S.O.T.: Invercargill

The city of Invercargill is the South Island’s southern most city, settled by Scottish immigrants in the 1850s & 1860s. This was the next two-night stop for Roman & I on our backpacking trip. The Intercity bus left the sunny hills of Dunedin and rolled into the wet & windy. Rolling showers had decided to pay the city a visit as well. The landscape between Dunedin & Invercargill is the same between Dunedin & Christchurch, with rolling hills of green grass being picked by the anxious hungry cows & sheep.

A section of highway is called the Presidential Highway because it runs through two towns: Gore & Clinton. Former American President Bill Clinton visited the town with the same name during his tenure and there now stand two poles, one with the New Zealand flag & the other with an American flag. At this time, there are no plans to rename a rural town after the current president, George W. Bush.

Strong winds greeted Roman & I as the bus dropped us off at the Southland Museum & Art Gallery, a large white pyramid structure sitting on the edge of Queens Park. I would go inside the next day, looking over the various European & Maori portraits & sculptures. The museum also has a habitat showcasing Tuatara lizards. The one thing I can never understand with art galleries is too much space and not enough portraits.

For two nights, my brother & I stayed in a great hostel called Southern Comfort. It’s located close to the museum and even though our room was small, the beds were really comfortable. Since S.C. doesn't have a website, I'll say that the charge was $29/night per person. It would have been cheaper if we were members of Budget Backpacker Hostels.

Enjoying the sites of the city was a challenge due to constant wind & rolling showers. I’m glad that I brought my large golf umbrella. Despite the lacking weather, I walked around town, snapping pictures of monuments and breathing in the atmosphere around me. The iconic symbol of this southern city is the Romanesque Water Tower built in the late 1800s. I even ventured through the industrial sector, watching the movements of freight trains, trucks, cars, and actions of construction workers. Men always had a thing for heavy machinery & construction.

Unfortunately, I can’t see myself living in Invercargill because of the weather, but I just might end up being sent here for my second teaching practice in March 2009. If I do, I’m packing plenty of warm clothing.

When evening arrived, Roman & I decided to pay a visit to a well known restaurant franchise in Canada: Lone Star. Roman ordered a rack of ribs and I ordered a nice juicy steak. Of course, one can’t forget a good beer to go with that. Pricey? Yes, but definitely worth every bite.

The return bus was leaving in the early morning meaning Roman & I had to wakeup earlier than we wanted. I did my best getting extra sleep on the bus even though it's a challenge for me when I'm sitting upright. Well, I guess life isn’t always fair.

To Be Continued . . .