South Island Road Trip * day nine * The Catlins

Day nine felt like this photo... uphill... both ways... with two kids on your back. We started the day with a great breakfast of fresh eggs, bacon and toast and got out the door around 7:00... but missed our window of opportunity to see the Cathedral Caves (a series of enormous beachside caverns that can only be seen at low tide). By the time we got there we realized we were nearly out of gas and had to go 30 minutes back to town... and then turn around and go about back about 20 minutes PAST the Cathedral Caves to our next destination Curio Bay... home to an 18 million year old petrified forest. The petrified forest was cool... but by the time we go there everyone had been in the car for about 2 hours and it was a MAJOR let down for the kids. "We came all the way here to see THIS???!!!" Fortunately on the way back to town we took a very redemptive hike up to McLean Falls. The bush hike was unbelievably lush... thick layers of moss, unusual ferns, beautiful trees, uniquely colors stream running from the falls. Everyone was very thankful to be out of the car and excited to be seeing something beautiful.

We decided that we hadn't quite pushed the limits far enough and took a trip Jack's Blowhole (which was about 20 minutes past our home on the other side of town. It was cool... but we probably should have called it a day after McLean Falls. We made it - but just barely (Ben carried the babies and I bribed the kids with promised of special and delicious foods). Got home, played with chickens, ate dinner and watched a movie. DONE.