We’re on our way to New Zealand’s Catlins. The stretch south of Dunedin to the country’s southernmost town of Invercargill.
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New Zealand - Let's Set off to the Fiordland
Our trip from Dunedin along the Catlins to Stewart Island and on to New Zealand’s Fiordland. Great places on the way.
Dunedin 2 Queenstown
Owaka, 7th March
Near Dunedin we make a 1st stop at Tunnel Beach. A beach you actually reach thru a tunnel. True, there’s a story behind it – of a jealous guy who wanted to make sure that no peeping Tom could ever see his many girlfriends sunbathing at the beach. Or, maybe he just wanted to hide them from all guys not paying the hefty fee to observe them. A kind of analog OnlyFans. Who knows?
A few km further a short walk to the Nugget Point Lighthouse.
Early in the afternoon we arrive in the village of Owaka. A rather nondescript place with a motel crying for some more love from its owners.
Then on to the nearby Purakaunui Falls. A small waterfall, but situated in a beautiful forest. Astonishingly a lot of people are visiting this place.
Bluff, 8th March
The next morning, the weather is definitely improvable. Deep clouds, drizzling, the metservice announces rain in the afternoon. Not really the perfect day to marvel at the 2nd part of the Catlins. Whatever, let’s see what we can do on our way to Bluff at the Foveaux Strait. Some 270km to drive.
Our 1st stop is at the famous Lost Gypsi Gallery – a bus converted into a small shop filled with whatever someone could buy. All made by a guy claiming to be 1 of the last surviving hippies. Who knows if there are not a few more somewhere at a beach in the South Pacific.
We’re driving on, along the coast, in the rain. At some point we approach the Cathedral Caves, definitely a place to visit at low tide. If not, even swimming would not help us approach this place. We’re lucky, after paying a hefty entrance fee for whatever it may be we’re on the way to the beach. And we’re even more lucky, that the rain stops – at least for some time.
A 15′ walk thru a beautiful forest full of farn trees, then along the beach until we enter the caves.
Then we’re again on our way thru the Catlins. Now it’s pouring – what a mess.
Still, we have another place we would like to visit: Curio Bay and its petrified forest. A very strange, almost eery spot – maybe it’s even better to visit in the rain. We’ll see.
We really don’t stay long at the beach. Then, we’re pretty wet. So. it’s time to drive straight to our sleepery in Bluff.
Arriving there in the afternoon, we quickly realize how sleepy this village is. A few houses along the seafront, a harbor, and it looks like nobody wants to be outside with this weather.
And we realize that the boat to Stewart Island for the next morning is fully booked. Even going to the office doesn’t help, it seems there’s a large group which doesn’t give us any hope for cancellations. What a mess, we only have 1 day on the island – after that all accommodation on the island is fully booked. Yeah, that’s travelling in New Zealand – even outside the peak season.
Later, it’s time to go to the 1 and only watering hole cum eatery open in the evening.
Oban, 9th March
The next morning, we have to check out what we can realistcally do on Steward Island, because now we’ll just arrive in the early afternoon. So, just a few hours for a hike. Definitely the planned 1st day-hike of the Rakiura Track is out of our reach. Remain some shorter options near the town. What a pity.
Then, we go sightseeing in Bluff. Whatever we can see: some murals, houses crying for maintenance, and a few shipwrecks.
Finally, we board for Oban on Stewart Island. Just 1h to cross, then to our sleepery, and off we are for the Horseshoe Trail. It’s a shorter hike, just 3 – 4h, but what else could we do at 3pm.
Back to Oban, it’s already time for a beer in the South Seas Hotel‘s famous bar.
Te Anau, 13h March
The next morning, we just head for another short walk in the vicinity of the village before the boat brings us back to Bluff by noon.
Surely you’d like to know if it’s worth visiting Stewart Island. We think the way we finally did – no. You cannot really do anything if you just have half an afternoon and half a morning. To go for a hike you need at least 1 full day, especially as the trailheads are all pretty distant from the village centre. But for this you have to find accommodation for at least 2 nights – probably not an easy task. Or, you head for the 3-day Rakiura Track – 1 of New Zealand’s Great Walks – should the huts not be fully booked.
From Bluff we’re driving north, to Te Anau. It’s a little less than 200 km for Rusty.
Arriving there, we’re astonished by what a nice AirBnB we got. 1 of the cheapest offers available – still a whole house, well equipped with everything we need and space for 5 or 6 people – probably Martin should search for a few girlfriends.
Whatever, we’re positively surprised. We definitely didn’t expect that, especially in a tourist hotspot like Te Anau where the Kiwis easily ask 500 Euros and more for a night for a lousy sleepery.
The next morning, we get up quite early. Today we’ll visit Doubtful Sound, one of the most remote fjords you can visit in the area. Well, we have to go with an expensive tour. There’s only 1 operator, knowing exactly about their monopoly position. Whatever, there’s no other way to visit.
So, a short drive to Manapouri. There we’re boarding with 160 other guys the boat crossing the eponymous lake. About 1 h, nice landscape, and despite all the clouds an awesome sunrise.
At the other end of the lake, we’re getting transferred to buses already waiting for us. About 1 h to finally reach Doubtful Sound. A gravel road over Wilmot Pass thru dense rainforest.
