Out in the Country and by the Sea

Fortrose is on the shore of Toetoes estuary and close to the mouth of the Mataura River, a half hour drive from Invercargill (New Zealand). There’s a lovely cafe there where you can have your meal while admiring the view of the estuary. Its a favourite stop for us if we’re driving from Invercargill and heading toward the Catlins. On Saturday we were driving back to Dunedin via the Catlins so Fortrose Cafe and Restaurant was our refreshment stop.

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After ordering, I headed out of the cafe to see the beach and take some photos.

There are a lot of native plants around the cafe and parking lot. Here you can see flax and toetoe (native Cortaderia species).

I crossed the road and stepped down to the beach. Everything was calm and peaceful and I could see a couple further down the beach wading through the water and dragging a net. You can click on this image for a larger-size version.

I glanced around at the driftwood that was near me on the beach

Looking down the beach again I noticed the couple had left the water and were walking in my direction. When they reached me, I asked them how the fishing was going. The man replied it wasn’t very good, that they’d only got about half a cup. (They were fishing for whitebait, very small baby fish that can only be caught in the “whitebait season” and are delicious when cooked into whitebait fritters.) They carried on in search of a better fishing spot.

Looking back at where they’d come from, I watched the seagulls at the water’s edge. You can click on this image for a larger-size version.

I turned back the other way to see the couple disappearing further down the beach

and decided to head back into the cafe to rejoin my husband for lunch.

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Text and photos by Exploring Colour (2017)