After waking up from our gem of a freedom camp we were on a mission to find penguins!!! We ventured down the coast towards a tourist spot the Moeki boulders we stop frequently to have a quick look at places that have had reports of penguin sightings, we have no joy and the weather is miserable too!! We arrive at the Moeraki boulders and take a short walk along the beach to look and photograph them. The Moeraki boulders are large rocks in perfect sphere shapes, there is a geological explanation for there formation but also as a lot of things in New Zealand a Maori story behind them.

We didn't stay too long as the sea was coming in and the rain was coming down but none the less amazing features to have seen and photographed. We head back up the coast to a town called Oamaru; a quaint coastal town with Victorian buildings and plenty of bizarre shops selling collectables, antiques and 'made in New Zealand' arts and crafts. Sarah buys an old English penny because it is as she said her new lucky item! I say it was just an excuse to shop!!!

We venture to a Little Blue Penguin colony and investigate the chances of seeing them, for 40$ you can watch them come in at sunset for an hour but decide we would rather spot them more naturally so head up the coast to Timaru where there is a Top 10 and an area where we may see the penguins at sunset. Sarah does some research when we get to the camp site and finds out exactly the place and time to be there. We unhook the van and get there well in advance of sunset when no one else is there. A wander up and down the rock area on Marine Parade and I almost frighten myself as I spot a little penguin asleep snuggled in a rock.... We were sooooo excited!!! I go back up to the path way where I can get a great view of this little beauty and stay there and wait. He (I say 'he' but I don't really know!) wakes up waddles to the edge where I can get a better view and starts to make some calling noises and some shaking of his wings, I call him Percy and stay close to him for the whole adventure of watching these amazing little penguins for at least 4 hours. There are others, up to about 8 who entertain us with there calls, fights, running around the sand and clambering on rocks. I suppose you had to be there and we were. An amazing evening watching the smallest penguins in the world in their natural environment!!!