Hey everyone,
I left all of you in Te Anau, where after spending two hours writing and then rewriting about my incredible trip to Milford, I set out south again. I drove all the way to the coast, touring down and finally finding a place to stop at about 8pm. I was really excited about getting down to the Catlins as I had heard alot about how incredible the scenery was and how amazing all the wildlife could be. I also had visions of sleeping on the beach, listening to the surf crash in as I lay comfy in bed in the great Waka Tui.
I decided to stay the night in a place called Colac Bay, just before the town of Riverton. It is a nice open bay about 8-10 km long, with a few houses spread along through the hills, but mostly (as most of this part of NZ is...) sheep padocks. I took a back road that winded its way down to the beach and soon found a place that looked absolutly great. The beach is all little stones that are smalled then pebbles but not quite sand, there was also a bunch of tracks from trucks all along the beach. After a quick walk out onto the sand to check it out, I decided that in my expert opinion the sand was nice and stable, and I could drive out onto the first dune so to have the optimum location to camp beside the sea. I jumped back into the van, drove down the path onto the beach, and made it about 10 feet out of the planned 20 before I realised that I could very well be fooling myself. I opened the door, looked back and realized that my expert opinion had landed me with both rear wheels dug straight down to the axles into the beach. Now, you can picture me: after a day of adventuring into the fiords, losing a great long winded account of said adventures and then driving all the way down to the south coast... I was a little tired at this point and not in the sort of "digging your van out of the sand" type mood.
By this time it was about 9 pm, the sun was setting and I realized that the storm that brought all the high winds and waves in Milford was definitly headed my way. As the wind and waves grew stronger and larger I wondered if maybe my van was indeed not in the most ideal spot to be stuck at this point in time. The more I pondered this the more I decided that it might be a good time to start trying to unstick the van from its present location by the sea. I got my trusty avi shovel (I knew there was a reason I brought that down to NZ) and started digging... I dug two deep holes, and then got a bunch of logs and built a ramp so that I would have purchase as I drove backwards out onto firm land. I jumped back in, started it up and..... no, my wonderful rear wheel drive van stuck it self mercilessly deeper into the sand. I tried again,.... and again, but still to no avail. I finally resigned to the fact that I alone was not going to remove the van from its present location.
Now imagine this, its about 10pm by this time... dark, oh, and there is a wonderful storm blowing in from the tasmanian sea to the west. I decided that it was time to swallow my pride and ask for help. I looked around and decided the nearest light on top of the hill was my best bet and I started walking.
It took me another 20 minutes to walk all the way up the road to the nearest farmhouse, and upon getting there, I was presented by a "beware, dogs running free on property" sign. I called a few times and finally decided to try my luck. I walked up to the farmhouse, and rang the doorbell. It was answered by a small older lady who looked, well, curious at the site of a sopping wet young man at her doorstep, in the middle of the country, in the middle of the storm. I immediatly appoligised for bothering her so late and told her of my problem. She then smiled, and invited me in. First thing she did was make a big pot of tea for me and then called the neighbours to see if they could help as her husband was out of town and their truck was broken. Finally she found someone who could help and after thanking her very much I walked back down to my van.
Sure enough about 15 minutes later I saw a light coming down the road. Around the corner rumbled a tractor and perched ontop was definitly my stereotypical view of the classic kiwi farmer. Complete with flannel jacket and cap, he rolled up and jumped down off the tractor. I again appoligised for being so stupid, he just replied "no worries mate, happens all the time". Quickly attached a rope to the back of the van, and after putting it reverse, popped it neatly out of the sand and back onto solid ground. I thanked him and asked him if I could atleast buy him a beer tomorow, he declined, jumped back up onto the tractor and bumped off into the night.
I then decided that I would not move the van, crawl into bed and call it a night before I became any more wet. The night turned into quite the storm and the van rocked in the wind all night. Even the next morning, the wind was still blowing quite hard with the occasional spattering of rain.
I got out of bed, got behind the wheel and hoped the day would bring a little better weather. I drove down through Riverton and Invercargil, skipping the latter as it is notorious around NZ for being home of the "bogen". It took me awhile to figure out what a bogen was, everyone just told me they were white trash.... basicly a bogen is the Kiwi equivalant to a redneck. The drive around in oldy cars or big pickups (atleast big in kiwi standards), rock obscene mullets etc.
