Travelling around the south island of New Zealand, I stayed at 25 campsites and I learnt what made a campsite a little bit special. Here is a list of what I think makes a great campground.

There are the must haves:

• decent toilet and shower
• easy access to a tap to fill up with clean water; and
• easy access to the dump station.

Then there are the more enjoyable extras that make it special:

• privacy. I didn’t decide to buy a caravan in the hope of staying at places that feel more like a carpark
• beautiful location. Do you enjoy looking out the window? It’s not worth staying if all you can see are buildings
• able to do laundry. Are there enough machines for everyone in the campground and how expensive are they?
• customer service. The campground is going to be your home for a while, so it’s nice to feel welcomed!

I’ve ended up staying in campgrounds that failed spectacularly in these 7 preferences. And to be honest – campgrounds that I’ve enjoyed have usually had one of the extras lacking – it depends on what is necessary to you.

---

Top 2 campsites

There were only 2 campsites out of the 25 that managed to get all 7 in my list! Is my list too hard? I think they are pretty generic and it’s surprising that only 2 managed to achieve all 7.

Franz Josef

Rainforest Retreat

This campsite is in a beautiful setting and I love how they have left a lot of the native bush as it is. There is a sense of privacy and being back in nature.

It’s a well run business which also caters to backpacker tours, but they don’t stay in the gravelled campground area. They also have a welcoming restaurant and bar for those colder nights. The staff were great, the toilets are plentiful and showers enjoyable.

And there are plenty of hikes and activities in the area, plus a hot pool to relax in afterwards.

Visit website

46 Cron St, Franz Josef 7886
+64 (0)3 752 0220 or 0800 873 346

Wanaka

Glendhu Bay Motor Camp

This campsite is huge and wasn’t busy when I visited in December. It’s 10 min outside of Wanaka and is the perfect location to do the Roy’s Peak hike and explore Aspiring National Park.

The staff were welcoming, the facilities good and there was easy access to fresh water and the dumping station.

What makes this campsite is the location. We picked our own spot with great views out onto the lake. I imagine it gets crazy busy over the Christmas holidays, as there were plenty of empty permanent caravans in other spots.

Visit website

1127 Mt Aspiring Road, Glendhu Bay, Wanaka
+64 (0)3 443 7243

---

Nearly Top Campsites

The below are fantastic campsites that I will likely go back to, but none ticked all 7 on my list. So close.

Karamea

Karamea Memorial Domain Camping Ground

This is the cheapest campsite at only $12 a night for a powered site. It’s behind the school, and was perfect while it was school holidays. They even had a dump station and laundry.

The town is small with just a Four Square, petrol station, info centre and the weirdest hardware store. But you come to Karamea to get away from it all and enjoy some hiking.

The reason it’s not on my top list, is privacy… it’s better than some campsites I stayed at, but one evening, I was surrounded by a family reunion… I ended up having a nosy father peer into my caravan while I was trying to read and he started a conversation. A bit disconcerting. The toilet and showers are basic with onto 2 shower cubicles with curtains, and a possible wait.

But it’s a nice setting, right next to the school field and farmers paddock. I’d been roughing it before staying here, so loved having access to all the facilities and power again.

+64 (03) 7826 069 or
+64 (03) 7826 652

Glenorchy

Mrs Woolly’s Campground

This campsite is in such a beautiful area with no other competition, apart from 4 spots at Glenorchy Hotel. It’s new and will keep improving.

The biggest let-down is there is no dumping station. There is actually no dumping station in the whole town, so this is for short stays only. Which is a shame, because it’s such a stunning area.

Apparently there was another campground, but it was very dated, so they started this new one. The future plans look very impressive, with plenty of cabins, but I think a dumping station is further down the list.

The kitchen is funky… very indoor / outdoor flow and it’s easy to strike up a conversation. The toilets and showers are in moveable buildings, new and work well. The staff have multiple jobs, so someone might not be at the office all the time, but they leave a mobile number to call.

Visit website

+64 (0)21 0889 4008
info@MrsWoollysCampground.co.nz

Lake Rotoiti

Kerr Bay Campsite

It’s a Doc campsite with good facilities set on the edge of a lake and right next to some lovely walking trails. Go to the Nelson Lakes Visitor Centre up the road to pay and book a site. There are some powered sites and a large area for tents. I went off season and was the first to arrive, but it was fully booked when I visited around New Years.

