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Riverton

Entry 405, on 2006-10-09 at 12:51:14 (Rating 1, Travel)

This is the final entry describing our "adventures in the deep south of New Zealand". We were supposed to return to Dunedin on Tuesday but decided taking an extra day and following the Southern Scenic Route through to Invercargill might be a good idea.

We took the road through from Te Anau, through Manapouri, to Tuatapere, stopping at the Clifden Bridge and limestone caves first. We weren't equipped with enough torches, etc to explore the caves properly unfortunately, but we did follow them for the first 10 or 20 meters. At Tuatapere we stopped for a snack of whitebait. This delicacy was rather expensive (it sells at about $70 per kg) but worth it! We all visited the famous Tuatapere sausage shop where we bought some gourmet sausages and steak for future meals.

From Tuatapere we followed the road through to the previously sleepy little seaside town of Riverton. It has enjoyed (or suffered depending on your point of view) a wave of interest because of the number of people wanting to live next to the sea. Properties are selling for 10 to 20 times their previous value. We just hope it isn't spoiled by commercial exploitation like many other small towns have been.

We stayed overnight in Riverton and spent the next morning exploring some beaches. The weather was very sunny, with just a light cool breeze. From there we drove through to Invercargill, where the weather was even better (don't let anyone tell you the weather is always bad in the south of New Zealand). We had lunch at Anderson's Park, a beautifully kept park north of the city, then spent a couple of hours with my parents, who live in Invercargill, before taking the main road back to Dunedin.

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