Oamaru to Dunedin (49) via the Moeraki Boulders (72) Day 3

We left Mount Cook and headed on our next leg of our trip to Oamaru. As we had doubled back to see Lake Tekapo we were under pressure to get to Oamaru by dusk, dusk being the time that the blue or fairy penguins leave the sea to go to their rooks. We rang ahead and were advised to arrive at Oamaru's Blue Penguin Colony at 5.30 pm as the times obviously change all year round.

Sharon and I had seen fairy penguins before in Bicheno, Tasmania but had not gone to an actual centre. We arrived just in time and typically had to wait another hour before we saw any penguins. They do not allow people to take any photo's as it might upset the penguins so you will have to click on the link above to see them.

We ate that night in a place called the Last Post, and again I find the name kind of ironic, because if it was the actually the Last Post I wouldn't eat there again. Annette summed it up when she highlighted the fact that we had all been given steak knives with our chicken dishes. The word "tough" sums up the experience.

This was in marked contrast to the next restaurant we would find ourselves in the next day. After missing the turn off for the Moeraki Boulders we found ourselves in Moeraki Village, a cute little harbour village not unlike something you would experience back home in Slade near Hook.

We decided we would eat in the camper van, a decision none of us took lightly, and then head back to see the boulders. We decided to stretch the legs before eating and happened to pass by one of the local restaurant's called Fleur's Place. In a strange type of synchronicity we all looked at each other at the exact same time- as we were thinking the exact same thing- why not eat here? Here's a few pics taken from the outside.

Given the setting who wouldn't want to eat here and unlike a lot of restaurant's whose food pales in comparison to it's setting, this restaurant didn't disappoint. We went in and while being escorted up stairs there was a group of pictures of Rick Stein eating in the restaurant on the wall. If it's good enough for Rick, I thought, it's good enough for me. Here's a few more pics of the village.

We all agreed that it was the best food experience of our trip. We all had fish, well when in Rome! Here's a few more pics.

After desert and coffees we headed back to the camper van and down the road to the Moeraki Boulders. Here's a few pics of them.

The boulder's are formed, we think, from erosion of the coast as opposed to being dropped here by glaciers and the pic above of one nearly formed would seem to collaborate that theory. Here's a few more pics which give you a better idea of the size of the boulders.

We really enjoyed the boulders, and would have it higher up on the AA 101 list. Here's a few more abstract pics.

I am conscious that a lot of you might not know which direction we travelled in, so if you click here you will get a map of the south island. We basically travelled down the East Coast of the South Island and back up the West in a circuit.

After the boulders it was onto Dunedin. You can read more about the Scottish influenced city in our next post.

Cathal