New Zealand, 9-2-2017--Cameron Flat to Lake Gunn

We encountered this sign along a trail near our camp.  1080 is a poison dropped in pellet form from aircraft. It's intended to help control predators, primarily common brushtail possums, stoats (weasels) and rats, all introduced species.  Over the decades they have decimated many of New Zealand's bird species, particularly those that nest in holes in trees.  The birds have evolved in the absence of predators, so the tree climbing predators have an easy time raiding the nests.

We'd already seen enough roadside signs against its use to know it was a hot election year issue.  What we learned later is that New Zealand uses something like 80% of the world's 1080 poison.  The guides we picked up the day before had filled us in on the debate.  It's a complex issue that has conservationists and livestock raisers pitted against hunters and animal rights activists.    

        

Pearl looks down from a suspension bridge on the way to Blue Pools.  The bridge is another example of the investment New Zealand has made in tourism and outdoor recreation.  

The Blue Pools, named for the color caused by light refracting through the clear cold water.

Whimsical stone statues on the gravel bar beside the Blue Pools.  

Lake Wanaka, one of several large lakes in the south half of the South Island.

Passing this display beside the highway we weren't sure we'd really seen what we thought we'd seen and did a quick U-turn to check it out.  It was indeed a fence beside Cardrona Valley Road festooned with thousands of bras. 

Turns out, its a brilliant fund raiser for the Breast Cancer Foundation.  

Looking down on the Kawarua River Valley toward Queenstown. We drove into Queenstown, found it a typically crowded and busy tourist and outdoor recreation mecca and departed quickly.  Afterward we found that many New Zealanders asked with pride if we had been to Queenstown, making us wonder if we had missed out on something. We still think not.

Lake Wakatipu, south of Queenstown

We'd seen many road kills in the Queenstown area and stopped to investigate.  They were all common brushtail possums, introduced from Australia in the 1800's for the fur trade.  The tree climbing marsupials quickly spread and have decimated many of the native bird species by raiding their nests.  

Just to emphasize that we saw sheep everywhere.  More about the white objects the sheep are eating in future posts.

Lake Te Anau, looking west toward Fiordland National Park.  The day was a bit gray, so the colors are muted.  The clouds also obscured the mountains as we approached Fiordland and Milford Sound, leaving us hoping very much for a brighter next day for our visit there.