Monday, July 30, 2007

The Catlins, New Zealand



On the way to the Catlins my bus travels first through Gore, a cowboy backwater and then Invercargill, a largest city by New Zealand standards of 50,000 people founded by Scottish settlers in the 1800s. The Lonely Planet gives Invercargill a bad rap and as soon as I arrive I can see why. It seems sparse and neglected but there's something else I can't quite put my finger on. 'Inbred' says the girl sitting next to me on the bus.

Soon after leaving Invercargill we enter the Catlins Coastal trail and begin travelling through farmland and gently rolling hills, and a dramatically different landscape to the towering mountain ranges of Fiordland.

No comments: