Is this really summer - a cracker of a day!

At the Victoria Railway Hotel we awake to a 7⁰ morning.  With the forecast high of 21⁰ we are hoping for nice weather.
There is no street parking at the hotel so last night we park in the Council multi-store car park next to the hotel.  Only about 6 cars in there overnight. And when we checked out this morning before 9, there were probably less than 20. Seems strange as it is within a block of the start of the CBD.


We head off to take a few shots of the town area - and maybe our Mary would like this piece of public art that is adjacent to the Courthouse.
There are lots of memorial statues and the parks are stunning, but the commercial side of Invercargill is very depressed. 

Quite a bit of street art which we suspect is mirrored by body art given the number of tattoo parlours.  That and jewellery shops - go figure.

We head over to Invercargill's Queens Park which houses the Southland Museum. 
We kick start the morning with a light brunch in the Cafe.  The museumis another amazing collection of historic and contemporary displays including two that we spend quite a bit of time in - the Southlands War - WWI through the memories and memorabilia of local families; and Beyond the Roaring 40's which celebrates those stoic people who explored the subantarctic islands. There are so many amazing artefacts on display including a snow sled that is intact. This display is balanced with another that celebrates the region's maritime history.

I am amazed at the top third of the lighthouse that sits on Dog Island. The precision and beauty is stunning.  Made of brass and prismatic glass that is in parts more than an inch think, and in other areas fine enough that you would think a sneeze would shatter it!

It is these exhibits that really capture our interest and we spend a good few hours exploring and marvelling at the ingenuity and tenacity of the early explorers of this southern land.  

With a quick visit to see 'Henry' the 120+ year old Tuatara. Facing extinction, the Museum's successful breeding program is ensuring the very survival of this rather unique reptile.  They do not mature to reproductive age until they are about 70.  Just think about that - a 120 year old horny male!!!  You can read more of Henry at their website.

It is after midday when we leave and that was reluctantly.  We head over to the Bill Richard's Transport Museum.  This is another goldmine for Michael to explore and as we want to get to Bluff and have lunch, I give him a one-hour deadline.  I'll let him tell you about what he saw:

This museum and the one I saw at Wanaka are as different as chalk and cheese. The Bill Richard's Transport Museum is indeed a sight to behold, apart from being housed under one massive roof the exhibits are in pristine condition and most are in running order.

The first section of the museum is dedicated to Ford automobiles, which is a chronological history starting from Henry Ford's first vehicle through to the Ford racing stable. Every conceivable Ford motor car is on display and gleaming. It can be likened to admiring the exhibits in a dealers floor plan. The floors are of highly polished concrete which virtually mirror the exhibits.

Moving into the next section is an array of heavy vehicles. Trucks of different types are represented, and not only Ford. Single chassis trucks, buses and prime movers including Leyland, Albion, Packard, Le France and a rare 1911 Stewart, just to name a few. I was thrilled to find examples which my late father had driven in the 60's and 70's. These being Leyland 'Octo' and 'Mantador', and a Thames 'Trader' all looking resplendent in their respective liveries.

Moving on as time was getting away, I entered another section dedicated to agriculture, firefighting and earthmoving. Unfortunately, my time here had expired whereby I didn't get the opportunity to view the recreational and general sedans,wagons and saloons. Ce la vie! However,should you visit New Zealand, head to Invercargill and this magnificent museum.

So just after 1 pm we head south to Stirling Point. A quick dash up Bluff Hill gives us amazing views over the Forveaux Strait, the township of Bluff with its fishing port and long jetty - probably as long as the Urangan Pier usually was.  There is also a famous lands end signpost that mirrors the one in the northernmost part of Scotland!

There is a really well known restaurant here - the Oyster Cove - famous for Oysters (der) and we are headed here for lunch.  Even though it has gone after 2 pm, there are still a number of people having lunch, and more continue to arrive as we eat.


Michael started with the Oysters - not Bluff Oysters unfortunately as the season doesn't open until - wait for it - tomorrow! So he has to settle for Pacific Oysters.  Still ever so fresh.  Served with natural Malt vinegar salt, watercress butter, toasted bread.  I had the home baked Thyme & Sea Salt Loaf Spiced red onion-beetroot jam, watercress butter, sweet pepper pesto. HUGE.  Enough for probably four! Hot, buttery and delicious.

AND we had ordered a main!  We both chose Classic Blue Cod - Crisp lager battered Blue Cod, kiwi slaw, game chip basket, house made tartare, malt vinegar emulsion.  At this point we determine

that this is lunch and dinner.  The food was amazing. The Blue Cod so fresh, white and clear in taste.

Finally done with lunch after 3:30 pm we head down for a selfie at the signpost and then leave to head to Blaclutha for the night.  We are basing ourselves here for the next couple of days while we explore the amazing coastal area known as The Caitlins.

We are staying in a unit on the property called Blair Atholl - yes more links with Scotland, and owned by Jared and Karla McPhee.  Karla is an advisor employed by the local Council and delivery services to small businesses for the state government -really small world isn't

it!!  we are still full from lunch and about 9:30 pm just have a little of the orchard stonefruit we bought in Arrowtown and some cheese and crackers.

All in all, a cracker of a day. Looking forward to tomorrow.

