We decided to take the scenic route from Dunedin to Invercargill, across the Catlins.� Unfortunately we picked a horrific day to do the drive and spent the vast majority of the journey desperately trying to stop the wind from knocking the van over the many cliffs along the way!!!

Our first stop was at Nugget Point, where if lucky you can see the rare elephant seal.� We parked up the van and walked out to the lighthouse where you can see for miles along the coast in both directions.� Although there were no elephant seals, there was yet another colony of the coast regulars, the fur seal.�

Moving on we drove further along the scenic route until we reached Curio Bay, home to a fossil forest.� This is one of the country's best sites to see the ancient tree remains from as far back as 160 million years ago.� Unfortunately the tide was in and we didn't get to see all of it - a yellow eyed penguin preening on the rocks kept us amused instead!�

Next stop was Slope Point, the southern most point in New Zealand.� Again luck was not on our side as the weather had turned even worse due to our extreme southern position.� From the point we had to leave the van it was a 40 minute round trip across an open field and out to the world's end in torrential rain and howling winds - great fun!� Nevertheless we battled the elements, got our photos and scampered back to the warmth of the van.� Times like this when you're glad that you're carrying everything you own with you - clean clothes, a towel and a bottle of whiskey!!!

Due to the time of year many of the other places of interest were closed or simply inaccessible due to the weather, so we continued on to Invercargill, where we checked ourselves into a campsite and attempted to dry our soaking wet clothes.

Whilst here we visited the Southland Museum, home to yet another Maori exhibition, more interestingly one about the New Zealand Antarctic Islands.� However the main draw was the Burt Munro display, a local man who dedicated his life to speed!� He is the subject of the film The World's Fastest Indian and the gallery is about his life and the making of the film, one we watched whilst in Raglan.� We also paid a trip to the hardware store in the high street to see the actual bikes he transformed from regular motorcycles into record breaking machines!�

Having killed sufficient time for the weather to break up and allow the boats to Stewart Island to run, we made our way down to Bluff....