There was a place for me to dump my grey water and full up with fresh water. The showers were good but you need to pre-pay at the info centre… the only reason this didn’t make the top list.

My suggestion is to bring your rain jacket and insect repellent. It tends to rain here more than other places… but so peaceful.

Visit website

nelsonlakesvc@doc.govt.nz

Twisel

Twizel Holiday Park

This is a campsite in a larger town than the others on my list. It was a surprise for me. They have put up clever hedges and fences to create a bit more privacy and I wonder why other campgrounds don’t do the same. It’s on the edge of the town with a nice view of trees. I found this a great base for exploring Mt Cook and surrounding area. Plus there is a good size Four Square nearby.

The reason it’s not on the top list is because the owners were a little odd and not great at making me feel welcome. I felt like I was interrupting them every time I went to the reception. I would have stayed longer but it became too hard to extend my stay, with needing to move sites once, then no one answering the reception buzzer.

Visit website

122 Mackenzie Drive, Twizel 7901
0800 350 507

Milford Sound

Knob’s Flat

This is a truly beautiful setting for a campsite. No powered sites, but there is a dumping station.

There isn’t always someone at reception, as they have a few other jobs to do at the same time. Press the in-comm button and have a chat – someone will come. A very relaxed system and the staff are extremely friendly and helpful.

It’s a great base for exploring the area. There are plenty of doc campsites around, but I felt more comfortable leaving my caravan here, plus the showers and toilets are great. A hot shower after a day spent hiking is the best feeling.

The reason it’s not further up my list is the dump station is a bit of a mission to get to with my wheeling tank. If you can drive your vehicle to a dump station, then you are set!

Visit website

info@knobsflat.co.nz
+64 (0)3 249 9122

---

So, that’s 7 campsites I would recommend staying at in the south island of New Zealand. Lets see if I find more in my future exploration.

As you can see, none of my favourite campsites are in the cities or larger towns…. they are just not as nice. Also, most of these campsites require stocking up on food before you arrive. They are beautiful because they are in quiet parts of New Zealand.

Let me know if you have stayed at any of these campsites and if you agree/disagree. Or do you have a favourite campsite to add to this list?

Weka’s are unique to New Zealand and look almost aggressive with a funny walk involving lots of tail bobbing. They are the size of a chicken, but have been known to bully them and steal their eggs.

Some of Weka’s food are earthworms, larvae, beetles, weta, ants, grass grubs, slugs, snails, insect eggs, slaters, frogs, spiders, rats, mice, and small birds…. I’ve seen one polish off a blackbird. They would be handy controlling garden pests if they didn’t also dig up your garden searching for more food. They are extremely curious and have gone for my discarded footwear.

They will go after your food and make a lot of noise when you are trying to sleep. They are the scavengers and the predators…. but their eggs and young are just as vulnerable to stoats as other New Zealand birds. And, like a lot of other native New Zealand birds, are vulnerable and threatened and need some help to survive.

The interesting thing about them – they are a pest on the Chatham Islands, located 860km east of Christchurch. It’s the only place Weka’s are allowed to be eaten and are apparently delicious.

Chatham Islanders are called Weka’s like mainland New Zealanders are called Kiwi’s.

I’ve only seen them around Nelson Lakes, Karamea and Kawau Island. I think they are now one of my favourite New Zealand birds (after fantails) and I love their spunk and daring. The aggressive chicken. I’m sure you’ll be seeing more photos and videos of them on this website.

New Zealand weather really is like the song ‘four seasons in one day’. It’s been a crazy summer this year, with weather warnings in the south island and not enough rain in the north island. This was the summer I decided to travel around the south island in a caravan.

Today I’m talking about the weather!

Rain at Nelson Lakes

I’ve found that the most beautiful and uninhabited parts of New Zealand also seem to get the most rain. Nelson Lakes is a fine example. After settling in, I started walking a short loop track. An hour in, the weather changed. Luckily I’d shoved my poncho in my bag. Growing up in New Zealand, I’ve learnt to be prepared for the worst. When hiking, take warm clothes – just in case. The rain got heavier and heavier. I assumed I was half way along this short walk as it seemed silly to retrace my steps. I carried on. Then the path became a river.

I came across an English couple also walking who were surprised by the waterfall path and were laughing/grimacing at their experience.

I eventually squelched back to my caravan, after a longer walk than planned. I’m assuming I took the longer loop accidentally. Plenty of wet clothes on coat-hangers draped inside the caravan. One day I will get a caravan awning for all my wet clothes and life will be more manageable on wet days.

