Sheer Tenacity: Down south on South Island

7th March 2015

46 deg 36.54 South,
168 deg 21.26 East

Originally we just regarded Invercargill as our turning point… a place to photograph the sign post, and try out the famed Bluff Oysters. But that was before we saw the “World’s Fastest Indian”!! The film that is.

Even then we imagined it being about some new, incredibly fast bowler making an impact in the ICC world Cup, or at the very least , some “Dubbin shad fisherman” burying his over the limit fish in the sand with his toes!

Invercargill Main Street

The film, featuring Sir Anthony Hopkins, in fact tells the story of Invercargill’s Burt Munro’s quest to break land speed records in his “Munro Special” . This was his much modified 1920 vintage, 2 cylinder”Indian”motorcycle, which he took to Bonnievale in 1966/67, setting class speed records up to 308kph, which still stand to this day.

Fast Mary.....in the Munro Special. This can only get me into big shtuck as she is neither vintage nor fast!!!!!

At the time, he was in his sixties, and in 1977, shortly before his death, Norman Hayes , who owned the local hardware business, bought the Munro Special, together with all his tools, spare parts and bike bits.

"Offerings to the god of speed", the collection of all Bert's handmade pistons and things, made for his bikes

Munro’s collection, together with a fascinating collection of other special bikes, cars and machines, now make “E Hayes & Co”, in Invercargill, probably the most interesting and different hardware shop in the world!

Built and owned thr pop singer Meatball

1965 6 cylinder Corvair powered Special......the sign stated "ideal for towing a caravan up Everest"

We spent hours in the shop, before heading off to the bluff. Although it was a fine day, we decided that the return fares to Stewart Island, (+/-$155 pp) could not be justified, so we took a couple of photo’s of it, from the Bluff, and headed instead for the Catlins!

Deep fried and beer-battered Bluff Oysters.....R10 a pop!

The closest we got to Sterwart Island

Views from Bluff Lookout

The unique and special thing about Stewart Island however, is the variety of birdlife, which, unlike the "mainland islands", has not been devastated by the introduction of egg eating predators (mainly Possums and Stoats).

To do justice to this aspect would require a couple of days on the island, and we could not spare the extra days either, let alone the hotel bills!