Way Down South

We spent three nights in the car park. On the Friday night some of the local hoons decided to do wheelies at midnight and then at 2.30AM . Oh well the price of cheap accommodation! On Tuesday Lewis took us for a drive out to Aramoana - past port Otago. Aramoana is a forsaken run down village at the northern entrance to Otago Harbour. We were also shown the sights of Dunedin. We left Beth and Lewis's on Saturday morning and visited Judith their oldest daughter and her husband Paul where we had a shower and bath. They have more room than Lewis. From there we moved on down the coast to Taieri mouth and called in to a motor camp at Taeri Beach. When I enquired abpout the tariff I was told $9 00 per person and no discount. The facilities did not look very good so we headed back to the main road at Lake Waihola where we booked in to the camping ground - nice spot - facilities only OK - $16 00 for two. Dinner at the Waihola Hotel to celebrate our 39th wedding anniversary was marvellous. Next morning we followed state highway 1 towards Balclutha, diverting off to Kaitangata, the site of N.Z.'s worst mining disaster. Balclutha was where we arrived back on State Highway 1. The next part of our journey took us into the Catlins to Owaka where we stopped for aftenoon tea watching a local rugby team practice. The coach had all the ideas but the team didn't have the skills. We then drove on looking for a place to stop, after doubling back to pick up some cash at the Four Square. We passed Catlins lake which is really a big estuary - there are lots of them in this part of the country- we left the sealed road and headed into the bush. Suddenly we came upon a short sealed strip with a sign saying Purakaunui Falls Parking Area. there we met up with three other movanners and all decided to stay the night. Happy hour was good! The falls are well worth te 10 minute walk to see. Next day we drove a further 20 or so k.s to the end of the metal and then another 10 or so to Fortrose with diversions to Waikawa bay and Slope Point - the southernmost point of the South Island. I am surprised at how much country roung here looks like parts of the North Island. We had decided that we would spend two nights at Fortrose which was just as well because the weather packed in and we spent a drizzly day cleaning dust and grime from the inside of the bus. Wednesday morning we drove to bluff for Morning tea and then back to Invercargill where we are now settled in at the Coachmans Inn Campground - $18 00 for two. The weather is now brilliant sunshine and warm.