The Canterbury Region and Banks Peninsula

On December 7 (Sunday), we left Dunedin to drive north to Oamaru. On the way we stopped at Moeraki to see the famous boulders on the beach. They formed a long time ago, wrapping around something small, and they are scattered in the soil there. A plaque identified a boulder up above the beach that will join the others in the sand, once the waves erode farther inland.

In Oamaru, we were told definitively that the yellow-eyed penguins come ashore at 6:45, so we huddled in the wind with lots of people for a hour. We saw 2 penguins cross the beach.

I swear there is a penguin in this photo, top right quadrant:

Oamaru claims to be the " Steampunk Capital of New Zealand", though no one is competing with them. We walked through Steampunk HQ, with art showcasing this ideal, and ran into a sign telling what in the world Steampunk is. (Futuristic re-imagining of nineteenth century Victorian England featuring machines powered by steam, as in H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, and Dr. Who.)

Oamaru has an intact Victorian-era town square, so we toured through this area before stumbling on Scott's Brewery. And of course sampled some of their product.

From Oamaru, we drove inland, stopping to let Gracyn sample wines at Pasquale. Their apricot liquor was spiced to taste just like Christmas.

Along the way to Mt. Cook (Aoraki), the tallest mountain in New Zealand, we drove along Lake Pukaki, a lovely color of blue from the glacier melt. Once near the mountain, we walked the Sealy Tarns track, so steep we were walking up hundreds and hundreds of stairs. The view towards the mountain and towards the valley were each spectacular.

The next day, Tuesday December 9, we went to Mt. John, near Lake Tekapo. A few hours walk along the lake and up and over Mt. John were also stunning. It was one of Gracyn's top 3 so far.

Our final stop before Christchurch (and returning the van!)  was Akaroa, on the Banks Peninsula, December 11-12. This area was settled by the French, so, like Dunedin, retains some flavor of that heritage. We bought a historical walkways guide, walking all five routes near the town to see the oldest houses, stores, and churches and to learn about the area. Ultimately, the attitude of the pamphlet author was the most entertaining part. This person viewed any changes to original buildings as an absolute travesty and made free to share his/her opinions.