Riverton & Monkey Island & Gemstone Beach & McCracken’s Rest

Hello my dears,

I'm currently sitting in Te Anau with a Coke rather than a coffee and enjoying the view of this small town in the sun after it rained for the last two days. I didn't write much there but I used the time at the campsite to watch Lord of the Rings. The TV in the common room is still a tube TV and it's a childhood memory how it flickers and sounds when you turn it on and off. So much for now, more about before:

On my way from Invercargill to Manapouri I planned 3 stops and ended up making 4. Riverton -> Gemstone Beach -> Clifden Caves was planned and I followed a feeling when I turned off to Monkey Island before Gemstone Beach. I'll summarize my stops by the sea in one post and the cave hike will get its own post.

My first stop was a small town on the coast called Riverton. This town seems to consist of a harbor, 3 restaurants and 7 cafes.

When I got out of the car I saw 3 Royal Spoonbirds flying over me, but unfortunately I was too slow for the camera. Otherwise I got myself a coffee and slowly strolled through the town and along the coastline. After a really good coffee I continued along the coast. As I drove past the signs with the name Monkey Island my brain literally thought: "Uhhhhh, Monkey Island. Maybe I can climb there!" - so I followed the signs and unexpectedly ended up on an incredibly beautiful beach with a small island offshore where I could do a little climbing after wading through the fairly fresh water.

After this great sandy beach, we went on to Gemstone Beach. There are supposed to be lots of great stones here and I have to say that Gemstone Beach really lives up to its reputation, because I found some great stones that I want to turn into little pieces of jewelry.

With the rest of my delicious coffee and the cinnamon-sugar Berliner I had bought beforehand, I enjoyed the view from McCracken's Rest. From here I could see all the way to the Fjordlands and also see the mountains in the background. It really was a dream.

This is also where I met Amelie, a German from Bavaria, who I spontaneously asked if she wanted to accompany me to the Clifden Caves, as she was heading in that direction anyway. She enthusiastically agreed and then we set off together for my next adventure.

More on this in the next post.
Your Britta