Once you’ve made the 6,000 kilometer trip to the deep south of the South Island there is little to hold you back from finding the most southern point on the mainland.  With that in mind, we left Curio Bay and drove to the somewhat out-of-the-way Slope Point – NZ’s official “Most Southern Point of the South Island” and unofficial “Most Boring Attraction”.  In fact, few people make the drive to Slope Point because it is a no-frills, less than exciting pasture full of sheep that have a really nice ocean view – but hey, it’s the south of the South so we had to do it!

“I wanna grow something wild…”

“…and unruly”

“take me away…”

From there we drove to Bluff – a cosy coastal town south of the city of Invercargill that is often mistaken as the furthest point south.  “The Bluff” creates a little more hoopla about being at the “end of the world”, even boasting a famous signpost and an easily accessible point for gazing out at NZ’s Stewart Island.

“set me free…”

“closer to heaven above…”

Once we officially, and unofficially, made our “most southern point” pit-stops we set off on a mission to find “The World’s Fastest Indian”.  Cruising into Invercargill, we tracked down E. Hayes and Sons Hardware store, zigged and zagged through the aisles and took some pictures of Burt Munro’s famous record-setting motos (much appreciated by some motorbike enthusiasts back home in the States)!  [Aside:  If you want to learn a lesson or two about WOLOing check out the movie titled, The World’s Fastest Indian – Burt was off the WOLOmeter charts for sure!]

“I wanna be the only one…”

“…for miles and miles…”

With all of the days’ missions completed we drove out of the city to the seldom-noticed and seldom-discussed Monkey Island where we enjoyed libations as the setting sun cast shadows on the Tasman Sea and the majestic fiordlands towering in the distance – what a day to WOLO!

“I wanna look at the horizon…”

“…and not see a building standing tall”

“take me away…closer to you”

Next stop: Clifden Caves & the Kepler Track

Song lyrics: Dixie Chicks “Cowboy Take Me Away”

– Go.  Change your state of mind.

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