Southland

Day 10 of our South Island Safari dawned crisp and clear in Te Anau. Anzac Day will be spent driving to Invercargill and exploring the surrounding landscape of the southern most part of the South Island.

There were a few film locations to visit. The grasslands of Te Anau Downs provided the backdrop for chase scenes, while Mararoa Saddle doubled as the wildlands which Thorin leads the dwarves through in The Hobbit.

 

 At Manapouri -  Dead Marshes LOTR  (Kepler Track)

Coordinates: 45° 29.755'S 167° 40.159'E 
Access: Rainbow Reach Rd, off Manapouri Te Anau Highway

Dead Marshes

Kepler Mire: Gollum guides Frodo and Sam through the swamp, saving Frodo as he falls under spell of the dead that seem to float within it. 

Coordinates: 45° 29.567'S 167° 41.897'E 
Access: Manapouri Te Anau Highway

The landscape is vast, and the mountain ranges frame our vision.

The drive to Manapouri from Te Anau is quick, about 20 kms.

I felt a little sad, this was the last time I would see these huge mountain ranges of Fiordland.

Lake Manapouri

Plenty of sheep farms in Southland.

The controlling structure at the Waiau River.  If there is too much water in the lake for Power Generation, the water flows left.  If there is not enough water in the lake for power generation, the river is diverted back into the lake.  The river flows "both ways".

More hills with mist.

On the way to Invercargill we stretched our legs at the The Clifden Suspension Bridge is located on SH99, 16km north of Tuatapere, and is open to pedestrians. A toilet and small picnic/camping area is located beside the bridge. It was built in 1898.

The old bridge and the new bridge.

There wasn't any rocks to climb, so the urchins improvised.

Our plan was to go to the coast, to Te Waewae bay, but the storm clouds put us off, so we changed direction, and went via Otautau, and saw more rainbows.

Finally, Bluff. The end of State Highway 1, and the end of our last day on the mainland of New Zealand.

Tomorrow we go to Rakiura / Stewart Island