The road to Oamaru is long and remote. Wild, rolling hills with wild lupins in the river valleys.
Oamaru itself is another quaint seaside town famous for the impressive limestone buildings and penguins.
Heading for the cliff top at dusk where we hope to see the yellow-eyed penguins returning to their cliff top burrows after a days fishing, the wind is blowing a freezing gale and the rain starts to add to our misery. Its hard to see anything as the wind and rain lashes us in the unprotected viewing hut up high but eventually we spot a lone penguin landing and gradually waddling his way across the beach.
Concentrating hard and trying to focus through the shivering, we eventually spot another six landing and making their way home. We can't dawdle any longer for fear of hypothermia and we also have a nightfall appointment to see the tiny Blue Penguins coming home around the headland.
As we make our way back along the cliff top path, there is a small group of people standing by the fence staring into the bushes.
As I peer in, I can see a yellow-eyed penguin peering back. He is almost within touching distance and somehow he has climbed his way all the way up the cliff back to his burrow at the top. He is not too impressed with his audience and gives the evil eye, albeit yellow.
Round the corner, penguin viewing is much more organised and commercial. A small wooden viewing stadium has been constructed alongside the landing ramp and the penguins have only a short hop from the ramp, across the road to their purpose built sea view apartments nestling in the hillside, and kindly provided free of charge by their hosts.
Just as we arrive the first raft of penguins comes into land. Unlike the yellow-eyed lot, these tiny Blue penguins gather in groups offshore before heading together for the shore. They surf in on the crest of a wave in groups of 20 or more. It is captivating to watch and we find ourselves scanning the ocean to catch more rafts forming and coming in to land, until it gets so dark we can see no more.
Oamaru itself is another quaint seaside town famous for the impressive limestone buildings and penguins.
Heading for the cliff top at dusk where we hope to see the yellow-eyed penguins returning to their cliff top burrows after a days fishing, the wind is blowing a freezing gale and the rain starts to add to our misery. Its hard to see anything as the wind and rain lashes us in the unprotected viewing hut up high but eventually we spot a lone penguin landing and gradually waddling his way across the beach.
Concentrating hard and trying to focus through the shivering, we eventually spot another six landing and making their way home. We can't dawdle any longer for fear of hypothermia and we also have a nightfall appointment to see the tiny Blue Penguins coming home around the headland.
As we make our way back along the cliff top path, there is a small group of people standing by the fence staring into the bushes.
As I peer in, I can see a yellow-eyed penguin peering back. He is almost within touching distance and somehow he has climbed his way all the way up the cliff back to his burrow at the top. He is not too impressed with his audience and gives the evil eye, albeit yellow.
Round the corner, penguin viewing is much more organised and commercial. A small wooden viewing stadium has been constructed alongside the landing ramp and the penguins have only a short hop from the ramp, across the road to their purpose built sea view apartments nestling in the hillside, and kindly provided free of charge by their hosts.
Just as we arrive the first raft of penguins comes into land. Unlike the yellow-eyed lot, these tiny Blue penguins gather in groups offshore before heading together for the shore. They surf in on the crest of a wave in groups of 20 or more. It is captivating to watch and we find ourselves scanning the ocean to catch more rafts forming and coming in to land, until it gets so dark we can see no more.
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