Lake Aviemore Motor Hotel Oamaru

... a neighbor pig that comes around and eats leftovers. Elaine freezing all their berries, so every night after dinner we had Hokey Pokey ice cream and berries! It was soooo good. It was like we went back in time. They were so inviting and wonderful to us. We cant thank them enough. Elaine showed us all around town. We went down to the ocean and got to see one blue penguin (which is really rare to see them during the day). We also got to see a ...

... appropriate, although I've not actually seen it. It is a type of algae and was first found in NZ (and for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere) in 2004. It is not dangerous to humans but it can affect stream habitats and sources of food for fish, and make recreational activities unpleasant as it forms a slimy mat on the floor of rivers and lakes. To prevent it spreading, all ...

Hi again I thought that when we left Christchurch last Thursday this final blog would simply be "We've travelled a lot and seen some fantastic scenery." but that wouldn't do any justice to what we've seen and done so... here goes (you can always switch us off if I go on too much!) After I left the internet room in Christchurch we were heading back to the Motel to head south when we heard the sound of bagpipes. Lo and behold in Victoria Square (centre of the city ...

... the beach was so slow and he never did make it to the bushes the entire time we were there. I finally decided he was the decoy penguin to distract people from the others. We waited about an hour for others to appear. Finally this girl came running over to her boyfriend (funny as we were supposed to be quiet)... she said in German to him to come quick, there is one there that no one else has spotted ...

... that seals and yellow-eyed penguins can be sometimes be found. It didn't look too promising until we walked a bit further into the reserve and spotted both fur seals and yellow-eyed penguins, neither of whom seemed at all bothered by our presence! Again, by the time we'd walked back up to the car, another convoy of tourists was arriving and, thanking our good fortune, we continued onwards to Dunedin.

... a good but basic campsite where we could have stayed last night but it doesn't have a power hook up. Walks start from the campsite heading up the valley. First we go to Kea Point and look out over the end of the Mueller glacier. Ahead of us, Mount Hobson peeps tantalisingly through gaps in the cloud. Every few minutes there is a deep rumble as small avalanches break off the mountain ...

... cunningly disguised as a souvenir shop) hadn't heard of Romsey and the Palmerston connection, until "Broadlands" was mentioned and she suddenly twigged. Lord Mountbatten, visits by HM the Q and the P of W, Lord Romsey: perfectly familiar with all that! I guess NZ will be a long way behind the Aussies in Republicity stakes, on that evidence. Perhaps I should write to the Advertiser with a question about Romsey's links in ...

... We found a Motel nearby which was great. Managed by a lovely woman who was a regular at the local Turkish Kebab shop and who phoned up and made sure they would keep the shop open for us before they left for home! We raced up there, practised our Turkish with the kebab-slicing assistants, who were friendly and smiley and then we raced back to our B & B and scoffed our garlic-sauce laden lamb kebab-faces in bed. At this place, they didn't just do the ...

... views and the most glorious sandy beaches. It would be heaving if the lapping waters weren't the chilly Southern Ocean... <br><br><br>Our first stop was in the old terminus town of Tahakopa, 800 people a hundred years ago but now about five houses, and a real find of a hostel - an old mill cottage beautifully restored and with half an acre of magnificent English style garden. All the creature comforts for $54 a night - and the first night all to ourselves! We met some ...

... en opeens: plopplopplopplopplopplopplopplopplop. Allemaal pinguins op het strand. Erg grappig, ff uitschudden, veren poetsen en dan de heuvel op en de weg over, terug naar hun nestje. We zagen die avond, raft na raft, zo'n 130 pinguins aan land komen. Erg spectaculair dus, maar op de een of andere manier voelde die in Dunedin veel intiemer: er waren minder mensen, deze mensen waren daar echt stil en de pinguins waren dichterbij. Maar toch apart dat om te ...