From Oamaru to Moraki to Otago Peninsula

We started off early this morning to go and see the penguins. We got to look down some tubes into their nest to see the baby hatchlings.....stinky little buggers...made my eyes water....needless to say we didn’t stay in there long.

There were a couple of seals (also stinky) hanging about on the warm rocks lapping up the sun...lazy buggers...it was more than they could do to life their head when I started talking to them. ....’yeah yeah...piss off now I’m sleeping’

There was a pier full of cormorants and some fabulous old red houses to take pics of...we spent some time there before we headed off to the Moraki Boulders........
........which were rather amazing.
At first sight I was a little underwhelmed and wondered what all the fuss was about......... but spending time with them.....I warmed to their particular specialness. The ones that had been broken open held a warmth and had a particular texture to the touch.
No judgement .......but I wonder at the folk who have to jump up on them to have their pictures taken ....or to take selfies at every rock along the beach......I actually really don’t understand it........or at the look on the faces as if they have just conquered the world.....(some of them anyway).

We made some lunch then headed off for Dunedin.......which we just drove through and headed for the Otago Peninsular .........I remembered it from a few years back when I was on a cruise and came in by sea.........I wanted to check out the lighthouse again. We drove right up to the tip to look out to the ocean. The place was full of birds...gulls and albatross mostly......who were very busy arguing about something or other.

Asking a local where the best place to park the van we were pointed in the direction of Pineapple rock.....there we could be by the water.......a beautiful place when the sun was out.....and the moonrise was just spectacular.....but now the wind has come up ferociously and the van is rockin and rolling like a drunken lord......too windy for starlight shots again.......and I fear sleep.

Extra
1&2 Moraki Boulders
3&4 Otago Peninsula
5 Sleepy Seal
6 Pinapple Rock