20/02/2018 - Southernmost point of the South Island

We were relieved when the check-out day arrived. We left the beautiful 'Curio Bay' and its Hector dolphins with mixed emotions.
We drove along the gravel road to the southernmost point of the South Island.

Memories came flooding back as we reached the northernmost point of New Zealand on December 01 - 'Cape Reinga'. Standing at the other end was another special moment for us.

'Slope Point' is located in the middle of a sheep pasture. From here, it is only 4,803 kilometers to the South Pole. When the wind blows from that direction, you can even feel the cool, arctic breeze in New Zealand. The landscape in this region was picturesque, with yellow coastal grasses swaying in the wind on vibrant green grass. Behind that is the deep blue sea meeting the light blue sky on the horizon. It is a special place that everyone should visit.
Our next destination was 'Waipapa Point Lighthouse'.

This very pretty lighthouse was built in 1884. Three years earlier, a tragic shipwreck happened at this spot, resulting in the loss of 131 lives. Since then, the beacon has been warning ships of the dangerous reef.

When we arrived at the lighthouse, it was shining in beautiful white and red. We learned that the rare 'Paua Shell' can be found along this coastline. So we went to the nearby beach to search for these large shells. But first, we had to sneak past a pair of sea lions. Then the search began. We tried our luck on rugged stones, but unfortunately, we only found a few smaller shells. So we decided to walk along the beach. During the walk, we actually found a few specimens of the special Paua Shell. The shell halves were near the water. The tide probably washed them there, so we could simply pick them up and admire them. The inside of the shells looks magical, with various shades of blue that shimmer even more when wet. Now our hunting instinct was activated. We climbed over sharp stones and slippery algae to find more of these precious shells. That's when I discovered a slightly larger one sticking to a rock. I couldn't detach the shell alone, but with Tobi's help, we managed to remove it carefully. Wow! - At the end of the afternoon, we had found a total of five halves. Since three of them had minor flaws, we left them on the beach and kept one small and the largest Paua Shell that we found. We hope to be able to take them safely back to Germany. According to research, this is allowed, but will they survive the flight intact? We will see.
Our new temporary home is 'Invercargill'. The campsite is right next to a duck pond. We were greeted by loud quacking as soon as we arrived.

The next morning started as usual with the duck feeding at 09:00. Since the weather only slightly improved (at least it stopped raining), we wanted to take the opportunity to explore the city. First, we went to 'Queens Park'. This large park has various bird aviaries, animal enclosures, gardens, and playgrounds. ;) So we strolled through the green space for quite a while and explored different greenhouses. The entire park is beautifully designed, and time flew by. After about three hours, we left the park and visited the nearby 'Southland Museum & Art Gallery'. The museum is free to visit. We found the exhibition on the largely unexplored islands below New Zealand particularly interesting. Although 'Auckland, Adams, and Campbell Island' were inhabited by people for a few years (not anymore), they still reflect the original New Zealand - uninhabited, overgrown, and with diverse flora and fauna. In addition, various species of animals can be found on the arctic islands that are not found anywhere else - like the 'Auckland Duck'. They also provide enough space for albatross, penguin, and sea lion colonies.
After the short journey into unknown worlds, we headed to 'Bluff'. This small coastal town is the starting point for the journey to 'Stewart Island'. The island can be reached by a one-hour ferry ride or a short flight. When we arrived in Bluff, our first stop was 'Stirling Point'.

This point is often mistakenly referred to as the 'southernmost point of the South Island'. However, the 'Slope Point', located seven kilometers further south, is the southernmost point of the South Island.

Wind and rain intensified, so we didn't stay at the beautiful viewpoint for long. We continued our journey to 'Bluff Hill'. From the mountain, you probably have a wonderful 360° panoramic view, but the low-hanging clouds didn't allow us to see that far. But we did manage to see Bluff and Stewart Island. More or less.
On the way back, we made one last stop at the entrance of Bluff. We saw another backpacker trying to take a picture of herself with the 'Bluff' sign using a self-timer. Since the famous 10 seconds weren't enough for her to climb onto the sign, we helped her take the photos. In return, she also took pictures of us.
Then we headed back to the campsite, which we will leave tomorrow.