Month: August 2026

THE RETIREES VISIT THE SOUTH ISLAND ACROSS THE DITCH blog 495 Episode 2

19TH MAY TO 10TH JUNE 2026

Day 5.                Today we are headed from Te Anu to Invercargill but we had to stop for coffee at the smallest coffee shop. It was clearly a diversified income stream for the laundry operating behind it as our barista came from the laundry to serve us.

Invercargill was 2.1/2 hours away and we would be staying at the Ibis Styles in Tay St. Invercargill. It had been our plan to look for stops on the way – yes, for coffee but stops of interest. There was one thing common about all the scenery, and this was the plantations of pine trees. Plantation forests are dominated by Radiata pine (Pinus radiata). Introduced in the 1800s, this incredibly fast-growing species is used for everything from structural timber to pulp. While plantation forests are strictly managed, the South Island faces a significant ecological crisis from wilding pines. These are self-seeded, invasive pine trees often Contorta pine and Douglas fir. These wilding pines choke out native alpine vegetation, use vast amounts of water, and ruin natural landscapes.

On the way to Invercargill, we expected to pass over Clifden Suspension Bridge. Wikipedia says “The historic Clifden Suspension Bridge is located in Southland on the South Island of New Zealand. Built in 1899, this 111-meter wooden and steel bridge spans the Waiau River and features a Category 1 Historic classification. Originally built to replace a ferry punt and connect the region, it was the longest suspension bridge in the country. It was closed to vehicular traffic in 1978 when a modern bridge was built nearby. Today, it is pedestrian-only and serves as a popular roadside stop for photographs and historical appreciation.”

So, here we are at Clifden Suspension Bridge.

The Bridge and its history, the Waiau River

Out comes the coffee and biscuits and we appreciate the work and effort to construct such a bridge in 1899 in the wilds of the South Island. Suitably refreshed (Barry had picked up some Scotch Fingers whilst I had picked up a packet of Biscoff biscuits and prepared vanilla latte sachets, Kerry had her Spicy Chai Latte and the thermos of hot water) we motored on now following the coastline. McCracken’s Rest just off the main road, caught our eye for our next stop. No idea who McCracken may be nor why he rested here (no sign of a grave) but it has awesome views up and down the coast. From here we are closer to Stewart Island than Invercargill! We are right at the bottom of the South Island. According to a sign nearby “Locals appreciate McCracken’s Rest for its stunning coastal views and proximity to attractions like Monkey Island and Gemstone Beach.” After reading this Barry needed to see Monkey Island.

McCracken’s Rest, up and down the beach (Stewart Is in the background) Tuatapere history board.

We drove to Monkey Island a rocky knob which becomes an island at high tide. Well, Barry scrambled up one side, and I thought I chose an easier route up the other side but oh No! I was wrong and tumbled backward knocking my head. Very stupid and dangerous for me having previously broken my neck surfing and now with my head screwed on by a fusion of my C4 to C7 vertebrae. But I am still here to write about it. Kerry watched my fall from the beach causing her great grief. Not a high point of our holiday but a lesson learnt by me.

Monkey Island

I had no side effects from my tumble other than a bruised ego and an annoyed wife. So, we moved onto Riverton for lunch visiting the Aparima Hotel. We had an enjoyable lunch in a warm cosy atmosphere. There seemed too many locals having lunch and enjoying themselves, so I googled The Aparima Hotel and found according to google that it “is a well-loved historic establishment” on the South Island. “It had burned down in a devastating fire in 2013, but the site has since been successfully rebuilt as the Aparima Restaurant & Bar.” We can attest to that.

Aparima Restaurant and Bar

We moved onto Invercargill arriving at our hotel around 3.00pm Saturday. Barry and Sandi had plans of visiting Stewart Island, but their enquiries changed their minds. They could not do a day trip and would need to stay overnight. Whether that was a seasonal thing or not, they decided to do things with us which changed our very loose plans. The hotel was not as expected either. It was in one of the main streets of the CBD and there was, despite our being told otherwise, no onsite parking. Parking on the street was free on the weekend but after 8.00am on Monday the parking on the street would be free for 20mins only. This still didn’t give us secure parking off the street. On the positive side, we had comfortable rooms and access to a lounge which gave us plenty of room to play cards and prepare meals and lunches.