Then our 2 1/2 h cruise thru the fjord up to the open sea starts. Fortunately, the weather improves considerably towards the mouth of the fjord – at least for the time being.
There a colony of seals is hanging around, …
… then we’re already on our way back. Well, still some more to see – now dolphins. Some are even taking a spa in the boat wake.
Then again the bus, now with a few stops to take all the all-important selfies. And finally the boat to Manapouri.
Yeah, that’s the Doubtful Sound tour. Probably worth its excessive price, a place unfortunately you can’t visit in any other way. Well, maybe if you’re ready to spend really big money, you might charter your private boat. But why should you do that if you can buy quite a few beers for that amount.
Another day, another adventure. Nevertheless, today we’re adults – no need for a tour with someone taking care of us.
Despite a mixed weather forecast, we’re heading to the trailhead of Routeburn Track. 1 of the most popular Great Walks in New Zealand.
Of course, all huts along the track are fully booked since they opened this year’s season. So, for us, just remains a part of the 1st day’s hike and return. To Key Summit, just 600 m up and a few km to sneak on slightly overdeveloped trails – a kind of a trail highway.
About 80 km to drive to the trailhead. In the direction of Milford Sound, so there’s a lot of traffic. Mainly tour buses coming from places as far as Queenstown to bring their poor passengers to New Zealand’s top sight.
On the way we make a few stops to marvel at the beautiful landscape – and carefully take pictures, avoiding these 1000s of Chinese sneaking around everywhere.
Then we’re at the trailhead. A hike thru an awesome enchanted rainforest, up into the dense fog and stormy wind at Key Summit.
Finally, we’re at the ultimate viewpoint of the Routeburn Track, the view of Lake Marian.
Maybe that’s the opportunity for a small remark about the Kiwis: they’re really extremely nice guys. As they know exactly how frustrated some hikers are after climbing up to Key Summit to see nothing else than fog, they placed a beautiful signboard with the view you’d have if you could see anything. Yeah, we really appreciate this small gesture of the Kiwis. Ok, time to return – everything’s wet.
Our 3rd day in Te Anau: you know, normally tourists don’t come to see this beautiful village, because there’s simply nothing to see here. Neither do they visit the fjords like Doubtful Sound or push themselves on trails like Routeburn Track. That’s all for real masochists.
Normally tourists just come for a cruise on Milford Sound. – the fjord said to be the most beautiful on earth and the universe.
Dozens of boats ship people for about 2h thru the fjord, so they can take millions of pics, make nonstop selfies, or simply sit inside the boat checking their Insta account.
For us, it always was a big question mark whether or not we should visit this place. If we should go to such a hotspot of group tourism, where most people just go to tell later their neighbours that they’ve been to Milford Sound.
Whatever, today the weather is beautiful – even in the fjord. A rare opportunity not to be missed.
About 110km to drive on a busy road. Mainly tour buses with Chinese signs.
On the way we make some stops, our tour only starts early afternoon.
Arriving at Milford Sound we find a huge parking lot. To avoid terrible penalties from Kiwis’ overzealous policemen, we have to pay a horrendous amount. At 1st we thought they want us to buy the parking – only later we learn that that’s just for a few hours. Well, New Zealand at tourist hotspots, you either hate them or avoid them.
We arrive at a big building full of people. That’s the place where you get a boarding pass for your online voucher, or if you’re on a tour you receive the last information about where to sit on the boat, how to behave, what to eat, and how to find a toilet.
Then to the boat. Fortunately, we’re on a pretty small 1 with a lot of outside space.
After that, the tour starts. True, at least if the weather is as perfect as it is today, there’s quite an impressive landscape.
Especially, if the night before there’s been heavy rain, it clears during the day and all waterfalls can be seen at their best.
After a bit less than 1h we already reach the open sea. It seems to be quite a lonely area. Formerly the Māori collected jade at the shores here.
Then the boat returns into the sound and back to Milford Sound.
Finally, we’re back on the huge parking lot with the horrifying fees. Not easy to find Rusty among all the huge buses of the tour groups.
Now, should you visit Milford Sound on your New Zealand trip starting soon? Well, if the weather is fine the landscape is fantastic, quite impressive. If it’s raining – and that’s what it does most of the time, you may still see the waterfalls, but miss much of the mountain scenery. So, you may instead concentrate on observing the other tourists on the boat. Finally, if you are a person suffering from claustrophobia or serious overcrowding stress, the tour might not be optimal for you. Be aware, Milford Sound is mass tourism.
Queenstown, 14th March
We’re on our way to the next destination Queenstown. Known as New Zealand’s outdoor’n’adventure capital – should that be true, …
As it’s just a short drive, we go in the morning for a short walk to the nearby Lake Manapouri. On 1 of the legs of the Keppler Track, another 1 of New Zealand’s Great Walks.
At the trailhead, a kindly unusual signboard. Well, let’s hope Rusty looks too unkept for them.
Later on to Queenstown, where we arrive early afternoon.
Guys,
that’s it. Would we write more, it would definitely exceed your capacity to remember everything, and during your next trip to New Zealand you’d mix up everything. We don’t want this, so it’s better to leave the next adventures for another post and in the meantime wish you a lot of jealousy.
Cheeeers
Monika’n’Martin