From a rainy Te Anau to a sunny Invercargill – 30th

I think I am in the Gods of weather's good books as I have been very lucky with the weather throughout the whole trip. Is like the Gods had have study my itinerary and scheduled the weather to it, as suitable as possible. One may mention the five hours of rain in Kaikoura on 20th, yes, but it was well timed as I had to wash clothes and other boring things. And today as I was about to leave Te Anau it was raining already when I got up at 6am. Could not see the mountains in no direction. I had an easy breakfast and got on the bus to Invercargill at 8am. I put on my headphones and found Cure most suitable for the ride and the rainy grey mist outside. A nostalgic and gloomy affair, so to speak. Coincidentally, a beautiful track on Disintegration is named “Prayers For Rain”. I changed bus in Gore. What a name on a village. Suddenly, when we approached Invercargill there were breaks in the overcast. After an hour in Invercargill meanwhile I checked in at Tuatara Lodge it were sunny and almost clearblue sky. Concerning the Gods of weather…

I had a long walk exploring the centre of the city. I visited The Southland Museum and Art Gallery as well as the lovely Queens Park. Invercargill is somewhat a strange city and I don’t feel comfortable with its so called atmosphere. It’s like a sleeping town and after 7pm almost like a ghost town. However, I am not a party animal, but you know what I mean. It will be early to bed this evening. Tomorrow’s target species is Fernbird!

Picture through the bus window, while listening to Cure. Perfect travelling weather.

 

The Southland Museum and Art Gallery. I enjoyed Roger Wandless photographic exhibition “Deepest Fiordland” very much. It also has the largest public display of live Tuatara in the world.

 

Tuatara is the only survivor of an ancient group of reptiles that roamed the earth at the same time as dinosaurs, which is why the tuatara is called a “living fossil”. Tuatara once lived throughout the mainland of New Zealand, but have survived in the wild only on 32 offshore islands. Tuatara is a Maori word meaning "spiny back".

A nice Tuatara baby. Only once every two to five years will the female be ready to mate. The male will sit outside her burrow and wait. If she is interested they will mate and 8 or 9 months later she will lay and bury 6 to10 eggs in a sunny place. 11 to16 months later the baby tuatara will hatch.

 A nice carving in Maori style.

 


 Tiki, which is one of the most popular Maori symbols. Also known as an emblem of other cultures belonging to the Polynesian culture. According to legends tiki was the first man on earth who originated from the stars.