Te Anau

You could see the dramatic change in landscape in the two hours it took us to navigate the roads between Invercargill and Gemstone Beach. The beach was extraordinary in that there were gemstones and grains of gold, worth gathering to some, and the view was spectacular. I'm going to have to use the same superlatives I've used in the past, because my vocabulary has been pushed to the limit and I left my thesaurus home.

The rest of the journey to Te Anau had little traffic and we soon reached this  destination that is a spot to launch a multitude of adventures. You could go to Milford Sound and others (actually misnamed fiords, hence Fiordland as the area

is named), or you could begin hikes, or tramps as they are known in these parts, that could last as long as a week, or two.

Looking back at Invercargill

Some pastures in between Invercargill and Te Anau

Gemstone Beech

Gemstone Beech

Horses on Gemstone Beech

Gatherers on Gemstone Beech

From afar

Into the hills

Getting closer