Dunedin, Oamaru and Penguins
Trip Start
Nov 03, 2007
1
15
33
Trip End
Dec 07, 2007
Oamaru,
New Zealand
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Called in to have alook round Dunedin (a massive place with a small section of motorway). Yes, a real motorway! This turned out to be little more than our beloved A1. Most roads in NZ are single lane A roads. Even the state Highway roads.
Dunedin turned out to be shut. Yep shut. All closed. Wandered round the Octagon which St Pauls Cathedral is the main attraction and saw the statue of Robbie Burns. Back to van and off to Oamaru.
Pulled in halfway to make poached egg and beans in the van. Can I show a girl a good time or what??
Stopped off at a place to view some yellow eyed penguins. Saw 3 waddling across the beach. One was on a nest just below the track we walked up. It seemed quite unconcerned. Got chatting to an American and his wife (both anaesthesiologists) who work the odd day here and there to pay for their holidays
The trials of being a little blue penguin
. Hope I can semi retire like that!Got parked up and walked to see the blue penguin colony. Very commercialised. They have created a set of nest boxes and surrounded them with seating so when the penguins come out of the sea after feeding they have to run the gauntlet of a load of spectators! Not for us. Especially at $20 a go. We had a look round before the 8.15pm showing (yes they are quite punctual) and saw a solitary blue penguin trying to get out of the sea. They are so very small after seeing the crested and yellow eyed penguins.
We went to a different area and saw a whole load of them coming in from feeding anyway. They take a real battering getting out of the sea and onto the beach. They seem quite surprised themselves when they find themself on the beach the right way up!
Had tea in Oamaru surrounded by loads of people in Victorian clothing. There has been a Victorian revival weekend or some heritage thing going on. The things people do.
End Kms 694Km
