Mount Cook

En route to the Mount Cook region we managed to stumble across the Mount Cook salmon farm. Set against the backdrop of the snow capped mountains, the gleaming blue water that comprises the farm was too tempting to resist, so we treated ourselves to a nice fresh salmon. Armed with this and advice from the gentleman in the shop about how best to tackle it (smother it with sweet chilli sauce, a squeeze of fresh lemon or orange juice, wrap in foil and bake for 20 mins at 180! - Easy Peasy) we headed off to the main attraction of the area - the tallest mountain in Australasia.

The route to Mount Cook village became more and more breathtaking, as we passed by more stunning blue lakes and meandered along winding roads - the snow capped mountains gradually closed in on us until it felt like we were completely encased by them. After parking up Rodney we walked down into the village, past the famous Hermitage Hotel - originally constructed back in 1884, when the trip down from Christchurch used to take a few days, it was destroyed by floods in 1913. It was then rebuilt, however it burnt down in 1957. The third attempt at a hotel is the one that currently stands! Stood outside the hotel is a statue of Sir Edmund Hillary - the famous Everest climber!

We continued onto the Mount Cook Visitor Centre, which is full of original pieces of equipment belonging to explorers and workers of the region. Lets just say climbing clothing has changed somewhat over the years!

As the weather seemed to be turning bad again, and it began to rain - we ventured out on one of the brief walks to the first nearby suspension bridge, which provided views of the base of mount cook. However as the mist descended down it made it pretty difficult to see anything.

That night we stayed at Glentanner Park, on the northern shore of Lake Pukaki. Quite an eerie experience, as we were just 1 of only 3 campervans on the site, and after dark it was pitch black! The next day we hoped to go back for a second look at Mount Cook, unfortunately the weather worsened and made it even more difficult to see anything. Stopping in the Old Mountaineers Cafe, with a large window looking out towards the mountains, we were glad to be somewhere with a nice warm open fire! As we were unable to get out on any other walks we decided to make the most of the visitor centres abundance of information and went back to really swot up on the history and geology of the nearby mountains - I'll always remember the date in 1991 when Mount Cook lost 9m in height - it was on my birthday! The reality of the dangers of tackling such mountains was really brought home with the numerous memorial books on display in the centre. (In fact in the week since visiting mount cook, there has been another report in the paper of a tourist walking in mount cook - missing, presumed dead)
We decided to continue onwards and made our way back through Twizel to the quaint town of Oamaru

Oamaru
Our first stop was the i -site to find out a very important piece of information... Oamaru is also known as "penguintown" ...we were off on a mission to see penguins! We found out the location (Bushy Beach) to view yellow eyed penguins and headed straight there. In Maori they are known as "hoiho" which means noisy and we certainly heard them making some interesting squawking noises! In total we managed to see 5 from the lookout point - amazing (Fortunately there were binoculars available to use and a lovely Scottish chap (penguin expert) on hand to point out the little cuties as they reared their heads!) As we watched 2 more waddle ashore, the rain started to lash down on us and we decided it was time to retreat back to the campervan!
The next day we visited the Oamaru public gardens, which were absolutely immaculate! However , this wasn't weather to linger around outside in - it was FREEZING again! We wandered into town and went to the Whitestone cheese factory which had an observation deck. Really interesting, there was a guide on the wall explaining the entire process of cheese making and you could see into the rooms the cheese matured in - mmm mouldy cheese! We treated ourselves to some Brie and award winning cheddar! Yum!
We then wandered around the historic precinct, where many of the commercial buildings were constructed early in the 19th century out of local limestone (also known as whitestone). Our favourite was the "NZ Malt Whiskey Company" which is housed in the upper storey of a 130 year old whitestone commercial building.
Our time in Oamaru had come to an end and it was time to move south through the Otago region to its one major city - Dunedin!

Dunedin
Our first thoughts on Dunedin - how steep the roads are! Our poor camper was struggling to get us into the town centre, fortunately the layout of the town was easy enough to navigate and we found ourselves right in the Hexagon ( at the heart of town ). Dunedins heritage has Scottish roots, as the first European settlers comprised of 2 shiploads of Scots, including the nephew of Robert Burns ( There is a statue of the poet himself in the Hexagon)
Whilst busying ourselves in the I-Site gathering info...we accidentally left Rodneys headlights on - therefore we were met with a flat battery when we returned (And by this point, it would soon be getting dark and was tipping it down! Great!) Fortunately membership to the AA was included with the rental. So after an hours wait a somewhat miserable AA rescue truck came and jump started us! (We have now stuck 2 big notices on the dashboard reading "TURN LIGHTS OFF!!!!" in a bid to remind ourselves - so far, so good)

The next morning we were met with freezing temperatures and drizzling rain. We got the bus into town, and managed to get chatting to the couple from the campervan next to us. A retired couple from Brisbane - very sweet (and quite entertaining! The wife clearly wore the trousers and was super chirpy, whereas the chap was the personification of pessimism - his favourite phrase "yeah but if the weather aint right...", "yeah but if you haven't got the weather", "but if the weather's bad...." Ok we get it! The weather is important to you!) Anyways, they gave us tips on what to do on the north island.
First stop - we booked ourselves onto the tour of the Cadburys Factory and also a tour of the Speights Brewery!

