Motoring to Dunedin

From the Doubtful Sound, back on the bus, back on the ferry boat, back to Manapouri. Waiting on our driver to get us and not realizing that Real NZ bus was waiting for us to get back on the bust to go to Queenstown and Steve thought we were being picked up in Te Anau. I called. Let’s talk about international calling. NZ 0800 numbers do not work, so what do I do? I google local numbers and add +64. Then there is the 2 digit NZ code after the +64, but when in that area I don’t need the 03 but only 3…. Give me a break. Just let me dial the damn number.. It’s all good! The lovely people at Real NZ in Manapouri dialed the number, Steve came and picked us up. Steve is the Managing Director of Classic Jaguars. He did not come in a jaguar, because, well, we have a lot of stuff and we have been eating really well in New Zealand. We discover Steve is also going to be driving us the whole time we require a driver in Dunedin area.

Steve is taking us to Invercargill. Do you know what Invercargill is famous for, besides being the end of New Zealand? We will have made it, technically, from tip to stern. Back to Invercargill. Invercargill is the home of Burt Munro. Burt Munro took a 1920 Indian motorcyle, modified it and raced it at Bonneville Sands in California, where he still holds the speed record. If you have not seen, “The World’s Fastest Indian”, you should. Burt Munro was friends with Mr. Hayes, owner and founder of E Hayes & Son Hardware Store. When Burt died, he bequeathed all his motorcycles and pieces/parts. There is no price to view the Motorworks Collection. It was pretty amazing! Check out their website, This is not your typical hardware store.

But I need to back up a minute, on the outskirts of Invercargill was garden store with a cafe where we stopped for lunch. New Zealand is not a big Halloween celebrator… There has been some stuff around, but not much, and of course they don’t celebrate our Thanksgiving… so Christmas is in full swing.

Leaving Invercargill, we passed a very large milk processing factory (the largest) and went through Gore, Clinton, and Milton on NZ 1. NZ 1 runs from Invercargill all the way to the Northland. There is a brief break in Milton where the 2 surveyors did not meet, but also at Picton where a ferry must be taken to reach the other side in Wellington. Gore and Clinton were not named after our presidents but the road between them is now named the Presidential Highway. It is the only part of 1 that has another name. Clinton used to be a 3 horse town because one of the longtime residents used Clydesdales to plow his land, even after everyone else switched to tractors.

After those towns, we made it to the seaside and headed towards Nugget Lighthouse. Not only did we get to see the lighthouse, but also sea lions!

We finally made it to our hotel, Fable, in Dunedin around 7ish, maybe 8ish. Bless Steve for today. He had to leave Dunedin area around 8 this morning to come and get us, and then he takes us to Invercargill to see the Indian and the Nugget Lighthouse, not to mention tomorrow, he is driving us around the Otago Penisula… Whew!

So, heaven forbid, we should have an easy in to a hotel. The room for Mommy and Dotty was not a split king as requested, but it finally got worked out. Once sort of settled, we needed to find food. It is now almost 9 pm and Friday night. You would think everything would be hopping… Nope, Chuck Testa! We end up walking around the corner to Speight’s Ale House. By this time, they are only serving Snacks. We are hungry, don’t want to backtrack. We sit in a booth and order drinks and food. After all, how bad can it be? It is only one meal out of our lives.