The Catlins

 If someone had just plopped us down in the middle of the our journey over the last 2 days, we might have sworn that we were in the Scottish highlands, right down to the thousands of sheep dotting the landscape. 

Day 2: Oamaru - Dunedin

Day 3: Dunedin - Invercargill

Not much to say about Dunedin. Maybe because it was a Saturday. Dunedin is well known as a university city but we saw no life in the city at all. Dead quiet streets, run down storefronts and absolutely not a single coffee shop open after 2pm. On the plus side, we finagled a great price at the “poshest” hotel in the city and had a magnificent dinner at one of NZ’s most highly rated restaurants “Moiety”. Check it out at https://www.moiety.restaurant/

Serendipity played a role in our adventure from Dunedin to Invercargill. Our server at Moiety suggested that we visit “The Catlins” and take the scenic route rather than the SH1 highway. Stunning scenery with km after km of winding, hilly 2-lane roads, traveling through small villages and surfer hangouts. We couldn’t help but think about what this road would look like on a bicycle! 

Highlights included a short hike to “The Nuggets” and a stop at the petrified forest at Curio Bay. Walking on petrified trees that are over 180 million years old has a way of making you feel somewhat less significant in the grand scheme of things. 

The Nuggets

Curio Bay (Yellow eyed penguin colony & petrified forest)

The next 2 days are in Invercargill, just a little more like Scotland. We will have an opportunity to breathe, do some laundry and catch up on reading & maybe an afternoon nap. 

In the meantime stay tuned. New adventures await ❤️