Day 6                 The following day Barry revealed that he had discovered a motorbike museum nearby. Now Barry is still riding and couldn’t wait to view the museum. The legacies of George Begg and Burt Munro are displayed at Classic Motorcycle Mecca. Classic Motorcycle Mecca and E. Hayes & Sons. are also located in central Invercargill and showcase New Zealand’s incredible motorsport and engineering history. Most of the motorcycles in the collection were originally acquired by Tom and Heather Sturgess. In 2016 Sturgess announced that he had undergone major surgery, and that the collection of almost 300 motorcycles, eventually was sold to Transport World in Invercargill to be relocated to new premises in Invercargill.

So, we visited the museum and what a phenomenal exhibition it is. We started in the café which had some interesting bits and pieces. After coffee (of course we had coffee!) Barry and I entered the museum. Gob smacked at the number and variety of motorcycles, we wandered through the ground floor where we discovered the original elevator for the building and the original mobile washing service run by Mary Watson on her Indian Scout motorcycle and side car. How did the Messerschmitt three-wheeler get in there? And the twin rider Whizzer from 1948?

One of the two buildings with The Café beside it, the museum entrance and ground floor showroom, Mrs Watson’s Indian Scout, the Messerschmitt and the Whizzer.

But there’s more downstairs.

Photos              Push bikes and the George Begg Collection

But there’s more upstairs from the ground floor. However I have run out of space so to see the World’s Fastest Indian you will need to go to Episode 3

THE RETIREES VISIT THE SOUTH ISLAND ACROSS THE DITCH blog 495 Episode 1

19TH MAY TO 10TH JUNE 2026

Day 1   Flying on Virgin Air Lines for the first time since the change of ownership during Co-vid, Kerry and I arrive at Queenstown International Airport at the scheduled arrival time of 3.40 pm. We are traveling with Barry and Sandi, fellow retirees and cruise ship travellers and now partnering them in their adventure on the South Island. Barry had selected our hire car which was awaiting us off site. It had been a guess as to what space was needed for the four of us and our luggage, but we seemed to have guessed well. We pick up our Nissan X-Trail Hatchback, plan and load the luggage, and leave the car hire company with Barry in the driver’s seat, following his faithful Garmin GPS and drive to our Queenstown hotel, where we stay in Sherwood just down the road from the airport. We had booked into the Lodge in the hotel whilst Barry and Sandi had chosen a unit with a view of the lake.

our hotel and our room

Barry and Sandi had planned to catch up with their daughter Ruth but with no plans as to where they would dine. We were invited to join them, and plans were made to go to a local pizza restaurant. Local turned out to be the restaurant in the Holiday Inn Hotel next door to our hotel. Neither Kerry or I had met Ruth previously but she was delightful company. She is a young traveller mixing travel and study enjoying her nomad life. Dinner was fun and the meals were fine. Barry and Sandi will catch up with her again when their paths next cross.

Photos of, the sunrise and Lake Wakatipu.

Day 2 – Queenstown and Arrowtown

Our plans were fluid as to what we might find or do throughout the journey. After breakfast at the hotel, we drove to Arrowtown. Arrowtown is a historic gold mining town 20 minutes from Queenstown and located on the banks of the Arrow River. The town is popular because it preserves its 1860s gold-rush history while offering a vibrant, modern food and shopping scene. The town has stunning natural landscapes. The winter season had turned the trees which were covered with autumn foliage.

Arrowtown buildings and its surroundings,

A highlight and surprise for us was the Lakes District Museum. The museum provided an insight into the gold mining history of Queenstown. The museum had constructed a number of scenes as things might have been as well and telling its history.

Lakes District Museum.

Queenstown sits directly on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand’s longest lake (84 km) famous for its dramatic Z-shape, pristine water, and unique natural tide. Framed by the Remarkables mountain range, this alpine lake is the vibrant hub for Queenstown’s sightseeing, cruises, and water sports. So, after visiting Arrowtown Barry drove onto the docks where TSS Earnslaw Steamship is docked to catch the cruise boat RedNZ which would take us for a cruise to the Walter Peak High Country Farm. It was by then getting a bit late (sunset was around 5.00pm) so we did not hop off as we had a big drive to Te Anu and Milford Sound tomorrow.

