It wasn't all biking an hardship. Part 2 of the Otago Rail "Trail"...

 

 

After the bike trip we decided to recover by ticky-touring around the lower South Island. We headed down to Bluff because it seems no trip down that far is complete without going to Bluff. Bluff being famous for their oysters, my mouth was watering at the thought of having some. I was going to have some raw, then some cooked with chips. Turns out they weren’t in season and didn’t even have frozen ones! Disappointed, we stand under the sign at the tip of the South Island and get the obligatory photo.

It could just be me but Bluff seems to be a little overhyped. Yes, it’s the end of the South Island but unfortunately there’s not much more there. They’ve tidied it up a bit since I was last there but this seems to be only at the actual bluff. There seems to be a missed opportunity to make it a quaint little town. Something that’s more than a point on a map. But the weather is impressive when it changes in an instant! There’s a saying for Southerners “if you can’t see Stewart Island, it’s raining. If you can, it’s about to”.

After Bluff it was time to do the customary Queenstown and Milford Sounds stops. Milford Sounds is always an interesting place. There’s something about it that just seems eery, almost creepy, especially when it’s wet and misty. I suppose that’s why so many tourists are lured there.

Since we were down that way we had to make a stop at one of my favourite places in New Zealand, Arrowtown. I just love this place. There’s just something about it that always draws me to it. I don’t know if it’s the beautiful scenery or the fact that it has the history of the Chinese settlers. It’s an awesome place in Autumn. Deep golds and reds every where.

So that was pretty much the trip. A lot of “train” orientated stuff with some R&R afterwards. One of the highlights for me, if you can call it that, was seeing Ron and Mary blatantly cheat at cards! They were like a couple of school kids. Of course I was the sensible one (and I didn’t have anyone to cheat with).

It’s been a long time since I had played poker so had to call Dad late at night to see which hand won - Flush or Straight. I lied, I told them the wrong one so I could win. Yes - “pay back’s a bitch” - felt good!

I think we often forget it’s not just the destination but the journey that can be the most memorable on a trip like this. We didn’t have to be anywhere at any particular time so we just stopped when we felt like it. Places like Kaikoura to see the seal colony, but more importantly, having a crayfish all to myself! Yip - awesome.

Riding the Trail was a good experience and one I would recommend for something a little different. After riding it, the National Cycle Trail they’re slowly building is probably going to be a huge hit. Especially with the tourists. I was amazed how many people go just to do the trail so I would envisage a cycle trail the full length of the country is going to be a huge magnet.