We traveled from Invercargill to Manapouri, where we did an overnight cruise in Doubtful Sound of Fiordland National Park. I’ll do a separate post for that; this is just getting there.

Here’s an interactive map of our route:

Unripe marshmallows:

Countryside:

Farm equipment:

Brunel Peaks Cafe for coffee and slices:

Mountains:

One way bridge:

Waiau River:

Another one way bridge:

A little sketchy:

Interesting rocks:

Parked for our overnight cruise:

Stay tuned for the super-scenic cruise tomorrow….

We traveled from Dunedin to Invercargill.

Here’s an interactive map of our route, with some potential stops marked:

Narow road:

Nice view:

We did a guided tour of Larnach Castle:

Coffee and snack at the castle cafe:

Balclutha Bridge:

Cafe 55 for lunch:

Arriving at Amble On Inn:

Office:

Map:

Then we headed out again; a fuel stop:

Stirling Point sign in Bluff:

An anchor chain sculpture:

Small lighthouse:

McDonalds Big Arch burger for dinner:

Back at the campground, Jenn did some laundry:

Our site:

We traveled from Twizel to Dunedin.

Here’s an interactive map of our route, with some of the stops marked:

A cat visited our site:

On the road:

Waitaki Dam:

Takiroa Rock Art:

Flying Pig Cafe in Duntroon for a morning coffee and slice:

Duntroon exhibits:

Moeraki Boulders:

Lunch at the Moeraki Boulders cafe:

Katiki Point Lighthouse:

Dunedin architecture:

Arriving at Portobello Village Tourist Park:

Our site; very unusual in that it had a sewer hookup:

We traveled from Rakaia to Twizel. A very scenic drive.

Here’s an interactive map of our route, with some of the stops marked:

Morning snack:

An art:

Southern Alps:

Lake Tekapo lupins:

The iconic Church of the Good Shepherd at Lake Tekapo:

Scenic lunch in the van:

Looking at Aoraki / Mount Cook across the lake:

Bumblebee:

We arrived at Twizel Holiday Park to check in before they closed:

,,,but the office had closed early, so we just grabbed the map to our site:

Then we headed to Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park:

Fuel stop in the park:

Park map:

Park visitor center:

Relief map:

Predator free NZ:

We walked partway along the famous Hooker Valley Track:

There are three swing bridges along the track, but the second one was damaged, so the track was closed at that point (which was fine, since it was further than we wanted to walk anyway):

The first swing bridge:

A monument:

Aoraki / Mount Cook viewpoint:

Pizza for dinner in Twizel:

Jelly Tip ice cream for dessert back at our site:

A very scenic day. But not the last!

We traveled south from Hammer Springs to Rakaia.

Here’s an interactive map of our route, with a grocery stop marked:

A nice shower at the Hanmer Springs Top 10:

Back over the one lane Waiau Ferry Bridge:

Waiau Uwha River:

Hills:

Morning coffee and snack at Red Post Cafe in Culverden:

Interesting rocks:

We stopped for groceries at Woolworths in Amberley. It was nice to be able to load groceries directly into the van:

Fanfare sculpture in Christchurch:

Arriving at Rakaia River Holiday Park:

They had a TARDIS by the office:

Campground map:

Outdoor kitchen:

Indoor kitchen:

Shower:

We headed out again to go into town; the iconic Rakaia salmon sculpture:

We got dinner from Rakaia Takeaways:

Rakaia buildings:

We opened some Christmas crackers:

And had mini pavlovas for dessert: