The Catlins: June 2007

In this issue, Ma Orihaka catches up with Ray as he pays homage to Bert Munro, better known to most people as 'The World's Fastest Indian', in Invercargill. And she continues with him on his journey as he meanders through The Catlins, to Dunedin and beyond.

In case you missed our last issue, Ma followed Ray as he visited Monteith's Brewery in Greymouth, the famous 'Pancake' Rocks at Punakaiki and completed an amazing one day hike at Franz Josef Glacier. And there was exclusive video coverage of Ray's sensational 'Nevis' bungy jump in Queenstown.You can read it now at: Beer, Ice, Bungy & Pancakes.

The town of Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost settlements in the world. "My friend in America, Nic Meredith, knew I was visiting and told me about a man called Burt Munro, who lived there and became famous for breaking a few land speed records on a motorcycle" said Ray. "Hearing about him really inspired me to stop there and find out more about his life and his achievements" he told me.

Above: Map shows location of Invercargill on the south island (in green) - the place where Burt Munro lived

On the way to Invercargill, following the scenice route from Te Anau, Ray passed a small but important piece of New Zealand's architectural heritage. "The Clifden suspension bridge, above the once mighty Waiau River, was definitely worth stopping for and I was fascinated by it's history" said Ray. "It was designed and constructed between 1896-99 and claimed fame as having the longest span of any suspension bridge in New Zealand at the time" added our amateur historian.

Above: The Clifden suspension bridge - no longer used to carry traffic across the Waiau River - has been made obsolete by a much newer and modern bridge upstream

Below: The bridge, photographed in 1898, during construction

Ray was captivated by the site. "I discovered that the settlers who arrived here in the 1860's had to get everything across the river by ferry, until 1890 when the ferry was replaced with a government funded punt attached to a wire rope" he told me. "The bridge, which was officially opened on 5th April 1899, led to the punts demise and gave settlers a much sturdier and permanent connection to the far side of the river" added Ray.

Above: The settlers at Clifden were delighted when the suspension bridge was opened in 1899 - "As I stared at the pictures of them, I tried to imagine what life must have been like back then, and realised how lucky I am sometimes to live in this era" said Ray

Below: This wonderful sign greets travellers upon their arrival in Invercargill - "That's definitely my kind of city" said Ray...

Arriving in Invercargill, Ray headed straight for the information centre to find out more about Bert Munro and his legendary, record breaking Scout motorcycle. "Before coming here, I sat and watched the movie, called 'The Worlds Fastest Indian', starring Anthony Hopkins which gave me a very good idea about his story" Ray told me.

Above: A poster advertising the movie 'The Worlds Fastest Indian', starring Anthony Hopkins

Below: The motorcycle that Burt Munro modified for his world breaking runs was very similar to this (unmodified) 1920's Scout

The museum in Invercargill has a permanent exhibition about the great man. "I was able to see loads of the props and sets from the movie that have been donated to the museum" said Ray. "As I had only seen the film a couple of weeks before, it was still fresh in my mind and it made my visit all the more interesting" he added. Obsessed with speed, Bert Munro was a loner who lived in his bike shed and spend practically every moment of his life modifying his beloved Indian motorcycle, and then racing it against the local biker gang. Burt was loved in his communit for his friendly and charming personality.

Above: Bert Munro's bike shed - this was the set used for the movie, now on display in the Invercargill museum

For those readers that have not seen the movie, Ray gave me some background information. "In the late 1960's, age 67 and after a lifetime of perfecting his classic Indian motorcycle, Burt Munro sets off from Invercargill to clock his bike at the Bonneville salt flats in Utah. Right before Burt is scheduled to start his journey to the United States, he is diagnosed with angina and told that his racing days are over. For 25 years, he has dreamed of going to Bonneville and racing his Indian, so he ignores his doctor's advice to stay at home. Burt leaves for the United States, with everybody doubting his ability to succeed at setting a new land speed record; everybody except Tom, the young boy who lives next door to Burt" explained Ray.

"With all odds against him, Burt puts his irrepressibla Kiwi spirit to the test, braving the new world on a shoestring budget. He arrives in Los Angeles and is instantly met with scrutiny and doubt. He is criticized for being too old to race and meets many challenges. Befriending a transvestite named Tina, she assists him in buying a car. The car salesman allows Burt to use his shop to make a trailer for his Indian. Burt then starts his long trip to Utah" said Ray.

