Sunday, 13 Feb.  Left early in a drizzle, which continued for much of the day, though for one glorious stretch the sun was out.  Drove the Scenic Route from Dunedin to Invercargil to Te Anau.  Other than a 20 kilometer gravel detour, it was a perfect motorcycle ride.  Not bad in a car either.  (Note about the roads: Their white dotted lines are extremely liberal.  They seem be based on the premise that the driver isn’t an idiot and won’t try in pass when they shouldn’t.  So the lines allow passing on a curved, uphill stretch, assuming the thing being passed is a very slow tractor.)

Pictures tell a better story than words.  A perfect beach.  Sheep in the road. (I have a video, but can’t upload it yet.) The World’s Fastest Indian.  Trees blowing in the wind, HOWEVER, the wind wasn’t blowing on this particular day. They just grow in the wind and therefore grow in a bent position.

The terrain is very similar to Scotland, though the manmade structures are too modern to suit me.  There are no ruins.  (Amazing to consider that New Zealand wasn’t occupied in any meaningful way until the 1830s.) Some places have the perfect color of green that I love so much.  I’m in Te Anau for two days.  Tomorrow I drive to Milford Sound and take a boat ride.  Te Anau is a simple little resort town that’s the closest one to the Sound.  Otherwise it would have little to brag about.