1)The Catlins Drive and Purakaunui Falls : There are two ways of getting from Dunedin to Invercargill but only one of them is worth your holiday time. It’s the road less-travelled that boasts deserted coastlines, rolling hills and very, very few towns. Leave at least half a day for this trip and be sure to call in at Purakaunui Falls, one of the most charming (and breath-taking) in the whole of the nation.

It’s an easy 25-minute walk from the car park and includes a wet forest and a few lesser falls before you arrive at a viewing platform on the main cascade. Other worthy stops are at the Tokata Lighthouse and the weird fossil remains at Curio Bay.

2) Milford Road and its Myriad Stops: From Te Anau, head north and follow the signs leading to Milford Sound. At least half a dozen points are worth stopping at,

especially the views at

Eglinton Valley, gorgeous mountain reflections at Mirror Lakes

(but a warning – LOTS of huge coaches empty their tourist cargoes here, so you may have to jostle for a good photo angle), and the scenery at Lake Gunn,

a masterpiece of glacial carving.

Later, as we neared Milford Sound, we pulled over at Monkey Creek and Fals Creek for delightful rushing water images framed by majestic snow-capped peaks.

3) Wanaka: We chose Wanaka as a two-day exploration base over Queenstown for several reasons; the surrounding scenery looked more to our taste, accommodation
was a whole lot easier to book and less pricey and we’d been there once before and really liked it. Good choice.

Among the many attractions to enjoy here are the small but very comfortable movie theatre (where we enjoyed a locally-made doco on the surounding peaks and valleys, and a first-rate lavender farm with its own charming café.

Positioned right on Lake Wanaka, the town is full of good restaurants and shops,
and, of course, there is that very famous tree growing right in the middle of the water.

We found a smaller tree photographed by almost no one and that proved a worthy substitute. Almost an hour’s drive east of town is Mt Aspiring NP. Head for Makukituki Valley where several walks begin. No need to do any of them in their entirety – an hour up and back will allow you to experience the tranquility and green splendour of the
rainforest, surely the best reward of all for visiting this island.

4) Te Anau – Kepler Track: We based ourselves for three full days here and it was a wise choice, there’s that much to see. Most of one day was spent on the Kepler Track, which begins just a few kilometres from the town.

Flat the whole way (at least the part we did), the tracks hugs the shore of Lake Te Anau through dense rainforest. Decide how long you want to explore before turning back.

Hard souls who press on will end up walking for 3-4
days, overnighting in cabins with fellow ‘trampers.’

5) Te Anau – Seaplane Flight: Right on the lake is a small office where you can book a seaplane flight. Jill shouted me a flight and what an experience.

Even though it was just 20 minutes long ,we six passengers reveled in glorious views of the surrounding mountains, the lake, even a huge sandstone cliff that was once dozens of metres under the sea. Well worth the $175 fee – the husband (pilot) and wife staff are very helpful and a real hoot.

6) Te Anau – Bird Park. Plan to spend an hour or two at Te Anau Bird Sanctuary (admission by donation). It’s a place where dedicated volunteers take care of birds that are recovering from injury or too old to remain in the wilds.

We witnessed a pair of takahe cavorting amongst the native plants in their own very spacious enclosure. These
attractive flightless birds were thought to be extinct until 1948. There are only a few
dozen on the planet, so it’s quite special indeed to witness them at play.