008
Today’s EARLY morning drive was brightened by the spectacular vistas. Almost as soon as we turned off onto SH 94 did the verdant, rolling sheep/cattle/deer/ostrich farms give place to majestic snowy peaks. We oooohed and aahhed at a magnificent range on the right, then one on the left, then one right in front of us! We couldn’t wait to get to Te Anau and photodocument these beauties against the aquamarine iridescence of the lake!
Sadly, by the time we reached Te Anau, a huge fog bank – it didn’t roll in or settle; it just appeared – blanketed the …everything. So much for mountains, we couldn’t even see the lake and the town is built right on the shore. Que sera! We booked a tour to cross the lake and visit the glowworm caves.
After a monstrously huge, but delicious, second breakfast (they apparently assume everyone here is fueling up to trek the Milford Trail), we set out to explore the town. It is mostly closed for the winter. Everything that is open is manned by the standard issue, perfect Kiwi staff. Where do they find all these friendly (without ever being pushy or over-familiar) competent people? They must be the product of the NZ schools – year-round, uniformly attractive and gender separated at high school.
The boat trip across the lake was very informative. We saw Manuka trees (love the honey!)and learned that the islands that dot the lake (NZ’s second largest at 350 square kilometers, but deeper than Lake Taupo at about 200 meters deep and the largest containment of fresh water in all of Austalasia)are the handiwork of glaciers. The softer material and sediment having been scoured away and these outcrops of harder bedrock scraped into the current domed shapes. These islands are covered in old growth, native forests and are used by the DOC as part of their programs promoting the conservation of endangered native species.The corner of Fiordland National Park that hosts the glowworm cave is covered with these evergreen native trees and plants in the hyper-profusion and absurd lushness that seems to be the hallmark of pre-Cook NZ. We entered the cave and immediately were plunged into darkness. The cave ceiling at the entry point is just over a meter high, even Zada had to duck. Bent double we proceeded into a wildly twisted limestone tunnel, almost deafened by the roaring river rushing under our feet and actively excavating the cave around us. The water had created a phantasmagoric labyrinth of bizarrely sculpted sedimentary rock. The base layer of sandstone is eroding at a much slower rate and in a completely different pattern than the limestone upper storey. Holes are being bored into the sandstone, in some places making it look like Swiss cheese while the limestone looks like baklava or perhaps a napoleon – layers of slightly harder material jutting out over more deeply eroded softer rock.
The river was beautiful – raging torrents of the most crystal clear water – here a large pool, there rapids and at one point a spectacular waterfall. We boarded boats and were cautioned against making any noise. Glow worms don’t like light or noise, so there are no pictures of this amazing adventure. Sorry folks, but come to NZ and see for yourself. I cannot imagine anyone on earth who wouldn’t love this place.
We caromed off the rocks, banging our way down a channel (it isn’t easy to steer a boat in a completely blacked-out environment) into a grotto. We had spotted a glow worm or two on the way in, but this was clearly fungus gnat heaven. Glow worms are the larval stage of the fungus gnat and a thoroughly unattractive specimen when seen by light of day. Their behaviors also lack charm, but when drifting silently through a pitch black cave lit only by their twinkling bioluminescence, they are magical. We strained neck muscles and dislodged vertebrae trying to see everything and everywhere at once. It was completely wonderful.
Out of the cave and in the visitor center we were regaled with hot drinks and fun facts about the glow worms and this cave. The town’s name is based on the Maori Te Ana-Au, which means “cave of the swirling waters” or something close to that. No one though anything much about that apparently, until the 1940’s when Lawson Burrows spent three years looking for the legendary spring and found that there was in fact a cave with waters that could be described as swirling. He squeezed through the cave opening and stumbled upon the grotto.
The larval stage of the fungus gnat is its longest phase – it is a glow worm for about 9 months. By comparison, it is only an adult for a few days; the adult stage doesn’t even have a mouth. The glow worm hunts by secreting long stings studded with droplets of a paralyzing toxin. It arranges as many as 70 of these “fishing lines” around its hammock (tube of viscous, clear material that a glowworm uses to attach itself to rock walls). It has complete range of motion in its hammock. The larvae are cannibalistic and somewhat antisocial (near neighbors may be eaten). They only glow when hunting; a sated glow worm goes dark, until it is hungry again.
On the boat trip the clouds parted and the glorious mountains came back into view. We were delighted to see how extremely gorgeous Te Anau really is. The lake water is pristine; you can see every detail on the bottom for a couple of meters or more. This spectacular body of water is outlined in rich green native forest, which itself is set against a backdrop of rugged snowcapped peaks.
To cap the splendours of this place, the campground we are at one of the very nicest holiday parks we have seen yet. The restrooms are heated! This offsets the almost pathological Kiwi fresh air fetish (I say when it is 4 degrees Celsius or less, the doors and windows should be closed! Everywhere we go, be it never so arctic/Antarctic or rainy, every door and window stands wide open! Some are even bolted or fixed so that cannot ever be shut!). It is winter, but the Kiwis know it not.
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