As soon as you get past Invercargil, you enter what is officially known as the Catlins. Basicly it is the far souther tip of the South Island, and is full of rolling sheep fields, amazing coastal rainforests and incredible coastlines. I spent the day cruising up and down dirt sideroads checking out absolutly everything I could find. There were lighthouses, beaches and tonnes and tonnes of wildlife. I saw Sea lions seemingly everywhere, and more birds then I could find names for. I went to Slope point: the southern most piece of the south island. I also went to Colac bay, which is said to be one of the best preserved petrified forests in the world. upon first glance it doesnt seem like much, but the more time spent picking through the rocks and tidepools on the beach, the more I started picking out. There were literally remnants of logs, and even stumps with rings still intact. Once I found out how to look for them there were fossils absolutly everywhere apperently dating back to the jurassic period.
After checking out beaches all day, I decided to check out Parakanui Falls. I almost didnt check them out because after the waterfall overload of the last few days, I figured it wouldnt be that interesting. I am happy I did take the time though, unlike the raging cascades of Milford, Parakanui was calm and tranquil and even the incredible green walk down through the rainforest was fasinating. As I got back to the car, I realized it would be soon time to be looking for a campsite, turns out Parakanui Bay was just up the road and I decided to give it a go. After another jaunt up another crazy dirt backroad, I pulled into what is probably one of the most amazing bays I have ever seen. Bordered on one side by huge fiordlike bluffs, and on all others by either amazing coastal rainforest or pounding surf. An awsome golden sandy beach with tonnes of different rocks to be explored, and even a nice flat spot of grass, close (but not too close) to the beach to park my van. Best thing of all was I had the whole place to myself, not another soul around.... this in mind, I unpacked and became pretty happy at my own piece of paradise.
This was not to be however.
I might have skipped Invercargil, but I had not escaped from the notorious BOGENS.
They arrived one or two cars at a time, but slowly an armada of bogens took up camp on the other side of the beach from me. They brought all the things that make rednecks happy: beer, music, gas and dirtbikes, plus some surfboards. At first it was ok, they just ran out an surfed but the second they brought out the dirtbikes I started packing my stuff. I almost left apart from the fact that it was going to be a bit of a haul to find a new campsite and it was already time to make dinner. The night was thankfully saved by three cars not filled with drunken Bogens. The first two where three students down from Dunedin, and the last with two girls from Ohio who had obviously never been camping in their lives before. We all ended up sitting around the fire, talking and listening to our neighbours across the beach go about their drunken antics. At obut ne point it looked as if they lit a car on fire but I think someone must have just thrown some diesel on the fire or something. The girls were a little nervous to be camped close to them, but we all decided that they were harmless. They even calmed down by about 11 and I didnt wake up at all through the night. In the morning, with all the neighbours safely hungover in bed, I did some beachcombing before saying goodbye to everyone and getting back to the road.
Today was pretty mellow, I checked out Nugget point, which is a lighthouse on the Dunedin Side of the Catlins, but it was packed with tourists (unlike the solitude of the rest of the catlins). I took a quick look around and then kept driving. I got into Dunedin at about 2 and met up with my friend Tom. I skied with Tom a bunch through the season and I decided to take him up on his offer to crash at his place in Dunedin for a bit. Turns out he lives in the classic student digs: a gigantic old house, with 6 other guys and the place always has a cool vibe. Its must be an old mansion because its absolutly huge but he says they dont pay too much rent so its all good.
I think I am going to stay tomorow night as well before making my way northward. I am still undecided weather to stay in Christchurch and try to send all my ski stuff home, or to skip that and carry through Arthurs pass and up to Nelson and Abel Tasmen. After 4 days alone, camping in my van, staying in a rowdy house has been a real eye opener and I dont know if I want to carry on back into the city.
Anyway, Thats it for adventures for now, I am going to upload some pictures of Milford Sound as well as the Catlins. I hope everyones enjoying my new updates... send emails, they are always muchly appreciated.
cheers,
-Jesse
