Holed up in tourist cabin for two nights [photo]. Managed a cabin after four nights camping. Phoned ahead, surprised cabin available, booked it immediately. Not surprising though, campsite facilities terrible. A dump! Not a site people probably return to. Leala in particular not impressed. On paper, reads fine. First listing in campsite guide for this area. However, on positive side, somewhere to escape weather, perform tent repairs and dry it out. For an impression of the place, message in site kitchen reads "Campers, electricity bill bloody high again this month, can you switch things off when you’ve finished." A lot of potential but neglected. Found tent repair kit in town, some sewing and sticking required. Have to wait and see if worked. Wind subsided some, and today, surprisingly, sun. Had picnic in local park, kids in playground. Went swimming for first time in New Zealand. No, not in the sea. Brrr! Multi-million dollar Splash Palace: slides, wave machine and great-fun features. Problem, not available for us. Swimming lessons and classes on. Only limited area of kids pool available. Uh! Kids not impressed. Drive down from Dunedin followed Southern Scenic Route, through area called the Catlins. Had several stop-off points marked, but nobody interested. Jill fed up with weather, Ben asleep, Leala happy to stay in car. Managed fleeting stops: a waterfall [photo], but had nothing on those in Indonesia; a track to beach where seals bask, but too windy, wet and cold so got as far as portaloo-style toilet and drove on; a petrified forest of fossilised trees and plants [photo], but kept it brief. Longest stop was for afternoon tea in Curio Bay café, a converted church. Eccentric, eclectic, another time-warp of a place. Brilliant! [photo]