Things didn't go quite according to plan on our first day on the road. Ignoring all popular advice, and ignoring the fact that it is New Zealand's busiest month of the year, we decided to hit the road and take our chances with accommodation as we turned up at various places. We headed South to Dunedin, a journey that promised around 350 kliks of travel. 600 kliks of travel later and still with nowhere to sleep that night, we realised that maybe we should have listened to that advice. Finally, we ended up at a one-shop, one-pub, one-gas station town (with an empty tank to boot) called Waihola, some distance past the mythical Dunedin. Luckily, a very friendly gas station owner and his wife had a rather luxurious ground floor B&B flat going free so we gratefully gave up the road at that point. Too late to buy dinner at the local pub, though . . . Early breakfast tomorrow, methinks.Still, the day wasn't all bad. Marvelously sunny drive down the Route 1 motorway, stopping at Oamaru for a late lunch (good job I pigged out on a large mixed grill, then) and a wander around the marvellously wide main streets of these Colorado-like towns. Before we got to Dunedin (or, rather, through it, around it, over it, and past it twice) we did stop off at one of the many sandy bays, this time to see the famous (no, really) boulders of Moeraki.
The boulders themselves look like the sacs of some fabled underwater beast that had congregated for a party down one end of the beach. Dunno what they were doing there but lots of people parked up to take the walk to photograph them. Linda nearly walked over a dead (or very nearly) seal thinking it was a boulder. That upset her somewhat and we very nearly spent the rest of the day looking for a vet . . .Arriving at Dunedin, we passed a University which, we found out later, was why all the motels and hotels were full. The biggest loss was our inability (despite all that driving) to find the Otaga peninsular which was the purpose of our trip in the first place (penguin sanctuary, harbour cruises and the like). No looking back; we go further west tomorrow.
PS: thanks for the comments guys.
5 comments:
Hah ! Hah ! Just like i thought a couple of seal molesters, suggest barbeque quickly and leave no evidence ( carries a 10 year sentence)
Hi Dave & Lin
Really enjoying your tales. we had a 70 year old driving us round S Island - "Racer Riley". Make sure you see Arrowtown and Cromwell - and the excellent wineries! Best wishes Margaret
Dave and Lin
Sandy and Richard do have the address of the site but may not have worked out how to send a message - I think my first one failed - not sure!!! Anyway they will be trying to get a message to you to let you know they are coming back to Uk so will unfortunately miss you. Best wishes margaret
Cadnam here, blogs seem to have arrived on the last stage coach. Trying to convince the others this is modern technology not what footballers etc get up to in carparks.
Glad to see/hear that you'r enjoying early retirement and that your sense of direction hasn't returned, you get to see and meet more intersting people that way. love and kisses from us
Hi * 2
Glad it's all going to plan...well almost anyway and I thought NZ mapping was supposed to be the best (after Ordnance Survey of course!). I'm sure it'll be good wherever west takes you so looking forward to the next update.
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