Off to Invercargill Airport! ✈️ Next Stop: Ulva Island

Ulva Island is a tiny, secluded paradise off the southern coast of New Zealand’s South Island, home to just 400+ residents. Our flight from Invercargill Airport was an unforgettable adventure—no check-in counters, no seat selection, no flight attendants… just a 6'3" pilot sitting right in front of us, flying the plane AND giving a live commentary! 😆 (Total "The Story of Roses" younger-brother-pilot vibes! 🌹✈️) Since we visited in winter, many shops were closed (summer’s the peak season). This place is a hiker’s dream 🥾, but as a proud lazy traveler, I only managed 2 hours of forced trekking before giving up and waiting for the water taxi at the dock. 🚤 Saw plenty of birds (the fantail was the only one I remembered 🐦), but no penguins or sea lions. Still, it was the perfect finale to our epic South-NZ road trip! Fun fact: The "World’s Southernmost Starbucks" title now belongs to a new store in South America ☕, but we did spot the "World’s Southernmost Proper House" (with running water & electricity, of course! 🏠). Tomorrow, schools go on break, and Dunedin was fully booked a month ago—so we’re staying in Owaka for the night. The next few days? Mostly driving… and honestly? I’m kinda homesick now. Goodnight! 🌙 #NewZealand #NZTravel #OffTheBeatenPath #AdventureTime #NoFlightAttendantsJustVibes ✨