Penguins and Boulders

Well we got our car and hit the road. Monday we drove down the coast to a little hostel by the beach in All Day Bay, just south of Oamaru. That evening we went to watch the blue penguins at the harbour at Oamaru. We sat in a football stadium like stand with a bunch of noisy french people and watch the little blighters struggle up from the beach to thier burrows and nests to our right. The noisyness of some of our fellow spectators (yes we do 'regarde' now shut up) meant the penguins kept their distance. We stayed on though and after the majority decided the 'show' was over we were chatting to one of the guides when one of the penguins waddled past no more than a couple of feet from us. Amazing.

The next day, Tuesday, we went to see the Moareki Boulders. Huge spherical rocks which have gradually been appearing from the shore as erosion from the sea cuts into the dunes. Quite other-wordly. Phots to follow.

After that, off round the coast to see some yellow eyed penguins. These are larger and come and go to the sea alone. We wandered down to the vieing hut and after seeing our first one a couple more appeared from on shore. At this point some more of our French friends appeared with two very young children. Needless to say silence did not ensue.

We left the hide and wandered along the coast. The rocks were covered in fur seals and we soon got our own private penguin show as three of them took a tour around the beach in front of us.

Anyway we're in Omarama now, 110km inland on the edge of the Southern Alps. Two nights here and then off to Queenstown.

Thats all for now.