Rain, raging rivers & landslides at Moeraki

This is the area with the Moeraki Boulders, a popular tourist stop in Otago. I was staying at a campground further along the beach. I was told you could walk from the campground to the boulders, but only at low-tide. It had been solidly raining all day, and when there was a break in the storm, I desperately escaped the caravan to stretch my legs and clear my head. Walking past a bank, I saw some mud falling down, so decided to record it… did not expect a massive chunk to come away at the same time! I walked through 4 rivers along the beach to reach the boulders. By this time, the rain arrived again. The big plus was that all the tourists ran back inside, leaving the boulders to myself – a rare occurrence during the day.

Walking back, the tide was further in, and crossing the rivers was suddenly not as easy. The last river had an extremely strong current. A local stopped on the other side and I talked about my options. Climbing over a farmers fence and walking to a bridge seemed the safest option, but it turned out to have double barbwire and I could imagine things going terribly wrong for me. The local had left, so I decided to try crossing again, without looking like an idiot. I decided the best idea was to go into the surf to counteract the force of the river current. It worked, but I was drenched. Luckily not far from home and I was definitely energised by this adventure! The coat-hangers came out again.

Hail at Franz Josef Glacier

Another popular stop for tourists. A friend had joined me for this part of the trip and we had a bad stretch of weather along the west coast. Non-stop rain and low cloud restricted our activities and views. We’d been lucky with a brief fine patch at Fox Glacier and managed to see Lake Matheson (below) in all it’s glory.

Reaching Franz Joef Glacier, we had time to set-up the caravan before the rain arrived… and the hail. I now know it’s very loud in the caravan! You definitely feel closer to nature. The rest of the day was spent in the caravan before dashing to the local spa and then the restaurant.

Sleet at Milford Sound

Milford Sound seems to be one of the wettest parts of New Zealand, but it is still manages to be my favourite place. On my first trip there this summer, I had been watching the weather forecast and waiting in Te Anau for the weather to improve. Expecting sun, the weather changed and went extremely cold with snow during the night. I was at a non-powered campsite and got to try out my gas heater. I’ve found the heater warms the place up very quickly – perfect for winter. One of the friendly campground staff at Knobs Flat ended up lending me her spare hottie (kiwi slang for hot water bottle) and it made such a difference to my comfort level. Definitely a must for a caravan… I don’t care what it looks like.

I didn’t get to hike as much as I planned, but it’s also beautiful with snow and fog. I drove to the tunnel and the weather was dramatic with sleet and strong winds.

When I lived in Melbourne, I raved about Milford Sound. My boss at the time decided to visit in summer. She came back not that impressed… it had rained non-stop for her. I don’t think it helped that she was trapped in the car with her fiancees parents and brother.

The romantic trip became a tense family trip.

---

New Zealand summer can be chancy. I learnt to regularly check the Metservice website for their weather forecast. It can be glorious with non-stop blue skies, or rain and more rain. Have you experienced summer in the south island? Do you have any stories you would like to share below?

Milford Sound in New Zealand is a fiordland with such amazingly beautiful scenery. Every time I visit, I’m in-love and wonder why I don’t come more often. Water is everywhere – waterfalls appear down the mountains after it rains, blue clear cool rivers, reflective lakes, snow even in summer and the sea comes in around the fractured land. It’s at the bottom of the South Island and a 4.5 hour drive from Queenstown.

A lot of people base themselves in Te Anau and drive from there. It’s about 2 hours from Te Anau to Milford Sound. Stock up in Te Anau with food and petrol. Once you leave, there are limited options. A couple of emergency petrol pumps… but they are not always working.

Once you leave Te Anau, the scenery just keeps improving. You’ll want to stop along the way. Grab a map from the information centres or download here. They have marked out the places to stop along the way. Most people drive in and take a half day cruise with Go Orange, Jucy, Real Journeys and Southern Discoveries, but there are plenty of other activities.

Activities

• Instead of a half day trip, consider an overnight cruise with Real Journeys
• To get THE photo of Milford Sound, go on the Piopiotahi Milford Foreshore Walk, which is right next to the Milford Sound carpark
• Kayak in Milford Sound. There are 3 main companies – Roscos Milford Kayaks, Go Orange and Real Journeys
• Take a plane or helicopter ride. A few companies are Real Journeys, Air Milford and Milford Flights
• Tackle one of the famous multiple day hikes like Milford Track or the Routeburn Track. These need to be pre booked, as they are popular
• Try a day trip with kayaking and walking part of the Milford Track
• There are so many hiking tracks in the area, it’s crazy! Gertrude Saddle, Key Summit Track or Lake Marian Track are a few of the more well known day hikes
• I’ve heard that the diving is amazing, as dark water sits on top and you see wildlife usually seen at deeper depths. I’ve been told you need to be experienced as it’s not an easy dive, going through a layer of dark water.