TSS Earnslaw Steamship, the lake, the Walter Peak High Country Farm, RedNZ and the steamship again

Day 3   Queenstown to Te Anau

It is a 6-hour drive to Parklands Motel in Te Anau. On the way we had a stop at the Dome Café in Mossburn. Great coffee stop, on your travels to Te Anau or Milford/Doubtful Sound but not much in the village. Beside the café there is a business called Bracken Hall claiming to have the best venison pies in the South Island. Apart from that there was a new petrol station (one of those 24 hours self-serve unattended things very popular in NZ) and the original petrol station on the opposite side of the road looking more like Steptoe & Son yard and just dirty with vehicles to be repaired or beyond repair. After coffee and cake and a visit to the bathroom, we hit the road again. We were starting to see more sheep, more and more mountains and low cloud. Low cloud would be a feature of the scenery whenever approaching or in the mountains.

Mossburn on the road to Te Anu – Dome Café, Low cloud on the mountains, Sheep of course, Bracken Hall

We arrived in Te Anu around 1.30pm and the rooms were not ready. We took the opportunity to take a drive around the town, visit the Lake and the float plane dock and a short drive along the road toward Milford Sound as the rooms weren’t ready. We got as far as Lake Mistletoe where we found a park and the outside dunny in the form of a long drop. A map showing our position and the distance to Milford Sound caught our eye. The beach was all river stone and tee pees of driftwood had been erected probably by the park rangers. We had cut some sandwiches and carried boiling water in our flask so that we could have lunch overlooking the lake. We returned to the main road and found our way to Mistletoe walk. The track was a circuit, and we noticed an abundance of fungi/mushrooms and strange trees with extended limbs. As we approached the edge of Lake Mistletoe the scenery was very dramatic with mountains in the background, bird life abounding and unusual groundcovers.

Photos              Float plane docking, Lake Mistletoe, the long drop lunch at the lake, fungi, ground cover and bird life, Float planes at dock

We returned to Te Anu and our accommodation. We roamed the streets to find our evening repast – bottles of wine and snacks whilst we played cards (Skipbo). We arose early, had breakfast and were ready to move onto Milford Sound. This is when I took the morning photo of the Float planes at dock.

Float planes at dock

Day 4   Te Anau             The day was not promising the best weather so we decided that Kerry and I would cruise on Milford Sound. Barry and Sandi chose a walk in the Sound having enjoyed the cruise on a previous occasion. Milford Sound or Piopiotahi in Māori is a breathtaking fiord in New Zealand’s Fiordland National Park, renowned for its dramatic sheer cliffs, cascading waterfalls, and inky dark waters. Yes, a fiord – a valley carved by glacier. It was a long drive with Barry at the wheel. Dramatic scenery surrounded us. The mountains were astounding, shooting up like a forest all round. We encountered just 1 tunnel, and it was single lane as well. So, as you will see in the photos, we had to await our turn to pass through. When our turn came, I was able to photograph the interior passage. More mountains rose around us as we made our way to the Milford Sound dock with the vegetation changing to dense forest.

Dramatic mountains, tunnel, tunnel passage, more mountains,

Arriving at the dock there was a very modern quay and visitor complex with 9 vessels tied up awaiting the passengers for the day. We had a bit of a wait and moved along the wharf viewing all the vessels. I was particularly taken by Milford Mariner, part sail part cruising yacht. However, that was not our vessel – we boarded the Milford Monarch. The boat was not crowded at all. The biggest crowd was a bus tour. Our vessel was the last to sail. The photos will tell you what we saw. Kerry and I found the cruise disappointing – very little wildlife was visible and but for the evening showers overnight there would not have been any waterfalls.

Milford Mariner and Milford Monarch at the quayside, photos of the sound

Now I know the wildlife is not like a zoo but the promises of seeing Hector Dolphins, NZ fur Seals, Albatrosses and everything else was clearly just marketing. As explained by the staff “you’re here out of season”. We rejoined Barry and Sandi for the drive back to Te Anu, to hunt for dinner and play more Skipbo. During our hunt for dinner, we encountered one of the world’s smallest coffee venues. We all agreed that we would get our morning coffee there.

Day 5 Barry selecting his coffee, the coffee shop,

Episode 2 Our hunt for Invercargill follows. Keep reading to enjoy the whole safari.