🚗 Day 11 NZ South Island Road Trip: Invercargill → Dunedin

⏰ 8:00 AM departure – Today was the longest drive of our trip (5+ hours!), but as a lighthouse enthusiast, I couldn’t resist the coastal route! Here’s how it went: 🌊 Coastal Stops Along the Way: 1️⃣ Stirling Point (25km from Bluff) Famous for oyster/abalone gathering (check Bluff tide times!). Snapped pics at the iconic "World’s End" signpost. 📍 2️⃣ Waipapa Point Lighthouse (~1hr drive) Sheep galore along the road! 🐑 Gorgeous red-and-white striped lighthouse. 3️⃣ Slope Point Almost the southernmost tip of NZ! 4️⃣ Curio Bay & Porpoise Bay Peaceful beaches where you might spot dolphins or whales! 🐬 Cloud-watching therapy at its finest. ☁️ 5️⃣ Florence Hill Lookout Panoramic mountain-to-ocean views—shape oddly like a 💙! 6️⃣ Kaka Point (arrived ~2 PM) A charming seaside village—perfect for a cloud-gazing break. 7️⃣ Nugget Point (near Kaka) Hiked up to the lighthouse 🏔️, spotted seals on the cliffs below! Pro tip: Visit Nugget before Kaka if optimizing the route. 8️⃣ Brighton Beach (close to Dunedin) Pristine white sand, surfers, and giant kelp! 🌊 Warning: Road here is winding & steep—drive carefully! 9️⃣ Tunnel Beach → Skipped (too hungry—saving for tomorrow!). 🏙️ Dunedin Arrival: Dubbed the "Edinburgh of NZ"—as a former Edinburgh resident, I wasn’t wowed by the architecture, but first-time UK lovers might adore it! 🚂 Dunedin Railway Station: Overrun with tourists hogging photo spots (had a heated moment with a mom who wouldn’t budge… 😤). 🍜 Dinner at Taipei 101 Busy, flavorful (but salty!) Taiwanese spot. Ordered: Beef noodle soup, rice noodles, greens, crispy pork belly ($72 for 3). 🏨 97 Motel Moray Budget-friendly, walkable to church/station. Old but functional—elevator included! #NZRoadTrip #SouthIslandNZ #LighthouseChaser #CoastalDrives #DunedinDiaries