We spent a whole day slowly travelling down the scenic coastal way between Dunedin and Invercargill with a tourist map to guide us to the best sites. We felt like we were saying done that ticked that off. If we have time we will go back to some of the bays.

The whole day got hotter and hotter from 21c at Dunedin to 33c at Invercargill. Thank .goodness for air conditioning in the car.

We headed down the coast road at Balclutha and drove through wooded valleys and passed farm after farm.

We passed  sign to Cannibal Bay! At Okawa we visited the museum which told the story of the history of the area with all the ship wrecks and the settlers stories.

First stop was a waterfall past Owaka; Matai Falls. We  walked down below it in a rainforest area. It was very hot and humid there. Using a tripod ince got great pictures of the waterfall.

Next we saw spouting cave. It was quite impressive when the sea spouted up from the caves.

At Florence Hill Lookout we got views of Tautuku Bay. There is no road down to it. the beach was deserted.

we passed by the Cathedral caves as the tide was not low enough to view them. buty Went over the Chaslands to Waikawa. The Chaslands are hilly and go through forested areas. At Waikawa we went to Curio Bay. There is a petrified forest in the bay. You can see the tree stumps and trees laid down, all in their rock petrification. The bay was so different!

The last stretch of the Catlins was pure rainforest and very hot!

From Fortrose to Invercargill the terrain is flat and a huge wetland with many birds to see there.

Now we are in our new motel and it is like a little apartment with a sitting room and kitchen area, a bathroom, a toilet, and a bedroom. Very nice and comfortable it will suit us for 5 nights while we explore the area. Intention is to do the south coast  visit Thornbury!! and Clifton Suspension Bridge! Then Bluff and then up to Te Anau our next stop.

Love you all and am missing you. Matthew and Alex am thinkingof you as you goto Cleethorpes xxxx

PS This is Grandads favourite land

Oh and this looks like a lake but it is tidal and inland