This was our last day on this Road Scholar tour, and we had a series of short, mostly coast walks in the Catlins. It was nice to be able to walk and chat with the particularly wonderful people we’ve met on this trip.
The first stop was Purakaunui Falls, in the bush.
Next we moved to Picnic Point, along a rocky beach. I wanted a geologist. When not looking at the interesting textures in the rocks, the kelp was also fascinating: the most giant I’ve ever seen in person. It was wide and very spongy to the feel– almost rubbery instead of slippery like Atlantic kelp. Pappardelle with green lipped mussels anyone?
We loaded up the coach again and dropped in on a very unique roadside attraction, The Lost Gypsy Caravan and Gallery. Artist Blair Somerville and his wife, painter Sandra, run the gift shop, coffee cart, and gallery. Somerville has made well over 300 “things with handles,” from recycled materials. They are witty and charming and brilliant. We enjoyed coffee and only browsed the free exhibits. I don’t have any other regrets about this trip, but I do wish we could have paid admission and had time to see the gallery properly. Here are a few videos:
Every inch of the site had something remarkable to see:
After a brief stop at Florence Hill Lookout, we drove to the start of a new track, Old Coach Road, to reach a beach for a picnic. We ate white bread sandwiches, and then I took off my hiking boots to wade a bit, the cold Pacific water.
As the saying goes, “If you’re lucky enough to be on a beach, you’re lucky enough!”
One interesting feature of the coastline we’ve seen these past couple of weeks is the relative low to no number of seashells. This beach had a few, but not many.
We had one more brief walk for the day, to a lighthouse. The track was pretty, with three natural arbors to pass under, and some seals far below on the cliffs. The colors at the final view point were vivid, and the waters began to crash as the tide turned while we made our way back. The chain of rocks from the point is known as the nuggets.
Our last night with the group was full of camaraderie and laughter. We sat in a circle, expressed appreciation, and named our favorite part of the trip– tough choice! Mark and I stay on in New Zealand for a couple more weeks.
