There’s a place called Toko Mouth

Larnach Castle and Emerson’s Brewery were our stop points in Dunedin. The castle’s presence and history proved captivating. The brewery’s beer proved to be thirst-quenching. It was disappointing we didn’t make it out to the end of Otago Peninsula where there was the promise of flourishing fauna but the 1812 Pale Ale helped to make things better. Pedro from Brazil was the tour guide, keeping us informed about the simplicity of beer making. Maybe my dream of making my own could be realised. With 4 ingredients, what could go wrong?

With a Milford Sound cruise booked for Wednesday, it was time to get supplies and begin the next leg of our journey. Dunedin’s architecture was attractive, reminiscent of the old world, reflecting the Scottish connection of the city. It was time to head west again.

If you want to get away from it all, go to Toko Mouth. No mobile reception meant that last night we were completely disconnected in some ways, but connected to wild rugged beauty. With a gravel camping pad and clean toilets, it wasn’t what the Beach Boys would have had in mind but we were satiated with our location. Chicken burritos with the gas grill providing heat for the wraps was our meal.

With pack up completed and donation proffered, the streets of Toko Mouth were calling. A quick mainy, then back along the gravel road to the highway. Gore, the NZ equivalent of Tamworth, had pasties! South Aussies would recognise then as Cornish. Between trout fishing and country music, there was reason to linger, but push on we did. The spectre of snow covered alps reappeared as we made our tracks.