Outstanding Oamaru!

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September 28 – After leaving Christchurch, our first stop was in the Victorian Precinct of Oamaru. This is an area filled with fabulous shops in turn-of-the-century buildings selling Victorian arts and crafts, clothing, and souvenirs. Many of the shops had people who were dressed up in Victorian costumes as well as artisans right on site, one of whom was and interesting chap (Brian had told us about) named Michael O’Brien. He operates a book binder shop – a truly unique profession in this day of print-on-demand. Of course, there was also the Whiskey Shop which David found interesting, but not nearly enough time to explore (read: he didn’t do any tasting.)



We did however, do some tasting at Annie’s Tea House. I don’t usually have dessert, but it’s one of those things I love doing when travelling – find some tasty looking thing you’ve never had before with a great cup of coffee – it’s all part of discovering a new place! I think I’m now addicted to mochachinos! Seriously, coffee and chocolate! How did I ever live without them!



I loved this place and would have liked more time to explore, but what really surprised us was the Steam Punk locomotive erected outside the Steam Punk Museum. For those who don’t know, Steam Punk is a cross between the very old and the new. You take an elegant invention from the Victorian era and add today’s technology to create something new. David is fascinated by this and it seemed so appropriate that we had landed in this little mecca of Steam Punk.



Before leaving Oamaru we went up to a lookout overlooking the ocean. There was a beautiful seaman’s poem here.

There are no roses on a sailor’s grave,

Nor wreaths upon storm tossed waves,

No last post from Royal’s Band,

So far away from their native land,

No heart-broken words carved in stone,

Just shipmates there floating alone.

The only tributes are the seagull’s sweeps,

And the teardrops as a loved one weeps.






We jumped back into ‘gee zee jay’, and headed down the road to another suggested destination from Brian (our yet-to-meet tour guide.) The Moeraki Boulders are large, spherical boulders on Koekohe Beach about 40 kilometers from Oamaru. I run out of adjectives sometimes – but these things really ‘rock!’ (Look at the photos and you’ll agree.)

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Comments

[Dancing Dave]

Moeraki Boulders
Beautiful image of this interesting area