SOUTH ISLAND–KAKA POINT & SOUTH
On Sunday, we reluctantly left the comfort and warm hospitality at Pen-y-bryn Lodge and headed south toward Kaka Point on the coast doing some of our drive on the Southern Scenic Route which mostly skirts the coastline and is winding and often up and down as well. Our first stop was to see the famous Moeraki Boulders on a beach just outside Oamaru. These are large deposits of silt and calcite that formed through the combined actions of waves and erosion and are unusual for their very round shapes. They vary in size and some are smaller and not as round; others are large enough to stand or sit on. We were skeptical before we saw them, but quickly decided they were worthy of a number of photos. 
The farther south we’ve gone the less populated this area is except for the two cities of Queenstown and Dunedin. It’s heavily sheep farming and both Sunday and Monday we have seen field after field of sheep. It’s spring and so every mama sheep has one or two lambs gamboling after her. We drove through Dunedin, a university town with strong Scottish routes, dubbed the “Edinburgh of the south.” Had the weather been better, we would have stopped and wandered around as there is some lovely Victorian architecture that has been well preserved. We drove on.
The small towns and villages are a trip back in time and in many you will not find any gas stations and, in some, not even a café. But, every single one that is more than a crossroads has public toilets that are clearly identified on a directional sign. Much better on this issue than the U.S.! There are virtually no fast food restaurants and the eateries that do exist often feel dated in décor. And sometimes finding some place to have a bite to eat is a challenge that requires continuing on the road through several more towns.
On this Sunday, we had lunch at Kellys Kitchen in Milton, recommended by a woman in the previous town. We drove the one main street and then down several residential streets and couldn’t find it. We had been told it was near the country club on the right. After driving out of town and then back in, we saw the country club, slowed down, and then spied a tiny sign with faint lettering that said Kellys. The place was full of families and the menu options were extensive, more than we realized since there was a whole case of pies and wraps that we overlooked. In any case, my BLT on ciabatta with arugula was so good and something different from what I’d been eating! 
We arrived in Kaka Point, a tiny beachside burg in an area of the South Island called the Catlins, which sits right on the Pacific Ocean. We were warmly welcomed by Carolyn and Ken, our hosts at Breadalbane House, their B&B. We stayed upstairs in a comfortable small apartment with windows overlooking the water.
Before dinner, we took a short drive partway up the road to Nugget Point, a dramatic headland and site of an old lighthouse. Unfortunately, the sky was quite gray and it was cold. Kaka Point has 200 residents, but draws tourists and beachgoers in the summer months. There’s one café in town and that’s where we had dinner. Since it’s the only game in town, we had to have a reservation and our table was ready with our name on it. I was yearning for some pasta and decided on the fettuccine with chicken, bacon and mushrooms and a side salad while Greg, probably regretfully, tried the schnitzeled beef. He would have been happier with blue cod.
On Monday, we headed further south and then west to our destination of Te Anau. At this point, New Zealand felt really empty. Miles of road with almost no other cars and field after field of sheep on the undulating hills, then flat land and more snow-capped mountains. And a wonderful reserve of red tussock (grass) covering the mountainsides giving it a brownish red color and bumpy texture.
These billowing rounded grasses really appeal to me. Like long hair blown wild by a hairdryer, they look like they’d be soft to the touch. Apparently, some of these tussocks are more than 200 years old. 
Te Anau is one of the best-known lakes in the Southland region. And the town of Te Anau is the gateway to Fiordland National Park, larger than Yellowstone and Yosemite combined, and the jumping off point for the scenic drive north to Milford Sound. We will be here for one night before heading to the town of Manapouri and the start of an overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound.
Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved).
