The view from Florence Hill Lookout

PowerNet Tour of Southland

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The Catlins

We took our first excursion out of town this weekend.  We drove to the Catlins, an area along the east coast of Southland, New Zealand.  In our first hour on the road, I believe I saw more sheep than in my entire prior life.  Our first stop was at Waipapa Point.  There we saw and heard several sea lions.  It was a lot more interesting to see them on the beach than in a zoo habitat.  Another man got a bit close, but fortunately did not provoke these massive creatures.

We then walked up to the nearby Waipapa Point lighthouse.  This is a beautifully restored lighthouse.  We were almost alone at the site, save for four to six others until we were ready to leave.  That was when a tour bus pulled in as we left.  

Next stop, Curio Bay and a large fossil forests on the coast.  We were not fortunate enough to see any of the rare yellow-eyed penguins this trip.  Nearby, surfers were heading out to enjoy a beautiful day and modest surf.

The highlight of the trip was a visit to a working organic sheep farm.  We went on an hour horseback ride at Te Taunga, www.catlinshorsriding.co.nz , near Owaka.  The ride was across part of the 1600 acre farm.  Our horses had a steep climb up a 140 meter hill overlooking the valley below.  There is a spectacular view from the summit of the meeting of three bodies of water.  The Owaka and Catlin rivers meet the Pacific at Pounawea, as the Maori call it.  At the top our horses were a bit put off by sustained 60 kph winds.  It is a beautiful area and we plan a longer return visit with a longer morning ride on the beach.

On the way home, we stopped to eat at The Whispering Frog Cafe, near McLean Falls and had a delicious leisurely meal in pleasant surroundings.

Waipapa Point lighthouse

Can we talk?

Starry, starry night

For the first time since we arrived in New Zealand, there are clear skies at night.  We have some street lights around so viewing is not ideal, but in only four or five minutes I saw two meteors streak overhead.

It has been decades since I was an astronomy lab assistant spending hours looking up and I am lost in a sea of bright, beautiful stars that are foreign to me.  I will have to get a guide to the southern sky that I can take with me to a dark area and have a good look around.  If the clear skies prevail, the new moon will make for ideal stargazing, just in time for the weekend.