Into the famed Catlins

Tuesday 7th January

We set an alarm to see the sun rise over Slope Point, but our estimate of early wasn't really early enough. We saw the sun come up, but other than being the lowest point of the South Island, and now having the rights to say that I have been there, the fuss wasn't all that to get excited about I guess…… Maybe it was too many sheep, maybe it was that my shoes and socks and feet all ended up wet after walking through the paddocks.

There were some windswept trees, but we’ve seen these since we'd left Tuatapere and didn't seem worth taking photos of. The day dawned to a stunning blue day, so we put the much needed washing on, and got to hang out clothes for the first time out in the sunshine - how delightful!!!!

After some breakfast and research we headed off to drive and capture all the amazing things we had been told of…….Catlins in the early week means lots of things shut. This is a place to visit in the summer and in the weekend.

The first part of the driving we all thought "What’s all the fuss? It looks just like Northland." We kept driving to our first stop, turning corners, more corners, and even more corners. After we rounded one though we spotted a stunnnnnnnnning view. Oh, I guess we get it.

We almost missed the turnoff to The Lost Gypsy Gallery, but managed to get into the carpark without losing too much aura and cringe. We started with a coffee in an open cup. David greeted a dog who nipped at him and coffee went all down his shirt and the camera around his neck. AHHHHHHHHHH.

Quick action hopefully saved the camera, but not much could be done for the shirt just at the minute. A replacement coffee was offered, as well as free entry into the gallery. It was incredible and so much fun. The place is hard to explain, but it's creative, inventive, and everything as well as nothing you could imagine. It also has lots of buttons and levers to push, so that's cool. If you ever get the chance, then make sure you go.

We then headed into Papatowai to see if there was anything to see. We found Picnic Point, it had a walk to go on. We didn't take the camera as it was flashing a low battery light, well that's what we hoped the light meant.... The Catlins has VERY old sedimentary rocks and here they contained fossils and some vey cool erosion patterns. At least the parents were happy.

On the way back towards the Slope Point end, there was a bit of a heated discussion that involved a few misunderstandings and things were not happy between us at all. A few ultimatums and apologies later, a few decisions were made and we once more we had a plan and decided to indeed head to the Cathedral Caves (not be confused with the Cathedral Cove). It's cool, but you have to check the website to know when you can go in as it's only able to be accessed at low tide and when sea conditions are favourable. There's a cost involved and with 4 adults, it's noticeable. There's the walk too, fortunately through the bush, but it goes down, down, down, down and down - the last part properly steep. Oh gosh, with a sore knee - how the heck am I getting back up???????

Onto the beach with the Southern Ocean's very cool coloured and moody waves, and the caves are awesome, huge and a sight to behold. A very nearly dead camera offered up the one photo.

We went back up the hill; puff, puff and sorted ourselves and got back onto the road again. It was about 3pm, we were hungry - the usual 'wing it' didn't yield any real way to access food, so when we saw a sign for a cafe and restaurant, we swung in, asked for anything gluten free........and I made the executive decision that their one butter chicken offering at $30 a plate wasn't okay, especially as we had food at home that needed to be eaten. A coffee it was then. The boys decided to take advantage of the pool table, but it wasn't level, so it made playing mediocre shots terrible, and all was abandoned quickly once the rain started.

Fortunately we made it into the car without getting very wet. Once driving, a few spatters became a curtain of proper rain. The wind had whipped up from the south and with the rain came plummeting temperatures. All plans to take advantage of the low tide to see the petrified forest at Curio Bay were quickly abandoned as we headed home. AHHHHHHHH! THE WASHING!!!!!!

 

We got home, Logan and I braved the rain to get the washing off the line. It went into the machine for a spin and meanwhile David got the fire going and the drying rack set up. By the next morning the washing was dry. David's coffee stained shirt got a soak and it came out good as new and dry by the morning too. The camera battery went in for a charge and once it was up and running again we tried out the camera and found it was working fine. It still smells a little like coffee though........

By 9pm, the rain had cleared up, and I suggested the boys go out to Slope Point again, but this time to see the sun setting. They got to see the waves crash boompha with the Southerly wind up.