A flying visit

At the beginning of the week we decided it was time to have a break away for a couple of days so we set off later in the week and headed south. Back to Southland where we lived when we were first married. This is where two of our babies were born and life was happy and uncomplicated. Life is still happy but a bit more complicated but I guess that happens with age and families. We booked accommodation in Invercargill, very comfortable serviced apartments just out of the CBD - everything within walking distance, shops, theatres, cafes etc.

We took a drive down to Bluff, which was where we had actually lived. Bluff is the port that services Invercargill and Southland. It is summer but it was a cold, blustery, squally day. The photo above is me standing at the signpost at Stirling Point between squalls. Hundreds of people head here to get their photo's taken under the signpost, we took some for an Indian family and there were Chinese tourists there as well. 

My GKB taking photos of the lighthouse across the harbour mouth.

This is the lighthouse on Dog Island, one of the tallest in the country and it guards the entrance to Bluff harbour.

Both of us had only ever been up to the top of Bluff Hill once and that was many moons ago, so we decided it was time for another look. On one side you could see the road back to Invercargill with a small wind farm in the centre left of the picture. I was quite amazed as I didn't realise what a narrow isthmus connected Bluff to the rest of the South Island. That is the harbour on the right and Foveaux Strait on the left. The wind farm is above Foveaux Strait. The small cluster of buildings in the centre is the abattoir or meat works, or 'the works' as they are known in New Zealand.

Turning to the left you look out over Foveaux Strait and on a good day you can just make out Stewart Island/Rakiura.  This was not a good day and that is not Stewart Island/Rakiura in the mist and cloud.

I decided to walk up to the top of the lookout and left my GKB behind. Boy it was breezy. I was almost blown over at the top and had a hard time keeping my balance, hence one very bad picture of Bluff taken in a great hurry. My hands were white by the time I got back down to the car, the wind comes straight up from the antarctic with only Stewart Island in between. Slightly cold and gloves in the car :) Time for us to head back down the hill and find somewhere for a hot drink.

I hope you've enjoyed my little nostalgic trip back into my past and weren't too bored. I must say we enjoyed it :)