The weather is much warmer this morning and we were on the road sooner (even including breakfast and a play on the playground for Nate).
First stop was for fuel and a few supplies before driving 20 plus kilometres down the coast to Moeraki Boulders on Koekohe Beach. What unusual landforms. The boulders are a group of very large spherical “stones”. Scientists explain the boulders as calcite concretions that have been exposed through shoreline erosion from coastal cliffs, that back the beach, and are believed to have originally formed in ancient sea floor sediments around 60 million years ago. According to Maori legend, the boulders are gourds washed ashore from the great voyaging canoe Araiteuru when it was wrecked upon landfall in New Zealand hundreds of years ago.
We walked down the beach to the boulders and then back along an inland route.
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| Moeraki Boulders |
Next stop was Katiki Point Lighthouse (along quite a corrugated gravel road - we were surprised that no wine glasses were broken) and a walk down to the beach where we watched New Zealand Fur Seals and at least one Hookers Sea Lion play and sleep on the beach and rocks. A lovely spot with no one else there when we first arrived. No penguins though.
From here it was quite a drive to Dunedin, where we just had to look at Baldwin Street which happens to be the steepest street in the world. Nate actually walked/ran all the way to the top while the rest of us watched from part way up.
After a look at the historic railway station (very beautiful) we headed for Portobello on the Otago Peninsula, where we booked into the Portobello Village Tourist Park for a late lunch.
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| Dunedin Railway Station |
It was then on to the Royal Albatross Centre, where we spent the rest of the afternoon before going on the penguin tour at 6:30pm.
There were quite a few Royal Albatross flying around. Such amazing birds.
Tonight the penguins didn't disappoint, despite a very noisy cruise liner departing Otago Harbour just as they were about to come ashore. Numbers were down a bit on last night but there were over 20 come ashore in ‘rafts’. Such wonderful little creatures.
Tonight the penguins didn't disappoint, despite a very noisy cruise liner departing Otago Harbour just as they were about to come ashore. Numbers were down a bit on last night but there were over 20 come ashore in ‘rafts’. Such wonderful little creatures.
Back to the Caravan Park for a late dinner, microwaved pies for Aylee and Nate and some chicken "thingoes" for Jill and I.
