08/05/2018 - Northernmost point of the South Island

The new day began with an animal surprise. Natalie and Benni had already told us about the peacocks that roam around the campsite. So far, we hadn't seen these colorful birds. But that changed when three of them surrounded us this morning. Two males and one female examined our car closely. With their long necks, they tried to get a glimpse of our food supplies. When the big birds realized that we didn't have any crumbs for them, they left us alone.
The rest of the morning went as usual. We had delicious rolls and fried eggs for breakfast. At 10:00 a.m., we left the campsite with a still rattling undercarriage. The path led us towards civilization. Along the way, we made the first stop at "Cape Farewell". From here, you can reach not only the cape but also the "Puponga Hill Top Track", which we wanted to hike yesterday but couldn't because of the river. The little rain shower gradually subsided, so we equipped ourselves with weatherproof clothing to hike the track. After five minutes, we stood in front of Cape Farewell. This is the northernmost point of the South Island of New Zealand.

So, our collection is complete. We have been to the northernmost and southernmost points on both main islands. :)

There is no lighthouse at Cape Farewell. However, if you follow the coastal walking route, you will come to "Pillar Point Lighthouse". This was exactly our plan for today. We crossed green hills, which were quite wet due to the rain, and passed huge sheep pastures. The animals kept getting startled by us and ran away in a hurry. (Sheep can be so entertaining. ;)) We also enjoyed beautiful views of the coast. However, the coast drops very steeply, so we had to be extra careful near the edge.
After about 45 minutes, a new obstacle stood in our way. The route went right through a cow pasture. The cows were partly lying on the hiking trail and only slowly started moving. Somehow, it is always a challenge, unlike the much more skittish sheep, to cross the pasture. But curiosity was limited, and we could pass through their territory. Thirty minutes later, we climbed one last hill to reach the lighthouse we were heading to. We had this goal in sight the whole time, and finally, we arrived. But the disillusionment was great when we saw it. The lighthouse was really not pretty. On the hill, there was only a fenced-in, desolate concrete block with a lamp on the roof. - However, from here, there was a wonderful view of the coast that we had just walked along. Meanwhile, the rain had completely stopped, allowing unrestricted photography. The dimensions and vastness of the coast and green hills were remarkable. After a short break, we continued to stroll a bit further and for the first time saw "Farewell Spit". This large sandbar looks like the beak of a kiwi on the map. It is a retreat for many seabirds and stretches over a length of more than 30 kilometers. Even from the mountain, we couldn't see the end of the beach, maybe also because of the hazy weather. Simply gigantic.
As we made our way back to the car, we ran into Natalie and Benni one last time. The two were walking the same route as us but wanted to march a little further to a café.

So it was time to say goodbye. We had a consistently uncomplicated and humorous time with the two Berlin students. But encounters during travels are usually limited to a certain time. Natalie and Benni will soon be heading to the North Island as they will leave the country in mid-June and still need to sell their car.

After the meeting, we walked back the same way and reached the parking lot after a total of three hours. Now it was time to warm up. The cold wind had taken its toll on us. As our hands slowly thawed, we drove to the access point of Farewell Spit.

The name is a combination of the English words Farewell = Goodbye and Spit = Sandbar. The name was given by James Cook. It was the last piece of land he saw before sailing back to England.

From the parking lot, you can do various walks on the sand dune. However, most of the beach is not accessible as it is a bird sanctuary!
We stomped through the sand and crossed from the south to the north side. The dimensions are unimaginable. It took us almost thirty minutes to reach the open beachside. There, we were greeted once again by the strong wind. Due to the fine sand, small sandstorms formed around us. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the atmosphere and the view, which reminded us a bit of the North Sea coast - green-yellow coastal grasses, bright sand dunes, and the blue, vast sea. We were drawn to "Fossil Point". At this section of the beach, you may encounter a colony of seals if you're lucky. It didn't take long until we spotted the first animals. Unfortunately, they were no longer alive. The place turned out more or less to be a cemetery. Five dead seal pups lay scattered here. In addition, we saw two adult sea lions sleeping on the beach and another one swimming in the water. We left the beach area somewhat shocked. Even though something like this is completely normal in the wild, it was not nice to see.
On the way back to the parking lot, we crossed a fairytale forest. The grass was glowing in an intense green, and the trees looked like they were drawn. We passed a large flock of sheep, which stared at us questioningly as we walked through. Over 30 pairs of eyes followed us every step of the way until we left the pasture.
Around 4:00 p.m., we made it and arrived at the car. The long walk on the beach exhausted us. Nevertheless, we embarked on one last small hike. We struggled up a nearby hill to get another view of Farewell Spit. From here as well, we couldn't see the end of the kilometer-long beach. Shortly after, the weather deteriorated, so we sought shelter in the car as quickly as possible.
The well-deserved campsite for the coming night was reached after a 20-minute drive. In "Pakawau", we put our feet up after the long day and enjoyed the view of the sea from the rear window.