Moeraki and Blue Penguins

We didn't get up in the end for the sunrise over the Moeraki Boulders. We were absolutely exhausted and besides, the sky looked pretty cloudy anyway. We were so glad we didn't in the end as it really was a cloudy morning and so the light wouldn't have been any good, plus thus campsite had the wonderfully late check out time of 12:30, so we got to have a really nice relaxed morning instead which makes a change!

When we did arrive at the Boulders I almost had to leave Rob behind with the Alpacas at the car park, may end up with a Lama and Alpaca farm when we get back! We headed down to the beach for the boulders and they really are very strange.
Lots of spherical rocks just sitting there, some on their own and others in clusters. They sit where they have eventually fallen or been left behind due the erosion of the mudstone cliffs that are very brittle.

They are really smooth except for where they have cracks that run along the outside. The cracks form almost hexagonal ridges over the surface and these contain an amber coloured calcite crystal. They look a bit like alien eggs.
Apparently they are hollow in the middle and then this calcite crystal forms s large layer which then radiates out to the edges and shows up in the cracks we see. The boulder itself is made up of silt and some calcite also and it is strongest on the outer part. This means that there are some boulders that have either cracked open or have been eroded somehow and just left with the outer shell. One like this was a bit like a fish bowl, it was buried in the sand with just dome of the boulder protruding and the hollow centre had become a beautiful little rock pool on this vast sandy beach. It was filled with all sorts of sea weeds and algae, all greens and pinky reds.

After taking some photos and admiring these strange 60 millions year old formations, which scientists still don't fully understand, we decided to head back to the car after s bit of shell and crystal collecting. Poor Rob had to walk uphill and discovered that for a broken toe this wasn't very fun. It looks even more swollen and purple now too.

On the recommendation of the very nice campsite owner we decided to treat ourselves to some fish and chips for lunch from a place called Locking. It had great reviews and is known for its fantastic blue cod and chips. As the weather was getting colder it was nice to think about eating something warm and delicious and we really hoped that for once the hype lived up to the goods as we have had a few disappointing fish and chips here. Many places use McCain oven chips which is just wrong!

The guy was really nice and told us of a couple of local places to visit including Shag Point and Kaitiki Point for wildlife. So far so good. After not too much time we had the fish and chips in front of us. No fork, just a box of chips with five delicious looking battered fish fillets and our fingers.

Boy oh boy...these were some fantastic fish and chips! The batter was delicious, not sure what type it is but it was so light and tasty and complemented the fresh cod so well. The cod was also so so good. Tasted ridiculously fresh and was very meaty. Makes me sad not to have this as my local lol. Oh and they had proper chips too!

After feasting for lunch we followed the advice of the owner and went to Shag Point to kill some time before our planned trip to try and see more yellow eyed penguins at Kaitiki.
It was raining on arrival so it took us a while to get ready. We thought it would be more rocky bays with seals viewed from up high. Instead we were treated to seals just laying on rocks only a few metres down from where we stood. It is the closest we have been yet to the New Zealand fur seals and they were so much fun to watch. We have seen them play in the distance before now but seeing them close up was amazing. Some sleeping the day away and others leaping in and out of the sea, jostling and playing and waving their tails out of the water. Magical!

The rain got quite a bit harder and so we set off instead for Kaitiki Point, fingers crossed it would pass and we would see more penguins.

With little rain we headed along the low cliff point that took us through some grassy land and shrub, perfect for yellow eyed penguins. We were then taken once again by absolute surprise when there were some penguins just there on the grassy cliff slope below us. Again just metres away. Five in total, three standing and two laid down. In the daylight you could really see all their colouring although these guys were moulting by the looks of them which explains why they were not in the water.
Rob then pointed out that on the other side of the point you could look down on a mass of little seal pups! They were adorable! We couldn't stop smiling and gawping.

We wandered further along toward the end of the point and excitedly exclaimed when we spotted yet more penguins! Even closer to us this time. Rob was now in his happy place I think. They might not have been doing much like the ones we saw leaving for the ocean (still our favourite penguin moment) but it was so amazing to see them so close and yet still wild. We counted 10 in total which from other comments is a really good number!

We carried on again and as we got to the crest of a little hill we noticed a seal that was up here with us, by the path and shuffling towards a lady ahead of us. Looking around I then noticed more mounds on the grass that also turned out to be seals just chilling out, not a care in the world for the excited passers by.

Walking to the edge from up here we could also see more rocks just below and even more seals. I noticed a pup that was suckling on its mother which was beautiful, before another seal decided to come down and try to attack the seal pup. At this point the mother quickly defend her pup and fought with the other seal before eventually shuffling off with the pup. The other seal looked like he might try again before settling down.
We saw another fight too, one seal that was clearly in the mood for a fight and at one point hauled himself in group of about five seals, three of which couldn't be bothered and just flopped away. It is so incredible to be witness to all this behaviour so close to us and wild. We absolutely love it on this coast.

Next up was a drive to Oamaru in the hopes of seeing a different species of penguin, the little blue penguin. It's the smallest species in the world. There is a large viewing centre there but we hoped to catch them without paying and without the massive crowds using some online hints and tips. We put on our layers and waterproofs and braved the rain and wind. We were waiting by a boat ramp that they apparently make their way up. There is a tunnel under the road too for them to use so we were fairly certain we had the right place, just had to wait for then now. It was around 8 when we arrived and they could be as late as 10! Not so fun when standing in the rain and dark.
At around 8:30 to 8:45 Rob spotted the first arrival making its way. It ran up the little rocks in such a cute manner before stopping for a while and then going back in the sea. 15 mins later and he was back, this time running and hopping up the ramp to take shelter under the boat.
We asked the two women who were working to keep them safe about them and they explained to us about how hard they have to work to prevent them being pestered too much. They were really informative which was great and told us about how much better it was having the new tunnel for then to use, despite having trouble with them trying to nest in it!

We saw another two arrive before we decided to head home. They were so so cute to watch but it was dark now and the rain was really coming down so my glasses were just blurry and we still had to get dinner and get to camp.

At the car we heard some very strange and loud noises and I decided to investigate as I had heard the penguins can make lots noise. Turns out there were two just standing by a building by the railway tracks. I was reminded not to get too close by one of the women who spotted my excited waves to Rob. She was again very helpful and pointed out a chick waiting for its mum. She arrived shortly and my word he didn't leave her alone! She explained they weren't really fighting but that the chick wanted it's dinner right away and the mum was having none of it. Apparently neither was the chick because it chased her all over the place. Yet another amazing bit if animal behaviour that we got to see. I was also glad to have been so chatty with the woman because she shooed away lots of people back to where we had been before so it was really only us that saw this. Unfortunately gone 10:30 they won't get any help from the women and they just have to hope they are left alone.

Having had yet another amazing day and having now seen 18 of the worlds rarest penguins and 7 of the world's smallest we were ready to get out of the rain, grab some food and get to camp.
One McDonald's and Dominos later we were at camp and snuggled up with the sound of rain against the car.Read more