Tips

• Be prepared as the weather turns quickly. If you are hiking, take warm wet weather clothing
• When the sun is out, you can easily get sunburnt. The hole in the ozone layer is unfortunately right above New Zealand, which means the suns rays are extra strong. I’ve seen plenty of burnt tourists
• There are sandflies in the area! They are highly annoying, small bitting insects. They find you when you stop walking. Take insect repellent with you
• The Kea are very cheeky birds that will go for your food and like to rip the rubber off vehicles. Resist feeding them, as our food disagrees with them and you’ll shorten their life expectancy
• Parts of the road becomes one-way. Keep an eye out for the road signs
• The traffic lights for the one way tunnel stop at 8pm
• If it’s been raining, some of the tracks are very muddy
• There is an ugly alga called Didymo slowly destroying the beautiful rivers. Keep an eye out for the “Check, Clean and Dry” signs and clean your shoes when going to different waterways. You can find out more at the information centre and buy a pack with a spray bottle to clean shoes. Or make your own spray solution with water and 5% dishwashing liquid/nappy cleaner or 2% of household bleach.
• Keep on the paths. It’s very easy to become lost in the bush. Follow the orange arrows. The other colours are for the doc rangers (conservationist).

Accommodation

• There are plenty of basic doc campsites with long drop toilets along the route
• The other affordable accommodation options are:
  Knobs Flat with camping, non-powered sites and studio units. The first you’ll come upon
  Gunns Camp with camping, non-powered sites, dorms and cabins. Along a gravel road
  Milford Lodge with dorms, cabins and non-powered sites. Closest to Milford Sound
• There’s plenty of accommodation in Te Anau. The town has all the creature comforts like wifi.

How to get around

• Hire a car so you can stop for photos and explore all the many small walks – and you’ll want to stop. A website that compares rental companies is VroomVroomVromm and a cheap company is Rent-a-Dent
• Rent a campervan or motorhome. VroomVroomVromm also has a camper van / motorhome section. Jucy camper vans are very popular – actually all vans and motorhomes are an extremely popular option – just more expensive
• You can take a bus from Te Anau or even Queenstown and then go on a cruise. The bus from Queenstown makes it a loooong day. Some of the companies are Jucy, Real Journeys and Southern Discoveries
• Tracknet is great for taking you from Te Anau to the start of hiking tracks
• Then there are the bigger organised tour companies like Stray, Contiki and Kiwi Experience aimed at young backpackers.

There is so much more I still want to explore in the area. I’m keen to try some of the big hikes and one day I would love to try the diving. I will be visiting many more times in the future.

Is Milford Sound on your travel wish-list? Do you have a question? Ask in the comments below and I will try to answer.

Karamea is a small town 99km north of Westport, on the South Island of New Zealand. The area has been described as “New Zealand’s best-kept secret”. Because it’s out of the way, a lot of people don’t bother visiting.

People don’t come for the town, they come for the nature.

It’s a small town and the main reason for it’s multiple accommodation options are from people completing the Heaphy Track. But there are other activities in the area with plenty of shorter hikes. It feels untouched and has a lot more wildlife than other parts of New Zealand. There’s wild beaches, red rivers, mossy forest and caves – plenty of natural beauty.

The river’s red/gold colour is from the natural tannins released into the water by plants in the area. Leaves on the forest floor release the tannins as they decompose and gets washed into the river. This apparently means it’s a health native bush area?!

I’ve had many Weka, Pukekohe and Robin sightings. The Weka’s are like the Seagulls of the land and I’ve seen them eating dead birds and peoples lunch – they are even known for destroying gardens.

Beware of the weather. After a lot of rain, you might be trapped until the water goes down. I’m currently waiting for the water to go down so I can leave! I’ve heard it should be fine this afternoon.

Bring insect repellent, as there are plenty of sandflies

The locals are so friendly, with plenty of waves as you drive past. I’ve heard a few great stories from the local farmers. One guy accidentally got into Burma 35 years ago and was shown around the country by the rebels. Another local visited Russia in the 70’s and was moved out of an area by guys with machine guns. An adventurous community!