Above: The car, a Chevrolet Bel Air, and trailer used to make the movie are now on display in the museum. The trailer is a replica of one Bert used in his original USA trip in 1962

Burt meets many people along the way, including a Native American man named Jake, who gives him crushed dog testicles to help him with his failing prostate. Other people he meets include a woman named Ada who helps him repair his trailer when it breaks, and an Air Force pilot who is on leave from his military service in Vietnam. "What reallyimpressed me was the way he made friends with everybody he met - they all really wanted to help him because they were so inspired by what he was trying to do" said Ray.

Burt eventually arrives at Bonneville in time for 'Speed Week', but is initially denied the ability to run because he has failed to register his 'Indian' in advance. To top it off, his bike, being over 40 years old, miserably fails to pass the technical and safety inspections. After much coaxing, and an observed trial run, Burt is allowed to compete.

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Above and below: Bert Munro prepares for his first run at Bonneville, Utah in 1962

The rest of the story is the stuff of legend. "During his official run, Burt sets a new record when his bike is clocked at over 200 mph!" said Ray. "Burt then calls his young neighbour Tom to proudly announce that his bike is "The World's Fastest Indian" added our traveller.

"Amazingly and unbelievably, he breaks the land speed record, writing himself into history as a legend within the motorcycle community" said Ray, who loved the movie. "It is highly recommended viewing, even if you are not a biker. as it about the triumph of the spirit against all odds" he added.

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Above and below: Pictures from the movie are on display in the museum. The one below shows the cast riding through the centre of Invercargill on a red carpet, laid out for the film's premiere

Above: Sir Anthony Hopkins, as Bert Munro in 'The Worlds Fastest Indian'

Below: The man himself - "He was such an inspiration. I wish I could have met him" said Ray

In 1962, Bert Munro set a world record of 288 km/h (178.97 mph) with his engine bored out to 51 in³ (850 cc) and in 1967, his engine was bored out to 58 in³ (950 cc) and he set a class record of 295.44 km/h (183.58 mph). To qualify he made a one-way run of 190.07 mph, the fastest ever officially recorded speed on an Indian. "This record still stands today, which goes to show what a phenomenal achievement it was" said Ray.

Above: The Hay's hardware store in Invercargill is now the resting home for Bert's record breaking Scout motorcycle - the business was run by Norman Hayes, one of Bert's best friends and sponsors. His son Neville now runs the shop as Norman died a couple of years ago

Below: The original record breaking Scout motorcycle, proudly on display at the back of the store

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Most travellers head for Invercargill for two reasons. One is Bert Munro, the other is Stewart Island, the third largest island in New Zealand. It lies 30 kilometres south of the South Island, across the Foveaux Strait. Its permanent population is sloghtly fewer than 400 people, most of whom live in the settlement of Oban. "It is only 65 kilometres long and 40 kilometres wide, so it is pretty tiny but has fantastic wildlife and treks" Ray told me.

Above: Stewart Island - the furthest point south that Ray travelled to during his trip to New Zealand

There are many species of birds on Stewart Island that thrive because of the isolation and protection from predators. These include the Kakapo, Weka, Kākā, Albatrosses, Penguins, Tokoeka, Silvereyes, Wrens, Flycatchers, and rare Yellowheads. "I was hoping I might spot some Kiwi's" said our solo traveller.

 Above: The weather was very poor during Ray's stay in Invercargill. Many of the ferry services were cancelled due to rough seas, which meant that accessing the island could only be done by air - "It was a twenty minute flight" said Ray, "and boy, was it rough!" he added

Ray had arranged to spend time with a guide visiting some of the villages and bays on the island. "I chose a really bad day to come" said Ray. "It was freezing cold and raining most of the time" he recalled. "Still, I was the only person on the tour that day so I had a great time talking with the guide as we went around" he added.

One of the sites that Ray visited was 'Te Puka', or the 'Anchorstone'. Maori legend tells how Maui, a Polynesian voyager, pulled up from the sea floor the anchorstone, to act as an anchor for the great ancestral canoe (the south island of New Zealand). "The stylised anchor chain is secured firmly on land by a shackle but disappears beneath Foveaux Strait to remind us of the physical and spiritual connections between the island and Bluff, on the mainland" explained Ray.  

Above: The unusual and striking anchorstone and chain. The fence in the background encloses a huge conservation area that has been established to allow the forest to return to its native, original condition

Above: The island is home to the southernmost golf course in New Zealand

Below: Our solo traveller makes the most of the views, which are somewhat restricted by the poor weather

The winding coastal route between Invercargill and Dunedin passes through the enchanting Catlins, a region of beautifully isolated forests and wildlife filled bays, stretching from Waipapa Point in Southland to Nugget Point in South Otago. "There are endless natural sights, beaches, side roads and gorgoeus vistas here" Ray told me.

