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.

Traffic at 20 kph - but we are no longer in Romania!

Talk about first world problems today!
We are heading to the Nettetal region for the wedding of couchsurfers who stayed with us a few times in 2010-11 - Anne Zenz and Steve Blyth.  When Anne sent us advance notice of the wedding last year, we had always hoped that our plans would work out so that we could come!

We need to leave Steph and the kids about 9 this morning for the 477 km, 4 hour 51 minute trip north to Lobberich, the main town in Nettetal and where Anne's family come from. Steve is English and it turns out that his very big, close, extended English family are travelling en-masse for the wedding.

We get away on time, and in our haste, leave the bag of car food which now also has my tablets in it - too bad, by the time that Steph gets back from the supermarket and finds it, we are too far to turn back! Couple of days won't kill me (I hope).

Despite my pretty good sense of direction, we are taken further to the east than I thought, but I soon realised that the autobahns follow roughly the rivers and ridges.
It was pretty obvious early on that the trip time was going to be out.  We are told by Google Maps that 'the traffic is worsening, you are still on the fastest route'.  Tell you what, don't go anywhere if you need to be in a hurry at the end of the summer break here in Europe. No joke, we were literally back down to the 20 kph crawl - in two stints for almost an hour each. Yes, there are roadworks, but the bigger holdups are where the 150 kph fast stretches come to and end and fall back in to two lanes instead of three or even four. Fast cars are absolutely no use in this here and now!  And in the other direction, the traffic jams went for more than 20 kms - at an even slower crawl.

We are travelling amidst a virtual united nations - there are lots of people from the Netherlands pulling small caravans headed home, there are Brits and French and Italians all headed north.  There are trucks from across the eastern states again - lots from Romania, Poland and Lithuania with the occasional German one thrown in too.

I stop just once as we needed fuel and we made one comfort stop - both quick and just kept travelling. Despite this, we don't arrive in Lobberich until 4:15 pm this afternoon - and I am well and truly over this drive.

We have traversed some pretty country - the wine fields planted down the slopes to maximise sunlight in a relatively short growing season (well, compared with Australia), we cross first the Rhine River with the barges busily shipping their stores up and down river, and then the Mosel River before it confluences with the Rhine in Koblenz.  At one point, I consider getting off the autobahn and travelling along the river, and then realise what a stupid move that would be - if the traffic is bad here, I can only imagine how bad the scenic route would be!! Sorry, not too many pics today - Michael couldn't be bothered with the camera.

As we cross in to the Nettetal region, we pass a huge open cut gravel mine with the drag-lines very visible as a blight on the horizon. 

Finally we arrive and after a bit of a problem, find the hotel where Anne has booked us and its car park.  Before long, we have changed and head downstairs to meet up with Anne and Steve.  There are lots of hugs and some tears. Some reminiscing and updating on each others lives before many more people begin to arrive for the first of the wedding gatherings.  We are excited to catch up with Anne's brother Johannes who also stayed with us, and to meet her parents for the first time.

Tonight is to allow the guests who have come from many parts of the world - including a number of Australians who are now working and travelling in Europe - to meet each other before the wedding tomorrow afternoon. Great idea.  

Lots of German bier and lots of curry wurst and schnitzel for dinner - the hotel staff are run off their feet.  Anne had warned them about the number of people to expect, but somehow, I don't think they thought so many would eat, or drink, so much!

The obligatory Mr/Mrs Herr/Frau game is played to the delight of the audience and the occasional embarrassment of the bride and groom.  By 9:30 pm, Anne is calling it a night and I head upstairs to write up the blog and battle with a poor internet connection.

Tomorrow - the wedding!