Mar 04, 2020

Much calmer weather overnight and we started the day with a cooked breakfast before we headed off. We rode through lots of productive farmland and forest today as well as coming across many rugged outcrops of what looks like limestone and granite and the occasional view across the ocean as well as some large rivers. We ended the trip heading down to the Bluff settled in 1824 where we found the most southerly sealed road in New Zealand as well as the Bluff lookout which is quite spectacular. Apparently the first cargo to be shipped out of the Bluff was flax in 1823 and soon after potatoes which had been introduced by sealers in the area.

 

This is a real sign in Te Anau which really cracked us up … especially seeing the Parking sign arrow pointy bit twisted in the wrong direction as well.

 

Lake Te Anau was much more peaceful this morning.

Awesome farms and scenery.

 

The Clifenden Suspension Bridge opened in 1899 to replace a ferry across a dangerous stretch of water initially for horses and drays and before long motor vehicles as well.

 

Part of the bridge and beyond.

 

Riverton, lovely wide entrance to the river.

 

The troops on Riverton Bridge.

 

All the group on top of the Bluff Lookout thanks to a couple of French tourists.

  

Stirling Point, the very end of the road at the end of the Bluff and here we come back again.

 

And yes, from the lookout that is an aluminium smelting plant, smelting aluminium from Australia and then shipping it to customers.

 

And our accommodation for the next two nights, Quest Serviced Apartments, we stayed here last year, and it is lovely. Beautifully laid out, generously provisioned an ideal location and terrifically friendly and helpful staff. What more could we ask for!