GARSTON, SOUTHLAND
We left Canmore yesterday. 
and came to rest for the night further down the South Island of New Zealand in a one horse town called Grafton. We are officially in Southland, New Zealand now.
This has always been a staging stop or rest stop between Queenstown ( our last stop) and Te Anau (our next stop). Around Te Anau we hope to park the bus for a few days and then take day trips in the car into the Milford Sound.
See the ranges we came around! These are called The Remarkables. We wound our way around the base of them. 
Above is a link to a topographical map of where we are. I will link back to this map frequently so you can follow the route we take.
I love topographical maps. It is interesting to note the height of the hills and mountains that crouch around us as we drive through this valley later today.
I hope to be able to blog daily for this next week. After all you and I have never been here before. But if we get too far into the wopwops. We might be cut off. We’ll see.
Our only actual destination is Invercargill by Friday (6 days away). Then I fly to Wellington via Christchurch. But until then we are wandering about down here in my son’s bus.
Well, he drives the bus and we drive in the car.
Now! Let’s get on the road!
The weather is hot and delicious!
Celi
36 Comments on “GARSTON, SOUTHLAND”
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Have fun Celi! I’m in Queenstown … would have been lovely to see you! Just sent an email … Hope you are having a fabulous time … 🙂
The land is so beautiful, Celi. Lush & barren (the hills) looking all at the same time. The moppet in the first photo is precious in her chapeau, boots & colorful butterfly costume. The topographical map link is broken though (alas!). Still I look forward to this journey & will check out google maps. I hope all is going well at home w/o you. I think wintry weather is approaching there, but maybe you all are south of it. Have fun. Fingers crossed we can follow along.
The hotel looks lovely and those mountains are quite spectacular!
Remarkable! Such a lovely old word.
lovely country- awesome Remarkables! wow!
Isn’t it a great name!
I am completely jealous of the hot weather–we are bracing for a huge snow storm here that is supposed to begin in the next couple of hours, and I have been daydreaming about the summertime as I just seem to keep putting more layers on and my feet never seem to completely warm up.
Also, while I am awe-struck by the mountains and the beautiful sky there, my three-year-old son was sitting on my lap as I opened and read this, and he immediately pointed to the rainbow butterfly wings and told me that he thinks those are awesome. I guess much of life comes down to perspective. 🙂
I came with a suitcase of kids stuff including 6 pairs of butterfly/fairy wings- I feel like a butterfly myself / unfurling in the sun.
Invercargill !! Where the “World’s Fastest Indian” came from 🙂
Yup! Loved that movie!
It’s great to see you there again. Looking forward to following your adventure – xo.
We are an adventurist family
Love that topographical map! And the tiny airstrip up on top of that steep hill near the junction of Nevis & Maclean roads, presumably for the benefit of the flying mountain goats… Enjoy the hot, empty sunshine and your beautiful family. We’re having rain, hurray!
Yes! I love that map too! I want a world one.
I don’t know why I came over as anonymous, but it was meeee! More rain tomorrow – we’ve had 10 inches in the past 10 days. Also Remarkable!
Perfect rain!
Ahh ~ I’m so envious of you Celi!!! But so thrilled for you to be back home!!! Such beautiful scenery here!!! It’s 23 deg here and snowing!!! Have a special time with your family!!
23 is not too too bad! Let’s hope it does not get much colder.
I love the name of the mountains. And they ARE remarkable looking. So happy your weather is beautiful too. And yes the butterfly! So pretty. Looking forward to the grand tour. We’re due some snow tonight. Don’t know how many inches though.
I hope not too much. Tima and Tane are still in their house outside- John said he heaped it up with straw!
NZ landscape part mythical part storybook. So happy you are enjoying hot weather… we are finally, thankfully, getting some decent rain.
Thanks Gods for the rain out your way!
Ooh, I just want to dive into those pix! So wonderful. Have a fabulous time.
That’s what I am best at after all. Having a wonderful time wherever I am at the time.
I love armchair traveling as my mother called it! Yes , please photos if you can!!
Yes! I will!
I chuckled when I read “into the wopwops”. Haven’t heard that in ages…….it must be just down the road from “back o’ Burke’.
How many Americans reading this are shaking their heads😁😁
The Antipodes have such colorful language!!!
They tell me that at the Mill
The other day / I told Jill I was ‘hanging in rags’ and her mouth dropped open.
Lovely to be able to follow you via the very good and well-functioning map ! Having had an aunt and beloved cousins in Christchurch have enjoyed the roads ro ‘woop-woop’ myself way back . . . you really are in Southland now and your posts will be happily awaited – hope the weather does behave ! Am also slowly returning to normalcy after nine horror weeks in the throes of our bushfires tho’ ‘my’ rain so far is less than Dale’s. Poor Victoria is still in emergency situations and we can but pray the Powers decide we all have had enough . . . meanwhile enjoy the beautiful Milford Sound !
The wop wops seem a ways off yet. But it is all very beautiful so far!
Wow..the view! I’d want to just stay……..
Right?!
I looked up the town on Google Maps then went to Streetview. I think ‘one horse town’ says it well. 🙂
Everything I have heard and seen of NZ is making me itch to visit. Zooming out makes me think it would have taken old Gandalf the Grey an awfully long time to ride his horse across that expanse of mountains and rivers! (LOL)
Actually yes! That is pretty funny!
The picture with the Tutu! So PRECIOUS!