Not many venture to New Zealand’s southernmost coast on their road trips. Many of the itineraries I’ve seen go to Te Anau, and no further, which is understandable. You’ve only got so much time in one country that you’re going to miss a lot. I spent two weeks in New Zealand and even while I was there, I was making notes for my next trip. However, if you have time to squeeze it in, I highly recommend traveling along the Southern Scenic Route on the country’s South Island.
This iconic route starts in Queenstown, New Zealand’s adventure capital, and ends in Dunedin on the South Island’s eastern coast. It travels through the following towns: Lumsden, Te Anau (where you can detour to visit Milford Sound), Tuatepere, Riverton, Invercargill, and The Catlins, with a potential side trip to Bluff and Stewart Island or Rakiura (Māori). Stewart Island is a great place to visit and is only a short ferry ride away from Bluff, and is the closest place (landmass) you can visit to be close to Antarctica other than the southernmost part of South America. And if you stop in Tuatepere, the “Sausage Capital of New Zealand”, you can also see things like the Clifden Suspension Bridge, which is the country’s longest wooden suspension bridge.
However, the entire reason my cousin and I decided to take the Southern Scenic Route was to visit the town of Orepuki (Māori: Aropaki) and its Gemstone Beach, located in between Tuatapere and Invercargill. There’s not much to do in Orepuki itself: it’s become a ghost town with abandoned homes and vacant stores, and it used to be a former gold mining town. But Gemstone Beach is where you want to spend your time.
Gemstone Beach is truly a hidden gem. It’s a less frequented beach (there were only a handful of people there in the early afternoon, mostly visitors), but it was breathtaking. You can walk along the shores and spot unique gemstones. Feel free to collect them, but I would recommend not taking them home with you. My heart also broke at seeing the dozens of dead jellyfish washed up on the beach, so be careful where you step. And depending on what time of year you visit, because of its proximity to Antarctica, it gets cold. I almost wish I had worn layers. I didn’t even take a dip in the water!
But if you get hungry, there’s one cafe in town: the Orepuki Beach Cafe. Located in what may feel like the middle of nowhere, it’s an unsuspecting building of a hidden gem, with almost a beachside cabin feel. Much like the Tardis, it’s bigger on the inside. It’s bright, it’s warm, and it has a cheerful, vibrant atmosphere. It’s very much as if someone took their home and built a restaurant on the bottom floor. You’re dining in someone’s home, eating food that they grew and then cooked especially for you. It’s an authentic farm-to-table dining experience.
And while meat (especially lamb, steak, etc.) is very much the focus of their menu, they haven’t forgotten about the non-vegetarians. After all, what’s a farm-to-table experience without the vegetables? I was nervous about dining here. I’m used to ordering roasted vegetables and fries from the side choices to make a full meal, or asking for limpy salads without dressing. And a cafe in the middle of nowhere where meat and dairy are their bread and butter? I might be screwed.
But I was pleasantly surprised here. While nothing on their menu was clearly labeled with allergen information, the manager in charge was incredibly sweet when I spoke to her and was happy to accommodate. She suggested a roasted mushroom sandwich on their homemade focaccia bread with a side of seasoned potato chips, and it was scrumptious. I could barely fit everything into my mouth, so I did a little deconstructed sandwich action, but everything was prepared and seasoned well, and so fresh. My cousin also enjoyed her meal and coffee, and even a bite of dessert!
And it’s more than just a cafe: it’s a gathering spot, it’s a communal space. It’s how we build bridges and mend relationships. As we were preparing to leave, a group of almost a dozen women walked in for brunch. Mind you, this was a weekday. But one of them was a local councilwoman, as her van outside had said so. Every town has its political backbone, and Orepuki is no different. Along the southern coast and across the country, you’ll see signs of political resistance, of calls for independence, of reminders of our duty to each other. In a nearby town, the beach sign said, “This town is not maintained by the council.”
Then what does a council do?
It was a stark and much-needed reminder that we do not travel in isolation. We do not leave our lives, values, and politics behind because they are not tied to the land. Fictitious borders do not separate them. They do not exist without reason. Our very existences are political, even if you believe yours is not. Wherever we go, these things follow like shadows. Traveling broadens our horizons and reminds us of how infinitesimal and significant we are all at once.
If you find yourself in the area, And visit Gemstone Beach and the Orepuki Beach Cafe. They’re open seven days a week, from 9AM to 5PM (and even later on Fridays and Saturdays). The food and hospitality won’t disappoint.
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