Above: The Catlins provided our explorer with much to see on his way to Dunedin

Below: The start of the region is marked with this sign

The Catlins area covers some 1,900 km² (730 square miles) and is roughly triangular in shape, extending up to 50 kilometres inland and along a stretch of coast 90 kilometres in extent. It is bounded to the northeast and west by the mouths of two large rivers, the Clutha River in the northeast and the MatauraRiver in the west. To the north and northwest, the rough bush-clad hills give way to rolling pastoral countryside drained and softened by the actions of tributaries of these two rivers such as the Pomahaka River.

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Above: An example of the rolling pastoral countryside that characterises The Catlins region

Below: The McLean waterfalls - "I walked the track from the road to the falls, which took about 40 minutes" said Ray. To see a short video clip of the falls, watch The McLean Falls

Driving through the Catlins, Ray was particularly excited about the possibility of engaging with some of the marine wildlife in the area. "Coming from England, practically all of the animals I have seen have been in zoos, exhibitions or theme park shows" explained Ray. "The chance to see creatures in their natural habitat was really appealing" he told me, "so I decided to stake out some of the beaches to see if I could spot some wild sea lions" added our intrepid explorer.

Above: Ray spotted this sign on the beach at Waipapa Point - "I was not sure what to do if I came face to face with a sea lion, so I proceeded with caution" recalled Ray

Below: Standing completely alone on this very remote shoreline, it was not long before Ray found this fairly large but docile Sea Lion taking a rest on the beach - "This was about as close as I was willing to get!" said Ray. "I had got a bit too close in Kaikoura and one of the sea lions went for me, which made me jump out of my skin, although thankfully, they cannot move very fast on land" he observed. "it is really awesome to see animals like this in the wild" added Ray. To see a short video clip, watch Wild Sea Lion in the Catlins

The Catlins take their name from the Catlins River, itself named after Captain Edward Cattlin (sometimes spelt Catlin), a whaler who purchased an extensive block of land along Catlins River on February 15th 1840, from Kāi Tahu chief Hone Tuhawaiki (also known as "Bloody Jack") for muskets and £30. The purchase was rejected by New Zealand's land commissioners and much of the land was returned to the Māori after long negotiations ending over a decade after Cattlin's death.

Continuing along the southern scenic route to Dunedin, travellers pass Slope Point, the southernmost point on the south island of New Zealand. "Reaching this place was a little 'completion' for me, as it meant I had stood on the north, south, east and west edges of New Zealand" said a triumphant Ray.

Above: "Been there, done that!" thinks Ray, as he stands at Slope Point - the southernmost place on mainland New Zealand

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Above: The coastline of southern New Zealand is jaw-droppingly beautiful. This picture is of Curio Bay, a few miles east of Slope Point....

Below: ... and this is Tautuku Beach, seen from high up at the Florence Hill lookout

Still on the lookout for opportunities to interact with wildlife, our traveller continued east towards Dunedin, reaching the iconic landform known as Nugget Point. "Located at the northern end of the Catlins coast, this steep headland has a lighthouse at its tip, surrounded by rocky islets (The Nuggets)" explained Ray. "The lighthouse stands 76 metres (about 250 feet) above the water and was built in 1869-70. The point is home tomanyseabirds, including penguins, gannets and spoonbills, and a large breeding colony of fur seals" he told me.

Above: The lighthouse at Nugget Point - the surrounding rocks are 'The Nuggets'

Below: Look closely at the rock in the centre of this picture taken by Ray - the tiny brown dots are fur seals perched precariously on the rocks. "I counted at least 50 seals while I was there and another visitor let me take a closer look through their binoculars" said Ray

Leaving the Catlins, Ray had only planned a very short stopover in Dunedin. "The day I arrived was the day of the F A Cup Final in England, so my priority was to find a place that was showing the game live!" said our die hard Chelsea fan, Ray. "There was a place in town showing the match, although the kick off time was at 2am, which was a bit rough, but at least I saw it as it happened, and thankfully, the Blues won the match" added our happy Chelsea supporter.

Above: Dunedin - the perfect place to watch live sports. Who on earth would have thought that our traveller would have gone to the opposite side of the planet to watch the F A Cup Final!

One of Dunedin's claims to fame is that it has the steepest street in the world. Baldwin Street, in a quiet suburban part of the city, is located in the suburb of North East Valley, 3.5 kilometres northeast of Dunedin's city centre. A short straight street of some 350 metres length, Baldwin StreetrunseastfromthevalleyoftheLindsay Creek up the side of Signal Hill.