Friendly locals give us lots of tips

Anne at the Mossburn Railway Hotel had suggested the trip to Doubtful Sound and when we went over for a nip after returning from Milford Sound yesterday, we shared a table briefly with Gerard.  He is a former dairy farmer, who now drives livestock trucks and in his other life shows dogs with his wife and loves to surprise her with little getaways - like to see the Lupins in bloom.  A real diamond in the rough! He and Michael got talking about planes.  And all of a sudden, the rest of our trip could be planned around any number of air museums. Gerard also had a number of other suggestions like routes to follow. Unfortunately, we won't have enough time to do it all!



So this morning we head off from Mossburn and head south towards Invercargill planning a couple of stops in between.  The landscape has changed quite a bit - it has mellowed from the big rocky hills to more mature, weathered and flattened lush farmlands.  Sure there are still hills in the background, but the are rounded and rolling. The 'long white cloud' is still visible and now I get the meaning for New Zealanders

- each day starts and ends with the cloud.  Its like it wraps the landscape daily, keeping it secure for the new day's dawning. 

I make a quick toilet stop in Lumsden where Michael spies my namesake street!

The views are more pastoral with everything that comes with that - roadside mailboxes, cattle underpasses between milking shed and pastures, amazing fir tree hedges that provide windbreaks to the fields. Field after field of swedes grown as feed for the sheep. And those delightful bucolic smells.

The first planned stop is at the Croydon Aviation Heritage Museum at Mandeville.  The GPS takes us via an unplanned detour - as they sometimes have want to do. Funnily, it detoured about 1.6 kms from the museum! Travelled an extra 40 kms!!
Once back on the highway we turn one last corner to then view the museum.

The Croydon Aviation Heritage Museum is a homage to the biplane with not one, not two, not three but FOUR tiger moths!

(Michael)  This a 'flying' museum, with each of the exhibits bearing an airworthy clearance. However, there are a couple of the exhibits which are undergoing restoration to full airworthiness. 

The museum demands thorough investigation to fully appreciate the decades of effort injected to maintain this caliber of excellence. The aircraft are dutifully maintained and the flying hours carefully husbanded. The care and attention taken gives the impression that the aircraft have just emerged from the factory floor. Most of the aircraft are a representation from the De Havilland and Auster stables. Albeit, there are aircraft from contemporary eras as well, such as an Aermacchi M-346 and a Pitts S-2A two seater. Other aircraft from specialised interests includes a reproduction of the 1910 Pither monoplane, whereby making its inaugral and only flight in 2010. The other is a homebuilt, an Williams Mk4 Microlight constructed and flown in 1991. 

Visitors are given a treat of gaining access to the maintenance hanger where repairs, reconstructions and complete rebuilds are effected. Upon entering this hanger, the aroma of wood, sawdust and glue is like a sweet smelling bouquet. As I was standing in awe, I noticed at one end of the hanger a recognisable cigar shaped fuselage of a typical monocoque construction and the familiar De Havilland rudder. I enquired from one of the fuse techs as to the identity of this mystery work in progress. A mystery in progress indeed, as the tech said that they are in the process of building a replica De Havilland DH 88 Comet racer. I stood in absolute silence, as it was further revealed the project is expected to be completed in five years. This time frame is dependent upon sourcing the original Gypsy 6R engines. Apparently, attention to detail is paramount.

Recovering sufficiently, I left the hanger and made my way to the museum and my Maria.

I must admit - I was truly p*ssed off when Michael asked whether he could go up on a flight only to be told no, there was no flying today. They are working on a restoration for an owner that wants it asap. They advertise flights available and are obviously happy to forgo not a small flying fee. One would think that any aficionado would understand a visitor from afar, a yearning and make it possible. Not a good leaving feeling guys.


From here it is a short drive to the next town of Gore.  The Gore Visitor Centre and Museum is a homage to the history of the area with some very interesting displays. It centres on the every day with home and commerce exhibitions filled with the familiar and not so known items.  Not dissimilar to our Brennan and Geraghty's Museum at home.  There is a section devoted the the local history of Scouting - another parallel with our home lives and how the movement featured in the advertising for the local cereal brand!

This centre is also the home of the Hokonui Moonshine Museum that explains the links with Scotland (more than once we have drawn parallels with Scotland in the scenery down here) and Scottish settlers - with the stills and the whiskey recipes that they brought with them and the ingenious ways they beat the temperance movement during the 50 odd years of prohibition.  Very interesting and the wee dram sampled at the end while not as smooth as its aged cousins from the motherland was definitely very drinkable!

A quick trip across the road to the Eastern Southland Gallery was a real eye opener. No photos obviously as it is an art gallery.  There are three displays - the John Money Wing and Ralph Hotere Gallery and in the temporary space is an exhibition of Rod Eales works.  John Money was the patron of both the artists and his amazing collection of artefacts - mainly carvings - from across the world is stunning.

The it is on to Invercargill for the night and tomorrow.  We are booked in to the historic Victoria Railway Hotel that once upon a time sat across the street from the railway station that is now a YMCA centre.  We venture into town looking for a dinner restaurant. The town is tired and a little grubby with lots of vacant commercial shops.  The local Council is busy replacing stormwater in the CBD, again links with home lol.

In the end we settle on a Pinch of Spice - an Indian restaurant that turned out to be a great choice.  It was spotless, the service very attentive and the food wonderfully tasty.

We began with a Tandoor tasting plate of chicken, lamb kabob, fish and prawns and followed that with Chicken Chettinad and Beef Rogan Josh served with Basmati rice and a roti and a paratha.  Delicious!

Off to plan the next couple of days now - our time is flying by!