Day 5, Accomplished: Invercargill to Te Anau

12:30pm

I spent two and a half hours gawking at the astonishing collection of motorcycles and memorabilia at the Classic Motorcycle Mecca, which was updated just this year.

They had tradies working throughout the building to improve its earthquake protection specifications, but the work didn’t really disrupt the experience.

It’s a marvellous collection indeed, with vehicles from 1902 through to the present day.

I took plenty of photos and I fear none of them could possibly do the place justice, but I’ll give it a go.

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I’m currently chowing down on a late brunch (😏) and topping up on coffee. Once that’s done, it’s back to the riding.

Today, I’m heading towards Fiordland. I’ve booked two nights in Te Anau as well so I can unwind a bit without the rush of having to move on immediately.

I’m looking forward to Milford Sound. I believe I have to consider a tour boat ride on the water 🤔

Aparima Riverton

By chance, I saw a pamphlet (at the Classic Motorcycle Mecca) for the Aparima Riverton Te Hikoi museum that promised a bit of a cultural learning experience.

I took a detour off the main route to check it out and I wasn’t disappointed.

For the $9 entry fee, I got to see a 15 minute movie based on the founding of the area, then enjoyed a walk through museum with several life sized displays depicting various scenes from various times in Aparima/Riverton’s history.

Most interesting was the story of James Caddell, then a 16 year old lad who was part of a seal hunting crew. His companions were killed for hunting on Māori land without permission and he was captured. He ended up adopting Māori culture, married a Maori woman, Tokitoki, and eventually grew to become an important figure due to his ability to translate and forge trade deals with the Europeans.

I also spoke to the ladies on the counter at length. They’re just getting in to using augmented and virtual reality technology to scan and display fragile items that are becoming increasingly more damaged. Long story short, I might apply for a job here and move.

Thanks for reading, bye. The end.

… I told them I’d be back in a yeah, anyway.

The road to Te Anau

By the time I left Aparima Riverton, the sky was overcast again. Nevertheless, the temperature remained relatively high, especially in comparison to previous days.

That is, until I started to see the Southern Alps again and the air turned crisp once more.

Then the wind started to pick up, becoming gustier. Ruby and I had to fight to stay in our lane on some corners.

Throughout that, I noticed something. I was smiling. Beaming, in fact.

Eventually, I found a little spot to stop, because I felt a soliloquy coming on 😏

More to come…