Oamaru- March of the Penguins and Nice Buildings too

The Bar at Fleur's


The Stairs at Fleurs


On the Road to Oamuru




Oamaru is a curious town in that it has some of the nicest buildings I have ever seen in such a small package. At some time, the bankers and the insurance companies decided that this was where to be: and then they left... leaving the buildings behind, like a neutron bomb bust.

Buildings in Oamaru



On the way from Dunedin we stopped to look at the Mareki Boulders, just lying there on the beach with quarzite crystals on the inside of them.

Oh yes, there was some nine year old whailing away on them with a rock to get a souvenir - but you'd be proud of me, I said nothing.... thinking, leave it to the locals.


Then buy chance Cheryl picked up a book on this restaurant, Fleur's at the pier in Moreki and what a cute little place that was, and great sea food chowder.. I mean the clams, mussels and so forth were still in the shells in a new england style broth all served up with fresh pumpernickal and a local brew. Whoa... too good.

pictures to come.

Then on to Oamaru, to walk the streets with all the fine architecture, stone with Doric and corrinthian columns, high windows and carvings.

Later we hit the beaches to watch the penguins: first the yellow eyed version on Bushy Beach and later the cute little Blue Penguins on Wharf Road. You see for some reason, the little blue guys love the wharf and there is a colony of about 200 that come in at precisely 4:30 PM after feeding out at sea.

The town and Dept. of Conservation have erected a viewing area ( a kind of theatre) where they return in a group ( called a raft) and about ten to fifteen gather a time, at the appointed hour, seemling discussing amongst themselves who will go first, or arguing about whether or not this is the right landing point and then finally make a made dash for the nests on the shore.

The interpreters remind all that come to view that they should check under their vehicles and mind the penguin crossings on the way home after all, they are not lost, just taking a different way home, and sure enough we did see a few on our way back to the TOP TEN TRAILER Park.

We love New Zeland.