Today is the day we reach our breaking point with the south island and their fees for everything — particularly natural occurring events and penguins, albatross and sea lions that should be free for everyone to see. More on that in a moment.
Inside the smooth boulders are honeycomb centres which are revealed in some of the broken samples.
The boulders were originally formed around a central core of carbonate of lime crystals that attracted minerals from their surroundings. The crystals end up looking like glue holding the rock together.
Hidden in the mudstone cliffs behind the beach, the boulders "fell out" as erosion occurred.
We drive on into the charming fishing town of Moeraki and stop at the renowned Fleur's Place, a quaint seafood restaurant that serves it all up (bull kelp too) fresh from the sea. It's 11:30 a.m., so we have a coffee — not fresh from the sea — but freshly made and tasty. Fleur's is famous round these parts with all sorts of celebs popping in (Gwenyth Paltrow and chef Rick Stein), with Fleur herself probably being the most famous. Several folks ask her to autograph the cookbooks they have bought. We consider having an early lunch... but it would be a really early lunch and we just can't stomach it - no matter how tasty the menu looks.
By this point, we are both as sullen as the weather continues to be. We are both grouchy at the South Island and all that it hasn't been. After hearing so many folks rave about how we'll just be left awe struck at all there is to see and how friendly everyone is, we are mighty disappointed — "so far" we keep qualifying.....as in "the island isn't all that impressive SO FAR". After all, who knows what's to come?
There is a lot of North Island bashing here as well. No where in the North Island did we hear folks bashing the South Islanders. Here in the South, they all seem to take any opportunity they can to say how awful it is up "in the norf." In fact, the cheese maker we stopped at today flat out said "Why would you even want to spend a week up there, let alone a month?"
Um, really? The cheese maker (Colin) then went on to say how most of the South Island is being sold off to the Chinese who are setting up dairy factories to produce powdered milk which then gets sent straight back to China. If that isn't a mark of a superior island, I don't know what is! He did have some good cheeses though and we picked up a trio au fromage for our lunches.
We decide that the Otago Penisula looks inviting and is worthy of a stop. It is on the other side of Dunedin, and, on the map, looks quite open and unpopulated. Not quite. The road out winds along the very edge of the ocean bay looking in many spots as though it may crumble into the sea at any point. The peninsula, as far as we can tell, is a suburb of Dunedin with ritzy contemporary homes lining the hill. Closer to the end, the houses drop off and the Royal Albatross Center looms in the distance. Great!, we think. The Royal Albatross live here, at the tip of the point, the only land based colony in NZ. Except... you can't see them unless you pay!
Seriously. What is up with these New Zealanders. They don't OWN the damn birds. What a cash grab! So yes, pony up the $60 or $80 (depending on whether you want the "express" tour or the "classic" — you're going to make me pay THEN push me through?!). We politely tell them to also stuff it and have a wander about at the "free viewing" platforms that are — oh wait, no where near the colony. We do get this neat view of the Pacific waves crashing into the cliffs.
To our great fortune, however, a giant Royal Albatross flies across n our view and near to the platform. We are grateful to it for shirking the commercialism.
The highlight of the day was finding a lovely little campsite in Portobello, not far from a Little Blue penguin viewing area (yes, it's free!) that we'll be sure to head on over to tonight. Here's hoping for sun tomorrow.
Hi guys,
ReplyDeleteI hope your are fine with the recent events in NZ. Hope to hear from you soon!
Lelex