Cadburys factory was great fun - rather than putting you off chocolate, it just made us crave it! Fortunately they gave out lots of nibbles along the way! We've discovered some Cadburys offerings that aren't available back home and are now addicted! In particular "Jaffas" and "Morro" bars - apparently 1 is eaten every 3 seconds in NZ!
We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around town, stopped for lunch at a Chinese fast food place - due to the open plan kitchen we could marvel at the guy frantically working his wok , cooking each dish freshly - impressive work and delicious food! (Reminded us of home and meals at Chez Wongs) We loved the feel of Dunedin, as it is a major university town it has a very young and lively feel to it. (Especially in comparison to the more sleepy places we have been recently) Our brewery tour wasn't until 7pm so we decided to try one of the nearby bars - "10 Bar" (also enticed inside by the girl giving out free samples of Monteiths Summer Ale outside!) We were pleasantly surprised when we got inside to discover it was the launch night of the summer ale and they were doing free food tastings all evening! That was dinner sorted!

The brewery tour was great fun - 60 mins learning about the history of the brewery and how it became established and evolved (the work of 3 british brewers nonetheless!) The tour was finished up with a 30 min tasting session. Needless to say Andy benefitted more from this bit of the tour (although I did try my hand at a few...they just didn't go down that easily!)

We had one last sight in Dunedin we wanted to visit - The Worlds Steepest Street (or that is what is claimed at least? - After visiting Lombard Street in San Franciso, we were dubious!) On first inspection...we weren't too sure. We walked up it to get a better look, and soon realised that looks can be deceiving! Steep as it was...we're still not convinced that it outdoes Lombard Street (Perhaps the beautifully manicured surroundings and winding nature of the road in San Fran makes it appear moreso) A friendly local chap kindly offered to take some pics for us and asked about our travel plans. The conversation was soon cut short when he said "ahhh is that your camper round the corner with the headlights on??" OOPS! We sprinted back to Rodney and got the engine running just in time!

Otago Peninsula
Time to move away from Dunedin and head for the Otago Peninsula - home to an abundance of wildlife (albatross', penguins and seals) and also NZ's only castle (more on that later) The drive around the peninsula was primarily along a coastal road with stunning views. As we headed inland to the castle, Rodney struggled a little with the steep hills and winding tracks - but made it there in the end! By the time we reached the castle it was BITTERLY cold! (fleeces, hats, gloves, coats - and we were still cold - we have even contemplated balaclavas at some points) So we decided to have a (quick) walk around the gardens and head inside for a hot drink by the fireplace. Firstly - we'd like to say - its not really a castle. Well, not as we know them to be back in the UK. Its more of a manor house! (Built for a politician back in 1871) The gardens were lovely, beautifully kept and the views of the penninsula were amazing!! After warming up with a MUCH needed hot drink in the cafe (housed in the grand ballroom) we decided we should get going as the weather looked like it was going to take a turn for the worse! We had really hoped to visit the northern tip of the peninsula where there is a lighthouse and also the royal albatross centre, not to mention a place to view the yellow eyed penguins! But with our petrol looking a little low, the clouds coming in thick and fast and wind picking up, we decided to head back to the mainland and continue with our journey down the coast towards the Caitlins.

Caitlins
We first passed through Owaka, the main town of the Caitlins. From here we continued south to Pounawea, a tiny little riverside town. From here we ventured onto Kaka Point , a small township with a sandy beach. In the summer we imagine this would have been stunning, however in the ominous Spring winds and tempestuous weather, we saw the biggest waves we've ever seen! The sea appeared to be just a mass of white froth as the waves crashed violently into shore. All in all, there was a very sinister feeling to the place, therefore we decided against staying here for the night! Guided by our Lonely Planet book we continued onto "Nugget Point" where we hoped to go on the short walk to the lighthouse. Well, the road to Nugget Point should come with a health warning! (Those with nervous dispositions/a dislike for heights & teetering cliff-edge roads in HIGH winds - do not proceed!) With andy behind the wheel at this point, there was much mutual-reassurance conversation at this point! When we finally reached the summit, and attempted to get out the van - we realised just how strong the winds were! I could barely get my door open, and the second i did it was nearly ripped off its hinges. So, like any sane people, we decided to try and do the walk. After a few footsteps (and nearly being blown off our feet) we decide to walk the next 20 or so steps to the viewpoint and not do anything stupid! Clinging on for dear life, we couldn't even take a photo of the views that we were met with - the camera would have been swept away! Thrashing below us, the waves were destructive and unwelcoming! We decided it was time to get the hell away from this high ground!

Only once we were back on reasonable roads (at sea level and sealed, rather than gravel tracks) did Andy admit it was the scariest moment of his entire driving life. A drive we will never ever forget!

Running out of ideas of where to get our head down for the night, we headed to the nearest campsite in Balclutha...bad idea. It was deserted, and no sooner had we pulled up to take a look than a rather...intimidating looking man popped out of a cabin and grilled us on what we were doing? Not staying here is what we thought! So, we decided we would just have to drive to the next biggest town : Gore. Arriving at night, we didn't know what was in the surrounding areas and only realised in the middle of the night the campsite was right next to the railway track! Gave us a bit of a fright. Either way we were glad to get our head down.

A late night phonecall from home, just proved to highlight what a small world this us. On informing mother wong of our whereabouts...she informs us that she has a cousin living in Gore, and by chance mentions the road name....and it just happens to be the road the campsite is on!! What are the chances? So, the next morning, before departing Gore, we bravely knock on said cousins door, ready to pass on a cheerful "Hello from your cousin and family in the UK" but sadly were met with disappointment as no one was home. Nevermind - still a crazy coincidence!

The Journey continues...onwards to Te Anau and our Milford Sound Adventure