After the 4 1/2 hour flight from Christchurch you are back in a little car heading for another hotel. Sheri’s out to check us in and I drive around looking for a place to park. The security guard tells me that parking out front would be best because of potential car damage. I park and find Sheri at the bar/front desk checking in. We have stumbled into a common occurrence here in Australia. The small hotels offer slot and off track betting on the first floor and rooms on the 2nd+ floors. While we were still wrapping our heads around that we met up with the security guard again.
During our 15 minute talk he explained that what we are seeing here is only the tip of the iceberg. There are many seniors, and others who go between the 8 gambling halls on this street spending more than they should and subverting the governments efforts to stop them. What government would provide all of these vices just because and then go back and try to legislate morality. Oh yea mine. He said it’s a runaway train here and I recognized the sounds.
We are soon on the highway joining a lot of others on this Australia Day holiday weekend. We come into the great Ocean Road that weaves along the southern coast of Australia. At one point we stop at a general store that supposedly has koala bears in the trees nearby… And they are there! Fun. The soft lime stone has been carved by the ocean into sites called The12 apostles, the London bridge, the arch, the cavern. Each one surrounded by swirling waters and hundreds of adoring fans.
We travel through vast golden brown farm fields with wind vanes and into a forest where wallabies graze and finally pass along fence a with thousands of shoes tied to it. When we finish this leg and shop for supper it’s arrival at 7:30 in Mount Gambier. A sunset of colorful clouds sends 
us to sleep.
Our host who is also a tour guide has such a nice book on her town that before we leave we drive around to see some of the highlights. The towns reservoir is located at the blue lake which is the inside of the youngest volcano in Australia. Further downtown a sinkhole and cave are filled with gardens. We hadn’t considered any stops in this town so it was a nice bonus.
We have just over five hours of driving to arrive at our ferry to kangaroo Island. Long long stretches of flat farmland and scattered cows go on for miles. When we realize we’re getting low on gas the towns are further apart and we’re told by the man outside an office that there’s no open gas in this town cause of the holiday so we head off 60 km to the next. My gas warning gauge is on and it reads that we have enough gas to go 68 km. Somewhere around the 40 km mark the number disappears from the dashboard. I expect the car to start sputtering. Then 30 k from the town is a surprise gas station and cafe. Our stress and anxiety is replaced by true joy cause we would have needed to walk a long way.
The rolling 45 minute boat trip gives us a chance to settle down and soon we are having a great fried dinner from a recommended seafood restaurant. We arrive at Vivian bay lodge after the staff had gone but we find help from other guests and their tour guide. The best thing she points out is the Koala family in the tree next to our car. We make 4 trips out to see them find a total of 4 scattered about. Before it got too dark I have also startled a nearby kangaroo while biking and watched a couple of wallabies in a field. Great end to the day!
Leanne said there was frost in her garden but my cold toes already knew. We were warm sleeping but a shower was not going to happen. After a nice breakfast we discovered Leanne was a Christian and praying together and for her daughter was a pleasure before heading off to Christchurch.
On the way we stop at a river that flows from the Mts near Arthur’s Pass, under a cool bridge and through Rakaia Gorge.
Soon we are in the city who’s name became linked with the tragedy of multiple earthquakes and still is working it through. Our first stop are the 185 white chairs in an empty lot that represent those killed that day. Of the hundreds injured many had hip fractures from being launched skyward by the heaving earth. The red zones contain entire neighborhoods condemned, demolished and left empty and eerie. The shanking earth pushed mud and sand up as houses sunk. I am told that scientists describe NZ’s fault lines like strings pulled too tight and a large quake is sadly overdue.
Our B&B fronts on a beautiful park and Kevin a longtime transplant from Korea is a great host. Though he has many local tips we know that most of our last day will be spent at the Willowbank Wildlife Preserve. Bethany, Joys youngest, is an employee there who specializes in care of the Kiwi birds. They exhibit and rehabilitate for release these reclusive flightless birds. She graciously led us through the enclosure providing antidotes reserved for a special group of caregivers. She bids us farewell so she can attend the hatching of their newest member. We enjoyed our visit to the Preserve and it filled some missing ‘to do’ pieces. Our 4 hour flight gets us into Melbourne by 730.
Inthe Red light which simulates night the shapes are Kiwi 
Flight 4, car 4, room 25.
intersection. Kia Ora…on to Oz
January 22 and 23
We head out toward the Caitlin Forest from our AirB&B in Invercargill. A little awkward carrying the luggage from the street around to the back of the house but it was a comfortable place. Yesterday’s winds have subsided as we round the south coast of New Zealand. Our stop at the Petrified forest is our closest pass to the South Pole and soon we’ll be putting our jackets away.
We make a stop at The Lost Gypsy. Our neighbor Kathy back in Camden asked us to stop in and say hi to her friend Blair. He has a shop of curious oddities and we can’t help but linger. A pit stop in the town of Owaka reveals another collection called Dougies Shed Man Cave. Everything is on display but not for sale. It’s a great collection of stuff!
