On down the Coast

November 3, 2008 - New Zealand - Tagged: South Island

Between Timaru and Oamaru we entertained each other with observations like “That sheep had a lot of grass in it’s wool.” and “Did you see how high that lamb jumped?” and “Do lamb tails fall off, or do they clip them?” We passed paddock upon paddock of sheep, with occasional cows, horses or alpacas and very infrequently deer.

There were so many babies! Some fields were full of just babies. In one spot we saw a dozen or so baby cows mob around the tub the farmer was filling with food while wagging their tails just like puppies would.

We made a detour along the Vanished World Heritage Trail, in Waitaki Valley, to see Elephant Rocks. This was the setting for Aslan’s camp in the movie version of The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe. The huge limestone boulders and rock formations in the middle of green fields with the backdrop of snow capped mountains was beautiful.

Further down the road was a short walk to see the fossil of an ancient whale still in the rock where it was discovered. There were several bones visible and it was incredible to think that the area we were walking in had once been the bottom of the ocean.

Oamaru is a big penguin-spotting are, both for the blue penguins as well as the rare yellow eyed penguin. Best viewed just by dusk, so we pressed on to try and catch some further down in Dunedin.

Dunedin has a strong Scottish history, even the name means Edinburgh in Gaelic. Dunedin is a big bustling city with all you’d expect from one, internet cafes, shopping, museums, galleries, historic buildings and traffic! There is also a major university, brewery and a Cadbury factory. Over 100,000 people live here.

We stopped by St Kilda’s beach, it was a long walk. We then wandered around the Otago Peninsula, a mecca for wildlife and nature lovers. Hiking tracks crisscross farmland and pastures winding down to secluded inlets and bays. There are chances to spot penguins, albatross, seals and more. For in-depth info you can visit a Yellow-eyed Penguin Refuge and royal albatross museum.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADONIS!