That sounds familiar

On our South Island travels we visited places with very famous names indeed.  We have all heard of Niagara Falls, those magnificent falls located on the Niagara River and forming the border between Ontario and New York State.  (In fact, we have been lucky enough to visit them).  The New Zealand version of Niagara Falls in the Catlins were named by a surveyor who had seen the real thing and named these falls as a joke after the originals.   To be absolutely honest, our falls are tiny indeed, but  it is good for a laugh, and we just had to come and see this version for ourselves.

  Niagara Falls New Zealand style

  We admit that they are tiny, more a rapid really

Pearl Harbour in Hawaii is a very special place indeed and we have been privileged to go and view the Arizona Memorial some years ago.  We are not sure how Pearl Harbour in Manapouri came to be named, but we are sure that no disrespect was intended.  We left here to cruise across Lake Manapouri, then take a coach trip over Wilmot Pass, then a catamaran cruise through Doubtful Sound.  On our return trip our coach driver carefully manoeuvred down a 2km circular tunnel to the machine hall of the Manapouri Power Station, before returning at the end of the trip to Pearl Harbour.

This way to Pearl Harbour

Peaceful Pearl Harbour in Manapouri

Our version of the Nile River is in Charleston, Westport. Tradition says that this river was named after an ill-fated ship which mistook the mouth of the river for Constant Bay and was wrecked. We enjoyed a trip on the Rainforest Railway which took us into the  Paparoa National Park.  As the train trundled into the Nile River Canyon, there was not an Egyptian or a pyramid to be seen. 

Nile River, Charleston

Sadly we have never been to the real Grand Canyon, but yes, the Kiwis have done it again and used yet another well known name.   We were surprised to come across and drive through the “Grand Canyon” on the road to Millerton, on the West Coast.  The canyon was not quite up to USA standards, we have to admit, but still an interesting.stretch of road.  

The Grand Canyon, Millerton

Niagara we knew about, but the other three names were a complete surprise when we stumbled across them.  These names  certainly added interest to our sightseeing trips.