After disembarking in Picton, we go to Akaora.

This interesting village compels us to make a large detour. Akaora is named : “The small France”.

It is a 650 inhabitants town located on the French bay shore, overcrowded in summer (It is magnificent). In 1838 Jean Langlois captain of a French whaleboat named “Sperm whale” (Cachalot) what a funny name for a whaleboat, negotiated the purchase of 30000 acres land (about 12000 hectares) in the Maori peninsula for 100 French Francs. Back in France he founded the Nantes-Bordeaux company to colonise New Zealand and gathered 57 migrants.

They arrived on August 17^th 1840, too late, since this same year, in february the Waitangi treaty was signed placing New Zealand under British rule.

The quarrel for the possession of the land took time, eventually the Nantes-Bordeaux company was obliged to sell backthe land to the New Zealand company. However some French decided to stay in Akaroa which is nowadays keeping memory of this influence especially in the street names.

Queenstown is a town not to be missed, beautiful but extremely crowded in this season by tourists of all nationalities. The hotels are fully booked. Fortunately enough the animator of the “Deco” Backpacker in the main street recognises me and managed to find out a 4 piled bed room. Oceane is fond of he Bacpacker atmosphere and takes the opportunity to cook and help washing up, things she is not doing usually at home !!!

    We spend the next day at Milford Sound, the season is propitious to observe the seals sleeping peacefully under the sun, they are not even disturbed by the continuous movements of the boats carrying tirelessly numerous tourists. They don’t care to open their eyelids.

    We keep on driving southward, direction Invercargill. The Toyota’s clutch begin to show signs of weakness and I am compelled to change down gears in the mountain.

    The weather is becoming cool in the evening and early morning, however we enjoy an exceptional weather : sun every day.

    After a night rest we go to the southernmost town : Bluff, nicknamed the town where the highway begins. It is the older New Zealand’s town, it was colonised as soon as 1824. Bluff is the ferries departure harbour to Stewart island.

     Impossible to embark the car. It is not important. There are very few cars on this island.    The crossing is a little bit shaky with an average weather, 2 meters height waves, Cape Horn is only 1000  km southbound.

Stewart is roughly the same size than Singapore with its 172000 hectares almost completely covered by vegetation. 380 inhabitants only are living of tourism and three fisheries.

    Its name is from Captain William Stewart who was the first to land there on board of the Pegasus in 1809. He mapped the island and bought it to the Maoris in 1864 for 1000 Sterling Pounds.

It rains 300 days a year, the temperature is 15° in summer and 9° in winter. Curiously freeze and snow are not frequent for such a latitude.

    Oban, situated on the Halfmoon bay is the only island village, it owns the unique 32 kilometres paved roads in the island.

Actually James Cook was the first European to see the island, however he assumed it was part of the southern island and he named it South Cape in 1770.

Its original Maori name, Te Punga o Te Waka a Maui, refers to the maori mythology. It means the anchor stone of the Maui canoe, to record the role of the island in the Maui legend, who, with their canoe : the Southern Island, caught the big fish : the Northern Island.

    The widely used Maori name is Rakiura. Generally translated by glowing sky with reference to the famous sunset on Stewart island or to the austral dawn.

    North of the island is shaped by the marshy valley of the Freshwater River, springing near the north-west coast and flowing toward south-east across the large indentation of the Paterson cove. The highest island point is Mount Anglem, near the North coast its altitude is 979 meters.

    The southern half of the island has a more even relief, rising to a crest to the south of the Rakeahua River valley, leading also into Paterson cove. The southern tip of the crest is mount Allen (750 meters). At the south-east the lands are lower and drained by the valleys of the rivers Toitoi, Lord and Heron. The Southwersten cape is the southernmost tip of the three main New Zealand islands.

    The Mason Bay, on the west coast is known for his long sand beach on an island where the beaches are generally much more tormented. A hypothesis suggests that the bay has been formed by the impact of a meteorite in the Tasmanian sea.

    An ancient colony, Pegasus harbour on the southern coast, was, in the past, proud of some shops and of its Post Office. Nowadays it is not inhabited and can be reached only by boat or by a difficult journey across the island.

Numerous bird species are thriving on Stewart Island due to the absence of predators. Among them are the Kakapo, the Weka, the Kaka, some albatross, penguins, the kiwi, the grey back Zosterops, Troglodytes and Fly gulpers.

    There are also giant seaweed having grains for fruits. I don’t know this type of seaweed, I assume it is Durvillea antartica (Phaeophyceae). Don't hesitate to write your comments in the place below. Thanks.

    Stewart island owns also a large population of Virginia Stags on its coastal areas. This species is hunted for its meat and for fun. A small population of Elaph Stags is living inland.

    Lewis Acker came to New Zealand as a harpooner on an American whaler around 1831 and stayed there with his Maori spouse and nine children. Acker built a stone house at Harrold Bay reproducing his boyhood house in the States.

The Halfmoon Bay lighthouse bears his name.

    We would like to stay for a long time, for a very long time, on this island, but unfortunately Oceane’s holidays are short…

Impossible to go south further, so we go back driving on the east coast. I use the clutch sparingly. Karine who replaces me at the wheel from time to time is doing the same. It is impossible to use the 5^th, even the 4^th gear, the clutch slips continuously.

    Before to drive back to Auckland I was planning to drive through Raglan on the west coast. However a slight slope was enough to end the clutch. In first gear I barely managed to get out of the freeway. The chicks pushed the car with teasing smiles. How it is possible to laugh when we are in such trouble.

    Here we are, stopped in a small 100 inhabitants village. Fortunately enough there is a telephone booth. I dial the emergency number given by the car rental company and, three hours later a truck shows up with a fresh nice Toyota for us. So we lets go to Raglan !

My intuition didn’t fooled me, what a nice 3700 inhabitants small town. Furthermore the waves are a must for the surfers.

Due to the incident we arrive late : 9pm (i.e. 21.00 for the mocos). The only backpacker hotel is fully booked, the receptionist  recommend a boarding house, one room and a mattress laid on the floor. Top !. While strolling in town we immediately realise it is peaceful and  pleasant for living. Local people are not  hurrying up and their behaviour is quite communicative. Surprisingly enough the concrete has not invaded the surrounding hills. Many top people have settled here.

We are now compelled to drive back to Auckland to hand back the Toyota after a 4300 km circuit, a kindness is waiting for us : to apologise for the breakdown and the annoyance caused, the renter gives us a bottle of champagne.

I can affirm now, after two trips at three months distance, that I know well this magnificent country.

How to qualify it ; strictness, honesty, politeness, resolution are the main qualities of this people.

    By the way, who is Vanessa ? Since I have to careen my boat and then sail to Borneo and the Filipino (here is the program), I don’t want to navigate alone any more, so I met this young Filipino girl who is now my team mate (you know now the program and the crew), the next adventures are following…