South to God's Country
Seals on the mountains, sheep by the shore: there’s no end to surprises on the island, writes Tatyana Leonov.
New Zealand’s South Island is what I think of when I hear the term ‘‘God’s country’’. Soaring snow-capped mountains slash at blankets of thick cloud; mammoth lakes sparkle like liquid silver; and deep green valleys weave their way through the dramatic landscape.
And sheep are almost always included in these scenes – there are more than 27 million sheep in New Zealand, according to the last count. To put this in perspective, New Zealand’s population is just over 4.75 million.
Right now, however, my husband and I are keeping our eyes peeled for yellow-eyed penguins or, their Maori name, hoihos. This endangered penguin species is only found on the eastern and southern coasts of the South Island, and here on the Otago Peninsula a tour with Penguin Place offers one of the best chances of seeing them in the wild. We’re part of a group of eight, slowly walking through trench-like tunnels and peeking through holes trying to spot a cute critter or two.
A couple of the rare penguins are sighted about an hour into the tour, one warming an egg in its cosy nest and another resting on a nearby rock. During the two-hour outing we also see seals basking in the sun and our guide tells us that this is probably one of a few spots in the world where you can observe seals and sheep sunning themselves side by side. ‘‘I’ve seen seals up on the mountains and sheep by the shoreline,’’ he laughs. ‘‘That’s New Zealand for you.’’
That night, while dining at Lanarch Castle, I learn that the peninsula is also home to the only mainland breeding colony of albatross in the world. I’m not sure what impresses me more, this information or the fact that I’m sitting around a colossal table in a lavish ballroom inside New Zealand’s only castle. And we get to sleep here, too.
The dinner-in-the-castle experience is reserved for guests staying in the castle grounds, with three types of accommodation available. We’re staying in one of the lodge rooms, all of which have spectacular views of the Otago Harbour and Peninsula.
Lanarch Castle and the nearby Otago Peninsula are just two of many stops on our self-drive tour from Queenstown to Christchurch, a trip of hundreds of kilometres over eight days.
More than 70 per cent of Australians self-drive when visiting New Zealand, so we are following the masses, yet we never feel like we are part of a crowd. Sometimes we share the road with a few others, other times we feel quite solitary. Bliss.
The Catlins, perhaps New Zealand’s most underrated patch of paradise, is an area on the south-east tip of the island. Here roads weave their way past grass-carpeted fields filled with grazing sheep, making for perfect photos that typify New Zealand.
There’s also a rugged coastline, home to the fascinating Curio Bay, a coastal embayment with a petrified forest dating back to the Jurassic period. We spend a couple of hours here, first visiting Tumu Toka Curioscape, an information centre with interactive touch screens and an immersive theatre, along with a cafe and gift shop. We then stroll along the coastal cliffs and beach, looking for penguins and petrified wood.
Further inland, lush rainforests and teeming waterfalls create a different mood. McLean Falls and Purakaunui Falls are two of the best-known cascades and we make time to visit both.
We spend the night at Catlins Mohua Park and if we didn’t have anywhere else to be, we’d stay a lifetime. Four cottages are dispersed across a large acreage with bushwalking trails and personalised eco tours conducted by owner-hosts Gill and Lyndon. Check-in here is a casual ‘‘hello’’ and then it’s up to you whether you want human interaction (Gill and Lyndon can cook up a storm for guests to enjoy together) or quiet time to soak up the surrounds. We have our own supplies and once settled in it’s just us, the picturesque hills and loads of sheep. Our daughter is making ‘‘baa baa’’ noises by morning.
Driving from one point to another I realise that what makes this road trip remarkable is the diverse variety of experiences on offer. If you want to ramp up the adrenalin and be hurled off a cliff, New Zealand is your kind of fun. But if you simply want to drive around stopping for coffee, hokey pokey ice-cream and fabulous views, New Zealand is the place for that, too.
You can easily do both. Our two days in Queenstown includes gondola rides and breathtaking views, a relaxing cruise, too much ice-cream (Patagonia Chocolates, I’d be in trouble if you had a shopfront in Sydney) and an almost near-terrifying experience that is the Nevis Catapult. I was all kitted up and ready to soar, but due to wind conditions my jump was cancelled. We went to Fergburger instead for arguably the best burgers in the country.
Another highlight of our road trip holiday is how little distance we have to drive to get from one destination to another as there is plenty to see in close proximity. We average two to three hours’ driving a day, taking our time enjoying the scenery along the way and each place we stop in at. There is a tendency to want to fit everything in, to cram in the sights, but as seasoned travellers we’ve learnt that seeing less is actually seeing more.
Our biggest drive day is a return trip from Te Anau to Milford Sound. With stops, it’s more than three hours each way, but it’s well worth it. Long drives on windy roads often lull me to sleep, but there was no way I was missing out on even a minute of these implausibly beautiful views.
I don’t think I’ve ever fought sleep as much as I did while seated in the passenger seat that day, but New Zealand is one destination you don’t want to miss a second of.