"Its lower reaches are of only moderate steepness, and the surface is asphalt, but the upper reaches of this cul-de-sac are far steeper, and surfaced in concrete, for ease of maintenance (tar seal would flow down the slope on a warm day) and for safety in Dunedin's frosty winters" explained Ray. "At its maximum, the slope of Baldwin Street is approximately 1:2.86 (19° or 35%) - that is, for every 2.86 metres travelled horizontally, the elevation rises by one metre" added Ray.

Above: The steepest street in the world - supposedly

Above: This house on the street gives you an idea of the steep gradient...

Below: ... while this picture has been rotated to show what it would look like if the road was level!

Above: Our traveller drove up and down first - "I had to put the car into first gear to make it to the top - it reminded me of driving in San Francisco" said Ray

Below: He then walked to the top and back - "Apparently, there is an annual race to run up there and back - the winner does it in about two minutes, which is unbelievable" added Ray

With much of the southern island covered, our intrepid traveller set off for the last leg of his New Zealand tour, making tracks for Mount Cook, which I will be reporting on in our next issue. It was on the way here that Ray passed one of the south islands more unusual natural wonders - the spherical rocks known as the Moeraki Boulders.

Above: The unusually large and spectacular Moeraki Boulders at sunrise

The Moeraki Boulders lie along a stretch of Koekohe Beach on the wave cut Otago coast of New Zealand between Moeraki and Hampden. "They occur scattered either as isolatedorclusters of boulders within a stretch of beach where they have been protected in a scientific reserve" discovered Ray. "The erosion by wave action of mudstone, comprising local bedrock and landslides, frequently exposes embedded isolated boulders. These boulders are grey-coloured septarian concretions, which have been exhumed from the mudstone enclosing them and concentrated on the beach by coastal erosion" he explained.

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Above: A close up look at one of the peculiar rocks. The boulders were described in 1850 colonial reports and numerous popular articles since that time. In more recent times they have become a popular tourist attraction, often described and pictured in numerous web pages and tourist guides

Local Māori legends explained the boulders as the remains of eel baskets, calabashes, and kumara washed ashore from the wreck of an Arai-te-uru, a large sailing canoe. "This legend tells of the rocky shoals that extend seaward from Shag Point as being the petrified hull of this wreck and a nearby rocky promontory as being the body of the canoe's captain" learned Ray.

Above: On his way to Mt. Cook, Ray passed through Oamaru, hoping to spot a colony of Penguins - "My timing was all wrong" said Ray, "so I missed the opportunity" he said. "Still, I did see this very unusual road sign, which made me laugh - it is probably one of the few places on earth where you would see something like this" he chuckled

Whilst we are on the subject of strange looking rocks, another group of giant boulders that look like beasts asleep in a field can be found about six kilometres off the main highway between Oamaru and Mt. Cook, and are affectionately known as the 'Elephant Rocks'.

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Above: The 'Elephant Rocks' off Highway 83 at Dansey's Pass

Ray told me a little bit about their history. "Sculpted by wind, rain and rivers, these rocks began as sand, buried 25 million years ago and eventually hardened into Limestone. The rocks make for a peaceful, bizarre landscape and were used as the setting for the other-worldly Aslan's Camp in the blockbuster (2005) movie The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" said our knowledgable traveller.

Above: Ray stands beside the 'rear' of the elephant

Below: This rock is known to locals as 'Donald Duck'....

Above: They say New Zealand rocks! Now we know why!

Editors Note: Thanks Ma - another great set of pictures and stories for our readers. We eagerly await the last instalment of Ray's New Zealand tour, when we can find out about his visit to Mt. Cook - the tallest mountain in Australasia. We will keep you all posted!

Above: In our next issue, due online in a few days from now, Ma will be bringing us coverage of Ray's visit to Mount Cook - the tallest mountain in Australasia, as well as updating us about his visit to Christchurch before he leaves the country

Its All in the Name

This is one of the features that readers of our sister publication, The Daily Lama, have enjoyed. So by popular demand, we have decided to continue with it here. From time to time, we will publish photographs of different places or things that Ray comes across on his travels. If the name of the place or thing in the photograph matches with your name, you are invited to send us an email telling us, and we will include your name in a prize draw to be made at the end of the year, in our final issue of 2007! Here is the picture for this issue:

Above: This building was spotted by Ray as he passed through Oamaru

MOZZIE BYTE

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