MANAPOURI TO INVERCARGILL

Clifden Suspension Bridge

Built 1898

40 tonnes of cable was used in the bridge

Old house from old bridge

Tuatapere Butchers

Famous for their sausages

McCrackens Rest

We saw a pod of Hector Dolphins while here.

Bus Shelter, Colac Bay

NATURAL SCIENCE

Kiwi Birdlife Park Queenstown

Tuatara, Kiwi Birdlife Park

Yellow Crested Kakariki, Kiwi Birdlife Park

Red Crested Kakariki, Kiwi Birdlife Park.

Juvenile tuatara, about 75mm long, Southland Museum, Invercargill

Henry (about 110 yrs old) Southland Musuem, Invercargill

Kaka, Stewart Island

MANAPOURI POWER STATION & DOUBTFUL SOUND

Waiting for the boat that took us to the Manapouri Power Station then it was bus across to Doubtful Sound for a 3 hour cruise.

Not the centre of the earth but 200 metres down, the Manapouri Power Station.

What we travelled down to see, the exciters which sit above the turbines.

The tunnel as we begin our 2k journey to the surface 200 metres above.

Our first view of Doubtful Sound.

Raewyn listening attentively to the commentary.

"Blanket Bay Hotel", a fishermans lodge. These guys had had a good day including blue cod and crayfish which they were holding up for us to see.

A typical but spectacular view of the Sound as we saw it on our trip. We did see waterfalls including New Zealands highest waterfall but have not included any photos as there had not been rain for a while so were not as spectacular as normal.

We were fortunate enough to see a pod of the rare Bottlenose dolphins.

Keas at Manapouri Power Station.

MANAPOURI

Lakeview Motels & Holiday Park is quite quirky and justifies a posting of it own as the owners had a penchant for Morris Minors as well as other bits and pieces and allowed their European heritage to influence the parks architecture.

Backpacker accommodation

Chalet accommodation

PARKING (Morris Minors only)

Alfresco hairstyling.

This is where the lake level would have been if the hydro power people had had their way during the 1960's but due to a national uproar and protest thankfully it never happened.

ON THE ROAD TO MILFORD SOUND

We travelled from Queenstown to Te Anau where we stayed at the Top 10 Holiday Park and I was able to do a BBQ in the sunshine at 7pm! In Queenstown we lose the sun where we are about 2 hours earlier. The following day we drove up to Milford Sound as we had flown in there on our previous trip.

Driving through Beech forest near the start of our drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound.

Me in the middle of Eglinton Valley.

Mirror Lakes

Monkey Creek

Entrance to the Homer Tunnel as we head toward Milford. Traffic is one way and controlled by traffic lights that work on a 15 minute cycle.

Water flowing through the "Chasm" where the flow of water has carved its way through solid rock over thousands of years.

A roadside view of the remnants of the slip that closed the Milford road earlier in the year.

What we came to see, Mitre Peak.

BBQ

Hosts, Annika & Lutz

"Mates"

The fairer part of the guests.

Serious conversation with drinks in hand.

Ken, a dab hand on the BBQ.

WELCOME VISITORS IN OUR GARDEN

Our home for now. We share the property with the staff dwelling.

Intersection of Fryer St (left) and Hamilton Rd from our site. "Creeksyde" is on the opposite corner.

Our garden through the door.







Very domestic, note the washing.

Our visitors (what a pleasant surprise!

Goin' for a bike ride to get dinner.

A good photo of the cuzzies.