nzflag(1).gif (9615 bytes)        S/V TETHYS

Touring New Zealand by Car
December 2000, February, March 2001
58 South Island Photos:

Picton harbour (14248 bytes)

Picton harbour (22719 bytes)

Picton Harbour views. There are several small marinas and the main ferry docks at Picton. The foreshore is designed for pedestrian use with pathways, benches and a playground. The ferry docks are designed to load both vehicular and  train traffic.

Akaroa cottage (15544 bytes) dissenters sign (8418 bytes) cemetery sign (10023 bytes)
Akaroa cottage. Interesting sign in Akaroa village showing the way to the 'dissenters' cemetery. Further on, a new sign defining 'dissenters'

Lyttrlton Tug (12633 bytes)

Lyttelton Tug (13446 bytes)

Lyttelton steam tug used for tours of the Lyttelton Harbour.

Timeball mechanism (9857 bytes)

circular stairs leading to timeball mechanisn (9311 bytes)

The operating mechanism at the base of the timeball mast.

Circular staircase inside the tower leading to the time ball operating mechanism and the roof of the signal station.
Women voters memorial (10814 bytes)
Christchurch. Commemorative plaque to the memory of NZ sufferage movement. The wheelbarrow holds a scroll petition signed by 1500 women. The scroll is displayed in the National Archives in Wellington.
Explorer Scott (17588 bytes) Tramper (22437 bytes)
Ross, the Antarctic explorer Roberts, on a tramp
1 person max (6994 bytes) 5 person max (7486 bytes) Paula on track bridge (11472 bytes)
Hiking trail bridge limits Paula pausing on the 1 person bridge.
mercedes (12980 bytes) Kaikoura light (12665 bytes)
Arthurs Pass, replica Mercedes touring South Island. Kaikoura lighthouse
bus drivers view, one lane bridge (12679 bytes) bus drivers view, twisty road (10965 bytes)
Single lane bridge over the Waimakariki River. Picture taken through the front window of the bus that took us to Christchurch from Arthurs Pass. A very narrow, winding road along the steep banks of the river.
view from staircase viaduct (9634 bytes) viaduct (11904 bytes)
Looking through the windbreak into the gorge below. Approaching one of the viaducts on the way to Arthurs Pass. The windbreak lines the bridge to help prevent rail workers from being blown off in high wind gusts.
Train interior (15338 bytes) viewing car (10212 bytes)
Interior of the TransAlpine train The observation car where Vlad spent most of his time in order to take pictures.
Arthurs Pass scenic view (4829 bytes) trout lake (7929 bytes)

A lake on the east side of Arthurs Pass viewed from the highway on the way down to Christchurch

 One of the several trout lakes on along the railway heading up to Arthurs Pass. There are gravel roads used by fishermen and local sheep and cattle farmers. Drought conditions in this area.
river view (10041 bytes) river view (11039 bytes)
The upper reaches of the Waimakariri River. The water level is very low in this wide stretch of river. The gravel beds are mined along most of these NZ rivers which is easy to do with low summer water levels.
valley view (5378 bytes) Queenstown sunset (15291 bytes)
valley view (6265 bytes)
Scenic views.
Glenmark train station (20532 bytes) Kaikoura train (21675 bytes)
Glenmark train station. A steam train operates here on weekends. Closed the day we passed by. Some of the rolling stock at Glenmark.
Moeraki boulder group and Paula (4967 bytes) broken boulder (10393 bytes)
Paula standing by a group of boulders. One of the boulders cracked by the sea and sun.
Akaroa lighthouse (7913 bytes) Typical lighthouse design along the east coast of South Island. This one stand in the inner harbour at Akaroa where it was relocated after decomissioning.

Akaroa harbour view (9033 bytes)

A view of Akaroa Harbour from a hill top view point.
highway viaduct (14179 bytes) Gorge highway (20061 bytes)
Just weat of Arthurs Pass is this awsome gorge with a new highway viaduct going over it. Originally the road wound its way , zigzagging along the river. But after several destructive landslides this new viaduct was built straightening out the road and making it less prone to landslide damage. Just a little further along is this impressive section undergoing an upgrade. The avalanche tunnel is almost complete. The cantilevered road can be seen hanging over the river. And scaffolding is still supporting an aquaduct to divert the stream. Traffic lights control this single lane section as it is being built. Once finished there will be two lanes all the way.
Cathedral Cave (10035 bytes) inside cave (5163 bytes)  

The awsome Cathedral Caves, 75 feet high at the entrance, carved out by the sea. The are not very deep, going into the cliff about 250 feet or so. The floor is sandy and gently slopes upwards toward the cave end.

The caves are only accessible at low tide and there is a park ranger on duty at the parking lot to collect a fee (the track to the caves goes through private land) and make sure people only go during low water.

There are two parallel caves connected inside. It takes a while for the eyes to get used to the diminishing light as one goes further inside.

 

Looking back to the opening from each of the caves. A silhoute of the person shows the vast scale.

The caves are fairly dry. There is almost to water falling from the roof. The sand is wet and there is some seepage along the walls.

At the entrance there are areas of red mould, some grass and seaweed. Otherwise the caves are solid rock.

 looking out (5303 bytes) looking out (4488 bytes)
Catlins bay (12083 bytes) A path leads us down the cliff thru some native bush and along a beach to the caves. It takes about 45 minute to walk from the parking lot to the caves.

Along the beach we spotted what we thought were sea turtle tracks in the sand, but these turned out to be fur seal tracks.

 tracks in the sand (7981 bytes)
Very Jurrasic Park walking thru these forests. The path winds its way through a forest of ancient fern trees. Lots of moss   and lichens as well. These forests are layered with vegetation. fern forest (23074 bytes) fern forest (21353 bytes)

Catlins estuary (5317 bytes)

Tautori estuary (9738 bytes)
Catlins estuary views.
Ourakaunui falls (21155 bytes) Paula in the grass (8914 bytes)
Parakaunui Falls. Walking thru the tall grass at the estuary.
nuggets (8533 bytes) nuggets light (7233 bytes)
The Nuggets. So called because the rocks look like gold nuggets. A path leads us along the ledge to the Lighthouse and an observation platform. We spotted another yellow eyed penguin from the cliffs. Also lots of shags, terns and a few mollymawks.

petrified forest stumps (12608 bytes)

petrified stumps (12715 bytes)

The petrified remnants of a forest along the Catlins coast. Above are stumps of trees clearly visible. In the photos below, a tree trunk has been uncovered by the wave action.

petrified tree (19407 bytes)

kelp (13650 bytes)

In another corner of the petrified forrest beach, the waves pound against the rocky shore, somewhat tempered by the thick fronds of NZ kelp.

There is a small yellow eyed penguin colony here as well, and we did see one come out of the sea and slowly make its way among the rocks to the shelter of low scrub away from the surf.
volcano, desert highway (8533 bytes)
Just a slight detour back to the middle of North Island, a view of Mount Ruapehu along the desert road.

Bendigo view (11678 bytes)

Valley view from the top of Bendigo hill. We really should not have come up here without a 4 wheel drive. The road is very coarse, very twisty and steep. Our Chariot had difficulties getting up some of the grades in first gear. Wheels spinning, gravel flying, etc.

But it was worth it!
More photos will be added when I get to it.

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