Moeraki Boulders

Just half hours drive down the road to the famous Moeraki Boulders which we had not really seen previously on our travels through the South.   The Moeraki Boulders are unusually large and spherical boulders lying along a stretch of Koekohe Beach. A short walk along the beach to see these very popular natural phenomena and a further example of the interesting geology in this region.    These boulders also form part of the vanished  world trail we were looking at yesterday.   They are septarian concretions which have been exhumed from the mudstone enclosing them and concentrated on the beach by coastal erosion.

Off down the road then to Palmerston where we are staying at a private POP for the night before travelling on to Dunedin tomorrow.

Old Buildings, People and Boulders

This morning we leave Awamoko POP and are on our way to the coastal town of Oamaru, to see whats there.   A really nice city with beautiful architecture and plenty of buildings made of Oamaru stone quarried from the area around Duntroon where we were visiting yesterday.   Oamaru has its “old area” down the bottom of the CBD and have a number of people in period costume adding atmosphere .

A  number of the old  buildings are still in use (we found the bakery)  along with limestone carvers, cafe’s and a variety of other stores in the historic area. 

In the main street a large number of buildings in the local stone are interspersed with the “normal” retail outlets on a nice wide street.

This sign caught my eye, obviously someone in the council has a sense of humour !

 Airships Parking Only

Vanished World at Duntroon

Today we moved on to Awamoko Domain, another good NZMCA POP not far from Oamaru.     On the way we called in to the Riverstone Homeware shop to lok at what we thought was a cafe and small shop.   It turned out to be a full blown restaurant and a collection of interesting shops crammed full of all sorts of gifts, crafts, homeware etc.

 

             The Flower Shop                          2 of the other shops                   

 

“Boot Hill” Tombstone Collection

We didn’t spend too much time there as we were wanting to go on to Duntroon and the “Vanished World” fossil and rock formations which we had read about and sounded quite interesting.

Once set up at the POP and after a quick lunch we drove to Duntroon and into the Vanished World information centre full of casts of fossils dug from the limestone cliffs and formations in the area.   Some of the larger fossils of dolphins were deposited  70 millions of years ago in what is now known as the Waitaki Valley.   Casts have been taken and most of the originals are now in the Otago Museum.

We set off along the Vanished World Trail where volunteers have marked each area to stop and with a short walk view fossils and interesting rock formations.

                                                                 Baleen Whale Fossils

Up in the Hills

Further on to the next area known as elephant rocks for more photos

Jenny & Robin and Pauline and I at Elephant Rocks

On to our last stop for the day  passing what looked like part of the set constructed for the filming of one of the Narnia films and a short walk in to another fossil site with some amazing rock formations.

 

Limestone Rock Formations

Waimate Continued

Still here at the NZMCA POP at Waimate.

A day off today for everybody as we decided to “blob out” for the day.   Sun is back out again so it was nice not to have any driving and just sit around catching up on domestic duties.   Things were a little noisy last night as we happened to arrive here in the middle of the annual March Hare motorcycle rally which was located not too far from us.   There was plenty of burnouts, cheers and bands until 2am.

This morning we watched all of the bikes leaving in the distance and had the company of the local constabulary over the fence.   He was stopping every vehicle who might have been trying to sneak out the back way to avoid the main road booze bus.

                                     Blow in the Bag Laddie !

The only trip for us today was to the local New World supermarket and bumped in to and old school and Pipe Band friend from my days in Whakatane.   Dianne B. has lived here for some years.

Waimates Main Street

Our sightseeing today only consisted of a photo of the old wood chopper in the middle of Waimate and a visit to the Knitwear factory as all the shops etc are closed being a Sunday.

Tomorrow we move on again after a visit to the Havoc Farm retail outlet supposedly the best bacon & smallgoods in the South Island.

Twizel to Waimate

A cold blustery southerly today for the drive to Waimate about 150km away.   We have decided to position ourselves there for a couple of days and do sightseeing day trips from the NZMCA POP in Waimate.

