(DAY 3)

Kia Ora!

Today we woke up feeling fully refreshed after a great nights sleep, even as a duvet our thick new sleeping bag had done its' job and kept us warm! We only had a short one and a half hour journey from Oamaru to Dunedin to make so we didn't set off straight away, instead enjoying a sausage and egg sandwich made by Kie while Sophie showered. On our first two days we were spoiled by truly amazing panoramic views which led to us being somewhat disappointed by today's scenery but we were driving along the coast for the majority of the journey so at least we could see the sea.

Just a short drive away from Oamaru are the much talked about Moeraki Boulders, they not only feature in the Lonely Planet but are also quite well advertised in Oamaru, thinking we were in for a treat we parked up and made our way down to the beach. We were slightly disappointed by the large rocks which appeared to have been washed up by the sea! They were quite spectacular in that they were perfectly rounded like marbles, unlike the usual rocks you see along coastlines but, other than that, they were just boulders! Fortunately, they don't charge you to view them ... well, there is an honesty box which charges $2 per person but ... we weren't honest! The stop wasn't totally in vain, we were greeted by a beautiful deer in a small field opposite the car park, where we fed and stroked her - in fact, she was probably the highlight of the journey!

We arrived in Dunedin at approximately 12pm and decided to head straight to Taiaroa Head where we hoped to see penguins, seals, sea lions and albatross. Unfortunately for us, the tourist industry here charges big fees to see their wildlife. We wanted to see the Yellow-Eyed Penguin Conservation Reserve but were put off by the $45 price tag and swiftly moved on to the Royal Albatross Centre which was still expensive at $30 per person for a 30 minute tour but we decided to pay up, as we hadn't seen an albatross and this would be the only place to see them. Despite the tour being very interesting and informative, we were quite a distance from the albatross and didn't get to see them in flight. Nevertheless, they are pretty amazing birds with a wingspan of up to 3m in length and quite unbelievably big. In hindsight, we wished we had of paid to see the yellow-eyed penguins but, having been lucky enough to see one from a distance in Oamaru, we weren't too disappointed. Just outside of the Royal Albatross Centre is a small bay called Pilot Bay which is home to a small seal reserve where you can stand and watch the seals playing in the sea or chilling on the shore free of charge. At sunset you can also watch the blue penguin colony come ashore here after feeding which is quite surprising as everywhere else charges big money for the privilege.

After a spot of seal watching we headed to our campsite for the next two days; Dunedin Holiday Park and Kie made a lovely lunch of barbecued chicken and salad sandwiches. They were yummy! The weather took a slight turn for the worse and began to get chilly so we ventured into the TV lounge where, luckily for Kie, there was rugby on every single channel; it would appear that it is a pretty big thing here in New Zealand where it not only features on every channel in some form, but also has a channel totally dedicated to the sport called "Rugby Channel"! We spent the rest of the afternoon chilling and catching up on the internet before we ventured into the kitchen to make a chicken curry and headed back to the campervan to bed.

xx