In the morning we went to Bluff to catch a ferry to visit New Zealand’s third major island ‚Stewart Island‘. Unfortunately our Bus driver got confused over the timetable and we missed the first ferry and had to hang around in Invercargill for a couple of hours. We went to a local museum and watched some Tuataras. Tuataras are little reptiles, which hang around most the time, doing nothing at all, not even blinking. But would you believe it – those little cuties get pretty old, some of the inhabitants in the museum where around 150 years old… Maybe I should start sitting on my butt take it a little bit easier!
Finally we able to get a express ferry, which was a hefty $90 Kiwi-Dollar for a return trip to the island. On the island one group went fishing, while I did a walk on the cheap around the island to some beaches with the rest of the group. The fishing team was very successful and managed to feed the entire bus group with a very delicious fish called Blue Cod.
Overall, Stewart Island is very remote and very quiet. The best part was the local pub, rumor has it that it is the most southern pub in the world, but New Zealanders tend to show off a little bit. (Well, it is very very south for sure..). If you are ever sipping a drink – or like me – two double tequila, in that pub, go to the men’s toilet to take a look at the condom vending machine, it has something very funny written on it. Unfortunately I did not get to see much of the island and spent less then 24 hours on the island itself. If you have only that much time, safe the 90 Bucks for the boat-ride for something else! But I do have to admit when I woke up the next morning and went outside, discovering the island covered in mist and hearing all different kinds bird sounds it indeed felt like being at a mysteries island out in the middle of nowhere.
October 19, Invercargill to Dunedin
Just after a little bit less then 24 hours it was already time to leave Steward island with the express ferry. The highlight on the way from the very south of New Zealand towards Dunedin was the Petrified Forest and a stop at the beach to watch some sea lions. Dunedin has Scottish roots and is home of the Speight’s brewery and a Cadbury chocolate factory. For me it was also movies night and I decided to watch “40 year old virgin” at the local theater.