Day 36 to 40: Dunedin, Lake Tekapo and Christchurch

The last 5 days in New Zealand... On day 36, one day after the boat tour on Milford Sound, we started towards Dunedin. In Te Anau, we visited an exhibition, which was advertised with signs ('Art Exhibition') and balloons throughout the city. However, it mainly showcased old farm machines and other devices from the past that were stored in barns or garages. Many items that were certainly interesting for farmers... but we were not very enthusiastic. We also visited an old school, but it was also filled with old stuff that you would only find in your grandparents' basement. Funny enough, the entrance to the exhibition was quite entertaining: An older farmer raved incredibly authentically about the old German tractors... Oh yes, he asked us if we were farmers too, and at the end, he recommended the 'world's best' automobile exhibition in Invercargill to us... We weren't exactly the target audience for this exhibition, although the 'Art Exhibition' in a small room was quite nice. We finally continued our journey to Dunedin, not to Invercargill :))

Since it was Easter Sunday, our attempts to find a café on the way were unsuccessful, and we drove across the island almost hungry to the so-called Nugget Point, a lighthouse south of Dunedin in the area known as 'The Catlins'. The short drive led along steep cliffs and in the water below, you could see the small, rocky islands ('The Nuggets') where the seals were sunbathing. Nearby, there was Roaring Bay, a supposed hot spot for penguins, which could be observed from a small lookout point. We patiently waited for over an hour, but unfortunately, the penguins didn't show up :( So we continued towards Dunedin, along the coast on the Southern Scenic Route, passing picturesque small towns, beaches, cliffs, and meadows full of sheep.

In the evening, it was Easter Sunday (4/1), and for the third time, Ed Sheeran performed at the stadium in Dunedin, and the city was in a frenzy. Typically New Zealand, the concert started at 5:30 pm, otherwise we might have gone (there were still a few tickets available)! A newspaper reported that Dunedin had discovered a new form of gold mining through Ed Sheeran; apparently, he filled the city's coffers... Fortunately, our accommodation was not near the stadium, and we could go out for a quiet dinner (Etrusco, a very good Italian restaurant).

The following morning (day 37), we had breakfast at the cafe 'Dog with two tails'. What a cool place! If you're in Dunedin, go there! And pay attention to the train! After breakfast, we briefly explored downtown Dunedin. We made the usual stop at the local art gallery ('Public Art Gallery') :) It was located directly in the city center, 'The Octagon', which was mostly built in the Victorian style. The exhibition was nice, and there were also paintings by Monet and Picasso. Dunedin also has a Flemish-style train station, which made for a pretty photo opportunity, and several steep streets with up to 35% gradient. Although originally designed on a grid plan, it was a real challenge for horse-drawn carriages in the past. But now that every New Zealand resident owns a car, it's no longer a problem ;) 

On our way to Fairlie, our second-to-last stop, we made a stop at the Moeraki Boulders on Koekohe Beach. These were different-sized spherical stones that were scattered on the beach and also found further inland. There are still about 50 boulders that can be best seen at low tide. However, at our visit in the afternoon and high tide, the number of tourists was at least as large as the number of boulders. Unfortunately, many of the smaller stones have been removed since the 19th century before the stones were protected. One of the largest stones could be seen in Dunedin, for example. If only we had known that! The postcards showing the Moeraki Boulders had made our expectations too high!

Also nearby was Katiki Point, a headland with a lighthouse and many, many seals. They were simply lying in the grass, so close that you could almost touch them (which, of course, is not recommended as they bite!). As we were heading back to the car, the long-awaited moment finally happened: We saw penguins! Three rare yellow-eyed penguins in total. Unfortunately, we didn't see them jump/waddle out of the water, but one was lying very close to the edge of the path behind a bush, another one was hiding in the tall grass, and one was standing in the neighboring bay. Cool!!! Luckily, we had binoculars with us, so we could observe the little rascals.

In Fairlie, near Lake Tekapo, we arrived in the dark again... and just like in Bainham at the Heaphy Track, the accommodation was located on a gravel road, of course unlit, and after some searching, we found the entrance gate and then had to drive for a little eternity across the property until we reached the house. An old farmhouse, but very nicely renovated, hats off! The next morning, in daylight, the road seemed much shorter and friendlier :)))

Before we headed to Christchurch on day 38, we first went to Lake Tekapo in the Mackenzie Basin, in the middle of the South Island. The lake had a beautiful turquoise color in the sunshine, as the water came from the surrounding glaciers of the New Zealand Southern Alps. This naturally attracted more herds of tourists. Due to its location between the mountains, there is no significant city in the area, and the region is almost free of light pollution. It is therefore one of the four Dark Sky Reserves in the world. On nearby Mount John, there was an observatory with a café. We drove up the mountain (private road, not suitable for tourist buses, and it cost 8 NZ dollars) and enjoyed the view. Unfortunately, a thick, rather flat cloud had settled over us and the lake in the meantime, so the blue-turquoise color didn't come into its own as much anymore. And it was windy up there! But the cloud didn't seem to care, it was stuck... We had something tasty at the café :))), before we set off for Christchurch.

After we arrived at our accommodation, we packed our bags, quite a lot of souvenirs had to be stored :)))

Today, on day 40, Thursday, April 5th, after breakfast, it was time to say goodbye to our last accommodation. We loaded up our faithful rental car and headed to the city center. After all, we hadn't visited an art gallery here yet... So we first went to 'The Arts Centre', a neo-gothic complex of buildings that used to house the university and now has small shops, restaurants, art exhibitions, a museum... And we were lucky: Finally, we got to see contemporary 'real' Māori art! In addition to some exhibits, there was also an interactive presentation of various instruments. Cool!

Next, we went to the very last item on our itinerary: Janina had something planned and surprised Jörg with a long-awaited game of mini golf!! The individual courses were completely different from the ones usually played. Each course had an information board because practically each course referred to something historical in Christchurch, and many had obstacles made from parts of buildings that had fallen victim to the earthquakes. The mini golf facility was called City-Putt, and it was really cool!!!

To conclude, we enjoyed an ice cream, and then we went to the airport. When we arrived, everything went quickly: We parked the car in a row with other Avis cars, unloaded our belongings, and returned the key. Goodbye, Toyota! Thanks for the safe hours during all the kilometers we drove, nearly 3000 km on the South Island :) In the airport terminal, we looked for last-minute souvenirs, and Janina wrote the last postcards :)))

As we sat in the plane, we said goodbye to New Zealand: It was a fantastic time in a fantastic country that enchanted us with its numerous incredibly beautiful facets. Great, unique moments were behind us and also ahead of us because we will definitely fly to New Zealand again :)))