On our way to our next VRBO we stop through Dunedin to see the beautiful train station and visit the very nice history museum. Tonights stay is not just tucked up into the hills across from the city but is part way to Harington Point where penguins might be seen. After dinner we drive up to the visitor center and decide that welcoming penguins after a 935 sunset would get us home after 11 so off to another beach. The yellow eyed variety nest in the hills of Allan’s Beach and we learn these early birds have already gone to bed. We settle for the antics of a group of playful seals (sea lions) and a walk on the beach before we head for bed.
The morning birdsongs are great and like most mornings I am trying to find them. Since we are headed out through Dunedin we locate the steepest residential street in the world. It was a heck of a walk up and walking down at times I felt as if I was going to fall forward.
We make our way to a geological wonder called Boulder Beach. We get just enough fun in with the boulders before the rain starts again. The town of Oamaru was an architectural oddity as it has a Main Street lined with multi story stone buildings erected when the port was a major shipping hub.
I wake Sheri just as the moon is rising so she can see the southern cross just as it adorns both NZ and Aus flags.
The Captain takes us out sitting back foot upon the wheel
we are so small at anchorage 
we get nice and close and then closer. Good way to clean the windless 
Our captain and mate are locals while the cook is German. The other couples are from Belfast Ireland and Scotland. So after dinner conversation floats between political issues we all see playing out on a global stage and we are glad to be here deep in a land unaffected by these so very important teacup tempests. We sleep closer to the South Pole than the equator.
Each meal is presented by the chef after all are served. A half a fresh caught lobster served cold is served prior to a fish plate with a hollandaise that was great….but I digress. Breakfast scrambled eggs with lobster and champagne sautéed mushrooms…oh I digress again. Thankfully the weather broke for and hour so I could enjoy a dry kayak trip way around our anchorage.
The final leg of the day brings us to Invercargill through towns that appear to be frozen or just forgotten. A nice look into the past but not a lot of hope for tomorrow.
The opening for an old gold mine
Since today was going to be rain we headed for some stores to do some shopping. It’s amazing how many US teams that have merchandise in stores here. Souvenir time and then off to get a pint. The only criteria I had was a fireplace and the staff at Pig & Whistle obliged by firing up the gas log. 
substitute rain for warm above 
The firemen in Queenstown insert the ‘hydrant’ into the pipe under the street leaving dogs sad as it is removed afterwards.
sometimes there are just so many sheep!!
While Sheri rested I shared a robust discussion with a young English couple traveling all around the world for 7 months and a Australian couple in NZ for 4 weeks. About 10:30 we were informed we were a bit too robust for thin walls.
No worries…
Off from the teapot headed to the Franz Josef glacier first. With the low clouds we were not sure what we would see as we walked in through a thick rain forest. Thankfully we were blessed with a clear view across to the glacier and up to blue sky. In a drizzle we retreated back to the car and clouds closed in on the glacier. Fox glacier is next and we chose to drive to a viewing location which was nice. The glacier ice shone blue in the sun. It is amazing how quickly they are melting
I imagine she’s listening to a recording of a glacier river tumbling by
I thought it was steam but it’s dust
He said keep moooving…Matts not home
Back on the road and heading south the tops of the Southern Alps are in and out of the clouds. We stopped to see waterfalls and rivers. The rivers are turquoise blue and are pretty to see against the mountains and sky. Sorry about all the pictures that might look the same but I just keep going wow that’s nice. 
The wind is picking up and the weather is changing…Tut-tut looks like rain..O bother.
This west coast area is legendary for prospecting for gold. Just a bit south, in Ross, a nugget they named Roddy was found and it was as large as a big mans hand. Having gone to the Yukon Cornelius school of prospecting I certainly have what it takes to pan for gold so of course I get my trusted partner to (reluctantly) come along. Gold I say again…she isn’t impressed.
notice the technique….after the bite nothing but a dentist is needed
It’s a cool little stream tucked off the main road and I back the car in away from watchful eyes. After a 200 foot tramp we are there, alone and ready. Lottery ticket folks say that you can’t win if you don’t play and as I sift through the sand I remember that I haven’t won the lottery either. It was fun to play.
I love the last line…Don’t be an Idiot…sooo politically incorrect 
The above taken out one bedroom window and below taken from the other 
It is nice to stay at a place that supplies breakfast and WiFi…the day starts slowly. Today we start our day in Kaikoura and ended in Greymouth. With stops at Castle Hill and the famous Arthur’s Pass it promises to be (and was) interesting.
I give to the town of Springfield to promote the Simpsons movie
The replanting of a hillside 
This machine goes between the rows trimming the tops and sides
Just below the surface is sand and it doesn’t take much for erosion to occur 
The roses were beautiful
there are two legs…really 
zoom to the hill top & you’ll see our place
JimandSheri2019 