A pleasant drive which takes in all of the dams in the area starting with Benmore which we drove in to see.  From the lookout at the top we drove across the dam

to photograph the spillway which on this trip unlike the last time we were here was dry and not spilling water.  A spectacular sight when it is.

The Benmore Spillway

“Le Petit Chateau” framed in a piece of Penstock Pipe

Down past Aviemore (stopped for a cuppa at the lookout) and then Waitaki before continuing on to Waimate and our stop for a couple of days.

Waimate from the Top of the Hill

Twizel–Mt Cook

A very cold night beside the canal at Tekapo, got down to 1deg overnight under a clear sky and didn’t feel much warmer for our trip on to Twizel in the morning.

Back across the canal bridge and away we went.

                The Convoy                                    Off across the Bridge

On the way my long held belief that Mt Cook didn’t really exist(after three visits without seeing it over thirty years) was refuted in spectacular fashion.   An absolutely clear day with extremely high cloud gave us very good views of the mountain from the shores of Lake Pukaki.

View from Lake Pukaki

We had decided to go to a motor camp for the night and had booked in to the Lake Ruataniwha Holiday Park.   They allowed us to arrive early to drop the caravans off so we could make the trip to Mt Cook without them.   A nice drive of 70km or so along the shores of Lake Pukaki with tremendous views of the surrounding mountains topped up with Mt Cook until our arrival at The Heritage.

A  nice bronze statue of Sir Edmund Hillary is set looking towards Mt Cook outside the Heritage.   Some lunch was next on the agenda, with the cafe windows facing  towards the mountains

We had booked to see a 3D movie in the theatrette following lunch and while it was quite well done I’m afraid the 3D aspect is not something I could get used to in a hurry.   It was enough to make Pauline quite queasy and she had to miss most of the movie with her eyes closed!

Back to Twizel and a quick drive down to the banks of Lake Ruataniwha.   This is a man made lake and the principal rowing venue for South Island rowing.

Had a view of a fisherman cleaning his fish so went over for a nosey.   Boy what a fish it was a 32lb trout which had obviously been feeding on food washed down from the upstream salmon farm.  He was from Hawaii and for the last thirty years has been coming to NZ fo 4 months each year in search of the big fish.   He’s sure got it with this one.

A man and his fish

Into the Mackenzie Country

Oh Boy ! winter came in with a vengeance and we are still supposed to be in summer.   Temperatures plummeted overnight and came with heavy rain and some snow in the mountains.   It did make for spectacular views on the way to Lake Tekapo but the outside temp was 10 deg.

We met up with a bus load of Americans at the lookout above Fairlie one of whom insisted on a photo of some “Genyooine Kiwis”   Excuse the spelling but he was from Kentucky and thats what it sounded like !.   Down into Fairlie then on to a Craft shop in Burkes Pass before continuing on to the memorial to the Collie Dog in Tekapo.
This memorial to the Collie Dog was erected by the runholders of the Mackenzie and by those who appreciated the value of these dogs.

The most famous photo opportunity even surpassing this one was of course the Church of the Good Shepherd on the banks of Lake Tekapo.   This church was the idea of Revd W.E.D. Davies   On 17th September 1933 at a meeting of local runholders he said “ We need a church that will be a central meeting place, not only for the workers but also for the many campers and holidaymakers.   It should be on the Lakeside at Tekapo”   At this meeting was born the idea of The Church of the Good Shepherd.

It is of course famous for the photo opportunity of the Lake through the church plate glass window

Leaving Lake Tekapo we headed off down beside the canal to a free parking area beside “Pattersons Pond” however, when we got there the access road was so steep we ended up at the gravel area up above by the canal and settled down for what we hope will be a quiet night.   Hopefully the clouds will clear and we will get a good night for a look at the night sky.   We are not too far from the Mt John observatory.

Freedom Camping in the Mackenzie