Leaving Invercargill, our first stop was Waipapa Lighthouse, slightly further south than Bluff and more interesting as it had a lighthouse and also a sealion on the beach. He was a bit sleepy after swimming and fishing, but cast a beady eye our way! Moments later the heavens opened!
Next stop was Curio Bay with petrified trees visible on the beach at low tide, and there is a definite tree shape in my photo, I think! Overlooking the bay was a stand of macrocarpa, defined by the unrelenting weather.
Round the headland we came to Porpoise Bay, often a haunt of the rare Hector’s Dolphin, which we saw but couldn’t photograph. There was a pair and they leapt clean out of the water!
Just a short hop further and we reached Niagara Falls … obviously a joker at play here when you see the photo! There was an excellent cafe though and replete with blue cod and salad and a veggie burger for Chris, we continued.
Florence Hill Lookout and a walk to Purakaunui Falls completed the day …
… apart from a drive to our DOC campsite at Purakaunui Bay, another stunner in the middle of nowhere!
We settled in then went for a walk over the beach and rocks and back via our resident sea lion, another one too sleepy from swimming and fishing to be too interested in us!
Next day we drove to Jack’s Bay to see the blowhole which was quite unremarkable, but on the way we passed a sealion by the road!
He made his way through the grass onto the beach, stopped for photos, then he was off!
The walk was lovely with blue sea and lots of sheep.
We also went to Nugget Point, so called for the rocks in the sea below. We saw seals basking on the rocks below us. Looking out to sea beyond the rocks it was easy to understand the next land was Antartica.
Next stop Dunedin!
Off Travelling Together 