After coming inland from the West Coast I stumbled upon a tractor rally at Tapanui in West Otago.
Virtually all of the 300+ machines were in running order and came from all parts of the south island, plus a few visitors from the north.
Southerners have a distinct accent with their rolled "r"s.
Their spelling, however, is a little suspect when it comes to getting their minds and tongues around 'exhibitors'!
This 1924 oldtime tractor runs on wood which heats up water in the boiler.
Stationary engines of all sizes were on display.
This one was cleverly hooked up to a water pump which ran the shower.
The inventiveness of locals extended to motorising a picnic table - it can do 65kph!
This obligatory shot for the album was to confirm the Bus With No Name and I made it to Bluff.
One of the lesser-known tourist highlights in The Catlins is Niagara Falls.
This religious bent had me stopping at St David's Church in Cave.
Conditions were perfect and it seemed like half the ocean squeezed through the gap, shot like a geyser through the air, and then drained away.
One of the lesser-known tourist highlights in The Catlins is Niagara Falls.
These were named by a surveyor with an obvious sense of humour.
A Catlins' attraction with a higher profile, so to speak, is Nugget Point lighthouse.
I tried to negotiate this walkway to the lighthouse 3 years ago and was defeated by my fear of heights. This time I beat my acrophobia.
The sign I'm pointing to says "Warning. Beware of Cliffs". There is absolutely nothing dangerous about the cliffs - it's the bloody rocks at the bottom that do the damage to your vital organs when you smash into them!
The rather large rocks in the sea off the point are thought to look like nuggets of gold - hence the name Nugget Point.
This photo was taken on a very clear day.
Mount Cook is 65 kilometres away in the centre background.
The bus and I are at the southern shore of Lake Pukaki which is shrouded by particularly low cloud.
A great spot for a view is from the Mount John observatory near Lake Tekapo.
The night sky is crystal clear here and the star-show is a stunning spectacle.
Time to introduce a little bit of an evangelical flavour.
This is the Church Of The Good Shepherd at Lake Tekapo.
This religious bent had me stopping at St David's Church in Cave.
This handsome stone (no nails) structure is a tribute to the pioneers of the Mackenzie Country.
I couldn't control myself from having a bit of a rant from the pulpit!
Here is my piece de resistance!!!
On my 7th visit to the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki I finally got this 'ace' shot of Putai blowhole at full blast.
Check out the videos I took and posted on YouTube:-
Conditions were perfect and it seemed like half the ocean squeezed through the gap, shot like a geyser through the air, and then drained away.
The temperature is dropping and the leaves on the trees are changing colour.
I'll be crossing back into the north island in a couple of weeks.
Thanks for watching.
Thanks for watching.
Good luck to your families.
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