Karamea’s history is about the first pakeha settlers struggling to plant anything because of the poor top soil. It sounds like a tough place. There were gold diggers and people are still sifting for gold today. They had a port, but after an earthquake in 1929, they couldn’t rebuild it and this caused people to leave the area.

Things to do in Karamea

Heaphy Track

It’s one of New Zealand’s nine Great Walks by the Department of Conservation and starts in Collingwood, Golden Bay. The track takes 4 to 5 days and you need to organise transport and accommodation in huts or camp sites before starting.

Day hikes around Heaphy Track

There are other day hike options along the Heaphy Track. There is a short 40min Nikau Palm Walk where you cross a bridge over a stunning red river and stroll through beautiful bush. If you want a longer walk, carry on along the path to Scotts Beach. There’s also a lookout along the way. And if you’re keen to see more, carry on to see some stunning clumps of Nikau Palms and a fantastic view back over Scotts Beach.

Oparara Basin walks

The hikes I highly recommend if you have limited time, is the Moria Gate / Mirror Tarn Loop and the Oparara Arch. They start from the same carpark. The Moria Gate / Mirror Tarn loop takes about 1.30 hours return – longer if you take as many photos as I did! The Moria Gate Arch is stunning with a red river running through it. The big plus with hikes in this area, are there are hardly any people around – we had the arch all to ourselves! Further along is the Mirror Tarn, which is a very still and almost black water lake with a perfect reflection. The Oparara Arch is a short 50 min return hike with a massive arch of rock high above you. Very pretty area with plenty of photo spots.

Honeycomb Hill Caves are further along the road from the above hikes. I haven’t seen them, but if you’re a fan of limestone formations, look into taking a tour.

The Fenian

The hikes in this area looks into the gold mining history. There are a few options:

• Fenian Cave Loop – take torches and sturdy shoes
• Fenian Gold Workings
• Adams Flat – where you end up in a strange small grassy area and an old hut. There’s a sign earlier that mentions Postal Bridge which is worth a look with multiple pretty rivers
• You can even link up to the Oparara Basin walks!

And there’s more!

And there’s more! Have a look at this link to see what else you can do in the area.

How to get there

By car, it’s 99km from Westport. Full up with fuel before you leave as there is no petrol station until Karamea.

There’s a public tranport option from Westport through the company Karamea Motors / Express Ltd. Call (03) 7826 703.

Accommodation

I highly recommend looking at Last Resort. The staff are very friendly, there are dorm room, lodge or cottage options. There’s a cafe/bar and it’s very green! I made use of their showers and laundry for $5.

If you are wanting another affordable option, look at Karamea Memorial Domain Camping Ground. It’s behind to school and was only $12 a night in a caravan for me!

There are plenty of other options that you can find out here.

---

Karamea is one of my top favourite spots in New Zealand including Glenorchy. I plan to be back. Have you visited the area before? Did you like it? Do you have anything else you would recommend? I’d love to see your comments below.

Glenorchy is a small town surrounded by stunning scenery, which is an hour from Queenstown, New Zealand. Did you know there is a part called Paradise? And many Lord of the Rings scenes were filmed in the area? And there’s a beautiful walk straight from town?

This video gives you a taste for the scenery and hiking tracks in the area, plus commentary of my experience…

Glenorchy is the base to explore the area. The road eventually forks and becomes a gravel road. If you carry on after Paradise, the road becomes more rugged with rivers fording the road. There are really too many hikes in the area to write about, so below are just a few options.

Glenorchy Walk

There is a walk right from town! And straight away you feel like you are far from the town. Mountains all around, pretty flowering Lupins (if they are in season). There are different paths depending on the amount of time you want to take. I went for an evening walk and kept saying to myself ‘just one more corner’.

Paradise and beyond

This becomes Mount Aspiring National Park – parts of this park can also be accessed from Wanaka and driving to Haast. Paradise is pretty with dramatic mountains in the background, lupins (flowers) and forests. Beyond Paradise, the road feels more like you’re on someones private land. When I reached my first river across the road, I wondered if this was it, but I decided my car should be fine since it’s a 4×4. Note to self; I really need to learn how to make use of the car. I was super curious about what was around the corner and found a few houses and a tour bus! The further along you go, the more wild and uninhabited it becomes. Too many times, I pulled over for photos, as the scenery kept changing. This is one of the most beautiful parts of New Zealand I’ve come across – it just… wow. You need a decent car to reach the end – altho a motorhome was there. Very brave of them. Then it becomes a hiking track through forest following the river and out onto an open plan with views of the surrounding mountains. It started raining and I turned around, but one day I’ll be back to see what was around the corner.

