Term Break - Second Stop Invercargill

Heady with chocolate, we continued our journey to the southern reaches of the South Island. For much of the drive we followed the Southern Scenic Route as it passes through the Catlins along a winding coastal route. The landscape was gorgeous green pasture – we now know where that large sheep to people ratio comes from – as well as strikingly beautiful where the forest meets the coast. We took one major detour out to Nugget Point,

so called because the large rocks that form the point look like huge stacks of gold coins. We walked all the way out to the lighthouse at the point and noted many sea lions lounging on the rocks and fur seals playing in the tidal pools. The wind made it a bit nippy for us humans, but the animals looked quite content. On the drive out we stopped at a secluded bay for a private picnic of pb&j sandwiches.
About 250 kilometres from Dunedin, we arrived in the most southern city in New Zealand, Invercargill. Known more as a stepping off point for Stewart Island and the other Subantarctic Islands, Invercargill does have two claims to fame that we discovered. The first one is a captive breeding program for tuatara that has produced a large number of baby tuatara in the past few years. Tuatara are ancient reptiles that have survived only in New Zealand and are considered living fossils. Henry is the most famous of all the inhabitants with an estimated age of over 100 years. Invercargill was also home to motorcycle legend Burt Munro. In the 1960’s he travelled from New Zealand to Bonneville Salt Flats to try to break speed records on a 1920 Indian Scout motorcycle; his achievement is chronicled in the movie “The World’s Fastest Indian.”
In addition to the both of the above fascinating exhibits at the Queen’s Park Museum, we also spent a great deal of time perusing the other outstanding displays, outdoor gardens, an aviary, and playgrounds in Queen’s Park.