We had to be up very early, if not bright, for our flight back to Invercargill. The weather was very hot and sunny as we left Stewart Island but as we descended into Invercargill it was grey and chilly looking, like another world. We returned to the car and had a short ride around Invercargill to see the sights before moving on. Not all that many sights to see but we saw the pyramid shaped museum which is currently showing the Romans, and the impressive Queens Park as well as several churches and the historic water tower.

We decided to visit Bluff before heading for Queenstown. It added some time to the journey but we wanted to see it while down this way. It is the first European settlement and the ferry departure point for Stewart Island. At Stirling Point where the state highway begins (or ends, depending how you look at it) we saw the famous international signpost showing distances to many places. We also saw Bluff Lighthouse and and interesting chain link sculpture. There were also some highly dangerous speaking public toilets. They SOUND friendly enough but when you go inside and shut the door and they tell you that you have 10 minutes to complete your business and then the door opens immediately you sit down it is rather disconcerting!

After Bluff we joined the Southern Scenic route for the pretty way to Queenstown. We followed the rugged and windswept coastline for quite a while and stopped at Gemstone beach to see if we might be lucky in turning up some semi-precious stones However, the wind was so strong that we had more chance of being swept away so didn't stay long. We turned inland and travelled many miles before stopping at Clifden to admire the amazing old suspension bridge and see people jet boating on the river below. As we passed Manapouri there were many people sunbathing by the lake and we took the opportunity to use the long drop toilets which are not nearly as bad as you might imagine.

We stopped at Te Anau for coffee and an ice-cream overlooking the lake. It is quite busy compared with anywhere else we have seen along the way and we spent a while sitting in the sunshine and enjoying the view. On our way again we kept a sharp eye out for The Wilderness Lookout but saw no sign of it whatsoever. Our luck was clarly out that day because the Five Rivers Cafe, also highly recommended as a stopping point, was closed! They obviously saw us coming!

As we approached Queenstown we stopped several times to enjoy the view of lake Wakatipu. As so often happens, when we reached Queenstown it then took us quite some time to find the place where we were staying, but thankfully not too long and we were settled in our beautiful Lakefront apartment at Eichardt's Private Hotel All lovely and comfortable with a washing machine as well. What more could weary travellers wish for!

Once settled we made our way to the renowned Eichardt's bar where we savoured a welcome glass of Bolly as we looked out over the lake. Champagne and tapas made for a lovely end to a long and tiring day.