The Fog

As we slept, a dense sea fog crept in over the land casting a shadow so that in the early morning, it still felt like night. It was reluctant to lift, and as we left at 7:30 to head

back to the Cathedral Cave, it still blanketed the ground as though to encourage everyone to stay put under the covers. Despite the damp, the air is warm and balmy.

And still the Long White Cloud can be seen - out in competition with that stubborn fog!

There is quite a bit of traffic as we leave - some local and others obviously tourists in their campervans and Jucy vans. The locals drive like race drivers around winding corners as I watch with my heart in my throat and think of the terrible job that Steve Webb has to do with the Forensic Crash Unit back home (and after reading about another terrible crash back home).

The drive down to the Cathedral Caves is uneventful and takes about an hour.  We had checked the opening times as we came back to Balclutha yesterday after being told that they access is only open for a total of 3 - 4 hours.  The caves are accessed through private Maori land along a 2 km road that is slick from the night's moisture. There are a few cars ahead of us in the carpark when we arrive, but there is still plenty of parking. The attendant on duty is chatty and full of news and good advice.  The path down to the Caves is through wet forest and steep.  Part way down, Michael goes back to get the walking posts - don't know why we didn't think of them at the start.  It is steep and I am about 3/4 of the way down when it the path gets much steeper, thicker with leaves and wetter with both sea-spray and the moisture from the forest.  Knowing that a fall here would be dramatic, I opt not to continue and turn to head up the path.  Michael continues to the beach and the Caves. He tells me later that although I could see the beach, there was still quite a distance until he reached it and about another 300 m to the Caves which were also very wet and muddy.

The Caves began as separate and later the force of the
waves broke through the final soft barrier between them to create one V shaped cave. The Cathedral Caves are in the 30 largest beach caves in the world. Because the force of the water lessens as the cave deepens, they do not grow much beyond what is found here at the Cathedral Caves at just under 200 m.  They look truly amazing!

We finish at the Caves, seeing more people still arriving after 10 am (access to the Caves closes at 10:30 and the road gate is locked at 11:30 am) You would need to be mighty fit to get down and back in that timeframe!

Following our morning jaunt, we head 5 minutes down the road back to the Whistling Frog for breakfast - bacon and eggs for Michael and Pancakes, berries and spiced marscapone for me - yummo!

Yesterday we struck the sheep on the road.  Today it is a horse ride. There were 30 riders and we came across them just as we came over a single lane bridge.  There would have been quite a wait had they reached the bridge before us!

All in all, an interesting morning.  And still the fog persists!!

En-route to Dunedin we stopped at the historic rail tunnel constructed for the former Catlins River Branch.  Much shorter than the Boolboonda Tunnel back home, but this one constructed in the 1890's was hand dug and then lined with sandstone blocks - back breaking work I imagine.

Then we drove the last 90 kms to Dunedin without stop. The landscape continues to be a mix of rolling hills, farmed foothills and floodplains and estuaries that meander across the flats.  Our first view of Dunedin demonstrates what we already know - it is a city that lies in the hills.  We have two days here and we know that won't be enough, but our time is running short!  

Staying at 'The Brothers', which has a history as a Christian Brothers Order residence for up to 13 brothers.  The stately residence was built in the early 1920's in the area known as the 'Vatican' district.  The rooms are smallish, but no doubt far more comfortable than those of their day!  (PS the rooms featured on their website must be special ones - they ain't ours!)  We have one of the brother's cells!


Dunedin is known for many things - its street art is one - and Cadburys where we will start our day tomorrow!  Others we will talk about tomorrow.


















Tonight we dine like Persian Kings at Paasha Turkish Restaurant.  When we got there at 7:40 pm, there was literally just enough room for us left.  Busy and loud and very eastern.  By 9 pm when we left there was just one other table of 3 recently arrived.  We complimented the staff on the cooking and service which were both wonderful. Took away leftover Kofta Shish, some pita breads and a tub of one of the best hummus I have ever tasted!  Of course we ate a Meze plate for starters, a Shared Platter and then Baklava and coffee.  Now I am soooo full!