Dart River

While walking on the Dart Track, after the road finishes, I saw a couple of jet boats race past. I later learn they go much further than I could and the passengers get to go for a walk too. This would be an amazing way to see the area, especially if you don’t have a car that can handle the road. Find out more here.

Lake Sylvan

An easy 20 minute walk through a peaceful forest brings you to the Lake. It’s basically a flat walk, and the first part is on a well maintained trail. The longer route back was a little muddy in patches, but carries on by the lake for a while. There is another hike brunching off as-well called the Sugarloaf Saddle track. After about 9 hours, it takes you to the start of the Routeburn track – just a little far for me!

Routeburn Track

This is the other end of the Routeburn Track that starts in the Milford Sounds area and takes 2-4 days. The track was closed during my visit due to past bad weather. Best to contact Doc about booking huts well in advance in peak season and check weather forecast before-hand. Organise drop-off and pick-up transport as the track starts out of the way and it’s a 4 hours drive to get from start to finish. There is a day walk option that’s about 3-6 hours return.

---

Have you been to Glenorchy? How would you describe it?

What an eventful week for New Zealand! A 7.8 earthquake hit Kaikoura, rumbling around the country and hit Wellington badly too. Tsusame warnings meant many needed to find high ground in the middle of the night. Then we were hit by heavy rain that would have hampered peoples efforts to fix the earthquake issues.

I was lucky to have left Kaikoura a week before. If there were any tremors in the middle of the night in Twisel, I didn’t feel them. I awoke to messages from friends checking I was ok before I realised what had happened! The woman at the campsite reception was frazzled and sleep deprived as her boyfriend was in the earthquake area and she was worried.

A friend in Kaikoura happened to have climbed a mountain that day and was camping at the very top when he woke to the earthquake. It must have been terrifying! He came home to belongings strewn everywhere and a long and tedious cleanup. No way to leave the town as the main road has been badly damaged, no power and no fuel. The cruel part is he’d moved from Christchurch a few years before.

Before the earthquake, I’d considered writing a blog about what Christchurch is like now, 5 years after their big earthquake. Visiting, I saw a lot of buildings still cracked and broken from the previous earthquakes with weeds taking over. Walking around the city centre, it looks like there is a lot of work still to be done. Talking to a local friend about the huge number of roadworks throughout the city, she explained that the roads had buckled and a lot of pipes underground were damaged. Comparing the city to my visit 7 years before it’s changed from a busy inner city to businesses and shopping moving outwards. There are now some very trendy areas like the Tannery and the Colombo with such beautifully designed clothes and homeware. There are a lot of new buildings and plenty of stunning street art. Christchurch has changed and will keep changing in the coming years. What will it be like in 2 years time?

I was near Moeraki a couple of days after the earthquake and could see the beach from my caravan window. It crossed my mind that being by the water after Tsunami warnings was probably not the smartest idea, especially with tremors still happening. Plus the river behind me was rising and a local had never seen it that full and raging.

Getting cabin fever and during a break in the storm, I decided to walk to the Moeraki boulders. It involved fording four rivers, and looking back, probably wasn’t my smartest idea. Seeing some earth crumble in the bank, I started filming and captured the land shift and a whole chunk come away from the side. I was ready to sprint out the way if it came any closer. So much rain had put pressure on the land and you could see that a rope marking someones section was now tangled in the moved earth. Their property had suddenly become smaller.

I arrived at the Moeraki Boulders just as the rain started again. The one advantage was that it scared all the tourists away and I had the boulders to myself!

Walking back to my caravan, I realised the tide was higher and the last river was too fast paced to cross. A local suggested climbing a fence into a farm paddock, but it had barb-wire AND an electric fence and I imagined things ending very badly for me. Eventually I waded into the ocean and got throughly wet, but as the waves counter-acted the force of the river water.

Safely back in my caravan, warm and dry, I started thinking that mother nature has been severe to New Zealand this week. Our country has shifted – Kaikoura has moved a metre and lifted 70cm. It’s changing our land without a thought for the humans living on it. A reminder that we aren’t all powerful and don’t have as much control as we might wish.