Happy New Year!
Breakfasted on a picnic bench by the lake amongst this mornings camera wielding Orientals, we made our way to the local town, Twizel. Camper housekeeping and supply replenishment completed we left the Mt Cook national park making our way East to the coast passing through the Waitaki valley.
Along the largest lake, Aviemore Lake we followed the scenic drive completely around the shoreline hoping to find a quiet lunch spot. Alas it would appear anyone who owned a camper, caravan, tent and/or speed boat in this region was pitched up alongside the lake. It was reminiscent of UK camp sites on August bank holiday weeks.
Driving further we took a detour to the Elephant Rocks which are in the middle of farming land on the plains. These rocks have been sculpted by wind, rain and rivers and were originally part of the sea bed here millions of years ago. Small particles of shells are fossilised in the rocks and Yvonne even spotted a small crab claw. A few minutes away in another farmer’s field we saw fossilised remains of a toothless whale uncovered in the limestone there.
Our route continued to Oamurau, a large historic town on the coast. It’s heyday was in the 1880s controlling the imports and exports of grains and flours and the Victorian part of town still has the old buildings, now housing trendy restaurants, coffee shops and tourist tat.
Driving further south we had a quick dinner stop on a beach side road stop and set off again to see the Moeraki Boulders. Timing was essential here so we could see them on the beach before high tide washed over them. We parked up on the beach and hot footed it to the place where we spotted these amazing boulders right on the shoreline. Pleased that we’d seen them before high tide, we drove towards tomorrow’s destination Dunedin and found a picturesque and quiet beach side spot for the night.
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| The Waitaiki river. |
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| Elephant rocks (used as Aslan's base in the the film Narnia) |
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| Moeraki boulders |
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| Glenn hatching from a boulder |
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| Many of the boulders look like tortoise shells |
Happy New Year you guys!!! I don't think I told ya but I brought your pic to Chilly Spoons and they were suprised someone would bring their spoons around the world. Awesome looking boulders and that hatching baby was not the cutest. 😜
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