Finally, today is a day to be reminded of friends from home!

Tomorrow is another day . . . 

You take the high road, we're travelling the coast road . . .

The unit is warm and the bed warmer.  Michael is never a morning person and now on holidays, is happy to lie in.  Tomorrow will be a different story though - we need to be gone from here by 7 am to get to the Cathedral Cave in low tide - more about that later.

We head in to have a look around Balclutha and get fuel before we strike out to the west along the Southern Scenic Route.  This is a town of some 4,000 souls that swells to many more in the summer months.  It is known for its concrete span bridge that was built in the 1930's after the previous timber one washed away in a flood - kind of familiar story to someone from Maryborough! The Clutha River is the largest river in New Zealand by volume of water and the country's second longest.  The town is the main service centre for the surrounding pastoral lands.

Yesterday, we travelled in to Balclutha on the more northern national highway as the coastal road is longer, and we knew that we did not have time to make the most of it. So today we turn back from whence we came, albeit on a totally different road. And a bit like many of the coastal roads in Australia, they do not always hug the coast, and there are times when we must travel 9-22 kms down to the coastal car parks to access more fragile areas before returning the same way to re-join the scenic route. That long white cloud is evident again

today, bringing with it rain.


We travel through towns with alluring names such as Owaka (with it's Teapot Home), Caberfeidh, MacLennan,  Papatowai and Chaslands where we stop for lunch at the highly recommended Whistling Frog Cafe which is an icon in the Caitlins area of 'outstanding natural beauty'before heading through Niagara and Waikawa to Curio Bay. Our meals were delicious - Michael had the Beefsteak and Cheese Pie while I had the Chicken Caesar Sandwich.

We make stops at Pūrākaunui Falls, getting caught on the road up behind a farmer moving his sheep. The four sheep dogs kept running back to his window for instruction!

Matai Falls, the Florence Hill Lookout, pass Lake Wilkie and the Tautuku estuary and drive through Chaslands and Waikawa taking photos all the way before we arrive at Curio Bay.  

This is the home to the Tumu Toka CurioScape, to Hector's dolphins/papakanua, Yellow-eyed penguins/hoioho and fur seals and sea lions.  But today it is windy and drizzling in to rain and none are to be seen.  A hedgehog, introduced to control garden slugs and now considered a threat to the native fauna, was the only animal venturing out!  The ranger told Michael that it is very unusual to see them during the day.

The Tumu Toka CurioScape is excellent and explains the geological and geographical changes that have occurred over the millenia, to the backdrop of the Maori legends and stories.  After watching it, Michael takes a walk in the rain down to the petrified forest bed - the only place in the world where a petrified forest is found next to a living one!

The rain is continuing and getting heavier, so we decide to head back east to our accommodation. But before we head in fr the night there is a final spot to visit.  Nugget Point is the site of a lighthouse that guards ships in the region from meeting their doom at The Nuggets which are right in front of it.  Rugged and beautiful, this is also treacherous with the local Department of Conservation warning sign including the sage words "keep children safe".  All it would take on this route would be one inquisitive little one under a barrier, and a slip would see them swimming with the dolphins in the waters far below.

And our last stop for the night is at The Point Cafe and Bar at Kaka Point for dinner.
Again, highly recommended by Karla, the food is fabulous even if we do have a very noisy and base group of four behind us. When one tells another to shush, the petulant reply is"Knew we shoulda gone to the pub!"

Nevertheless, the food was sublime  my Seafood Chowder starter was thick and creamy with a generous helping of seafoods - some of which I left for Michael whose Salt and Pepper Calamari looked nice.  Michael enjoyed his Moroccan Chicken and I again chose Blue Cod - this time pan-fried with vegetables.  Delicious.

 Tomorrow we move on to Dunedin.