About ten days ago I had to do some interviews in Riverton and Tuatapere, two towns on the south coast, west of Invercargill. The interviews were three days apart, so in between them, we went up into the mountains and stayed at Manapouri, one of the towns on the eastern edge of Fjordland and one of the gateways to the fjords. We didn't actually take a trip to the fjords, just got to the jumping off place. But it was still very beautiful. Dave spent a day fishing on the Whitestone River and caught two very big fish, so he was a happy camper. The first photo is Riverton and the mouth of the Oreti River (just past the rocky headland in the photo).
Here are some photos of the southwest coast, with one that includes our trusty Honda Civic, one of the roomiest small cars we've ever had (a four door hatchback is a great arrangement). Of course, it has the steering wheel on the right hand side of the car. I still cannot walk to the correct door of the car. I always walk to the wrong side. I've learned that if I'm with Dave, I should just watch where he's going and walk to the other door, even though it feels wrong. I'm doing pretty well driving on the left side of the road, it's just the pesky car doors I can't seem to get straight.
The next two photos show the approach to the mountains, where the farmland ends and the mountains begin. These are the first mountains we'd seen since leaving Seattle, and it was interesting to see how much we had missed mountains, despite all the beautiful scenery we've seen.
The next four photos show Lake Manapouri, which is the gateway to a fjord called Doubtful Sound. To get to Doubtful Sound you take a boat across Lake Manapouri (much further than the distance you can see in the photos because the lake takes a turn off to the left around that headland in the first photo), a bus ride over a mountain pass, and then a boat into the Sound. It's supposed to be one of the most beautiful of all the fjords, with lots of wildlife. Someday we'll do that trip.
Lynne Baab is the author of numerous books about Christian spiritual practices including Sabbath Keeping and Fasting. She is a Presbyterian minister and holds a PhD in communication from the University of Washington. From 2007 to 2017, she and Dave lived in Dunedin, New Zealand, where she served as the Jack Sommerville Lecturer in Pastoral Theology, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Otago and Adjunct Tutor, Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership. Lynne's website is www.lynnebaab.com where she blogs weekly about spiritual practices. Many magazine articles she has written are available on her website, as is information about her books. Dave Baab is a retired dentist and associate professor in dentistry, a watercolor artist, and an enthusiastic tennis and pickleball player. After three years back in Seattle, Dave and Lynne returned to Dunedin in October 2020.
Here are some photos of the southwest coast, with one that includes our trusty Honda Civic, one of the roomiest small cars we've ever had (a four door hatchback is a great arrangement). Of course, it has the steering wheel on the right hand side of the car. I still cannot walk to the correct door of the car. I always walk to the wrong side. I've learned that if I'm with Dave, I should just watch where he's going and walk to the other door, even though it feels wrong. I'm doing pretty well driving on the left side of the road, it's just the pesky car doors I can't seem to get straight.
The next two photos show the approach to the mountains, where the farmland ends and the mountains begin. These are the first mountains we'd seen since leaving Seattle, and it was interesting to see how much we had missed mountains, despite all the beautiful scenery we've seen.
The next four photos show Lake Manapouri, which is the gateway to a fjord called Doubtful Sound. To get to Doubtful Sound you take a boat across Lake Manapouri (much further than the distance you can see in the photos because the lake takes a turn off to the left around that headland in the first photo), a bus ride over a mountain pass, and then a boat into the Sound. It's supposed to be one of the most beautiful of all the fjords, with lots of wildlife. Someday we'll do that trip.
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