Oamaru

  Oamaru, New Zealand
Saturday, February 23, 2008

Sheep Shearing Competition

Mom, Dad and Michelle left me to do laundry while they went to go watch blue penguins come in for the night at the beach (Just a 10 days ago I paid to see 500 penguins in Australia, so I didn't pay for another viewing).  Waiting for the wash to finish, I went out for a stroll.  Once out on the main street, I heard what sounded like the amplified voice of an auctioneer and decided to check it out.  As I grew closer, I heard some sheep bleeting in the back of a couple of pickups, so I figured it was a sheep auction.  I figured what better thing to do in New Zealand then check out a sheep auction?  Well, turns out the truth was even better.  It was a sheep shearing competition and they were serving beer.

Just observing for the 35 minutes in between laundry cycles, I learned a lot.  Each shearer had his own set of sheers which had a universal attachment to a drive train coming off a large motor attached to the roof of the cargo truck.  The good times were between 35 and 40 seconds to sheer a whole sheep.  Damn, that's fast.  Each competitor had special sheep shearing pants and shoes.  If you cut the sheep more than 12 times you could be disqualified.  It was a whole new world for me.

Empire Hotel

I figured for some real entertainment I should've volunteered to go up and compete.  That would've drawn a laugh.  Especially after a few beers.

-------------------------

Staying at a wonderful hostel called the Empire Hotel where a friend of my sister's fiancee works; very quaint, quiet, wonderfully maintained, lots of natural light in a historic building right in the middle of downtown.  

Rare, Yellow-tailed Penguin

Went out to Bushy Beach to spot the rare yellow tailed penguins and we were fortunate enough to spot one sunning itself down at the far end of the beach. 

In the morning we realized that the town had been overrun with old Riley cars.  Made for some great photo opportunities in front of all the towns old 19th century buildings.

Riley

--------------

On the way to Akaroa, Dad and I stopped into a Fish n' Chips takeway place that also featured Chinese food and hamburgers.  Fish n' Chips sounded good to Dad and I wanted a hamburger.  A hamburger turned out to be a bad idea.  My first clue about the place should've been that the proprietor has a sign hanging in the window that says Potatos Wanted.  When I got to the counter I asked him, So, do you have chips if you are in despearate need potatos?  He just said, You want chips?  One scoop?  Two scoop?  Ok, I see, you do have chips and I don't ask any complicated questions.

Random sign at Take Away shop

So we ordered, waited, got out food, walked back outside, met up with Mom and Michelle, found a picnic bench on the pleasantly grassy and shady side of the road in whatever this splendid little New Zealand town we were in.  Dad unwraps his fish and chips and sounds satisfied by the moans coming from his mouth.  Meanwhile I unwrap my hamburger and see that it has not been cooked.  It's been lightly seared, I'd say, but not cooked.  Oh well.  I ate it anyway.  Luckily I didn't get sick.  On the flipside the ice cream place across the street was heavenly.