3rd February Invercargill to Manapouri

We seem to have found ourselves in a bit of a wet spell in our neck of the woods but we're getting pretty good at dodging the heavy downpours. Amy reckons the weather is bipolar at the moment as it can't make its mind up - heavy rain, drizzle, brilliant sunshine and strong wind all in the same day!

This morning while we had breakfast there was a bit of a deluge. However, as we've found out, as it's so warm the steam soon starts coming off the ground as it dries out. A bit odd to see to start with but we're getting used to it.

First trip of the day took us to our most southern point of New Zealand at Bluff - only 18958km back to London. We were lucky here as it had stopped raining and the sun came out.

Then we took the coastal scenic route to Gem Stone beach where it seemed to be blowing a gale. Poor Freddie nearly lost the car door when the wind whipped it open when we'd parked up. It also made it a nippy stop as it was a tad chilly.

It didn't take much time to find some colourful 

'gems'.

On our rural drive onwards to Manapouri we spotted a huge variety of sheep, cows and the occasional field of deer. It's certainly very lush and green in this part of NZ but we are still in the rainforest area.

We had our picnic lunch at Clifden Suspension bridge. First sitting out on one of the picnic benches before jumping back in the car when it started to drizzle. Tuna and cheese + Vegemite sandwiches getting a bit squashed in the process. At this point I can conclusively say that Vegemite isn't a patch on Marmite. You need at least twice the amount to even get a hint of flavour so we're now on the look out for the real stuff. 

While I'm on the subject of food it's also noticeably cheaper here getting fish and chips - we paid $8 about £4 and got a good portion while in Invercargill. Whereas fruit and veg are more expensive. But it could be a South Island thing as they have to import/transport it vast distances. You also have to ensure you top up your fuel in some areas where you can, as you are often in remote areas where you can drive for hours without seeing a fuel station. 

My sister has also warned us that it's a bank holiday on Tuesday. Apparently cafes and restaurants charge more on a bank holiday! We might also find shops closed so we better stock up on Monday to avoid another no dinner day.

Anyway, tonight we're in Possum Lodge, Manapouri, right on the edge of Doubtful Sound. 

We're here for 2 nights as we have a cruise on Milford Sound booked for tomorrow morning.

Milford Sound has been a bit elusive for us on our previous visits as mud slides and road closures have made it impossible to get to. Basically it's a 2 hour drive from here on the one road in/out so if it's closed you're not going anywhere!

So it's an early start to get our 11am cruise - we don't want to miss it. We're also crossing everything in the hope that the current wet forecast for tomorrow improves. To be on the safe side I'll be packing a spare set of clothes as I don't fancy a 2 hour return journey back to our accomodation in soggy knickers 😅.