No penguins

Time for some more travelling. I picked up a free (except for fuel) rental car from Christchurch airport at lunchtime and set off for Oamaru. It was a bit strange to be driving a car again since I haven’t driven since I left London but even the busiest roads in New Zealand are quiet in comparison to what I’m used to. It was a beautiful day for the drive – hot, sunny, good views of farmland and distant hills. 


I arrived in Oamaru late afternoon and after checking into the hostel drove out to Bushy Beach reserve where it’s sometimes possible to see rare yellow-eyed penguins. It was really cold and windy on the cliff overlooking the beach. You’re not allowed onto the beach after 3pm to avoid disturbing the penguins. There were seals on the beach but no penguins. I waited for a while and then went back into town to find food.