Blogs from Moeraki Boulders, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania

23 mai: Départ de Christchurch pour Oamaru (3h de route environ). La route n'était pas sensationnelle, que des plaines sans vrai intérêt. Je suis arrivée à Oamaru en début d'après midi mais j'ai attendu le coucher du soleil car c'est ici qu'on peut voir des pinguins à crêtes jaune qui sont assez rare. Malheureusement pour moi il y a eu une tempête, j'étais trempé et je n'ai pu voir aucun pinguins. Très triste ! 24 mai: En route pour Queenstown. Je suis passé par Moeraki d'où on peut voir des rochers ronds sur la plage. Très inhabituel mais sympa !! Le reste de la route était vraiment chouette. Elle passait par les montagnes. J'ai d'ailleurs un peu d'appréhension en passant un col car il y avait de la neige partout et je ne voulais pas qu'il ... read more

Maori legend has it that the iconic rounded boulders found at Moeraki relate to the wreck of an canoe which foundered in a storm at Shag Point, the cargo of which (rounded food baskets and water gourds) was washed up on the shore. To a geologist the Moeraki Boulders are 'septarian' concretions; hard cemented material which forms within the sediment. These formed when cementing minerals (calcite or silica) dissolved in sea water crystallise around a nucleus of shell, bone or plant fragments. This takes place slowly over millions of years. If crystallisation of minerals is equal in all directions around the nucleus the concretions grows in a spherical shape. The cherts and flint nodules of the Chalk are formed in a similar way. When the sediments are eroded by the sea the boulders are exposed and ... read more

Day 3 - Wednesday 16th March We woke the morning in Lake Tekapo and jumped on the road straight away, not wanting to waste any time. We proceeded to head South West towards Twizel which took us past the very large and beautiful Lake Pukaki. We stopped for brekkie here where we noted it must be a regular camper stop, as the car park was full of Camper vans. Brekkie was surprisingly yummy. When then proceeded south to Omarama and turned back towards the east coast towards Oamaru that took us past several other lakes, all the lakes beginning with Lake Tekapo form a series of Dams for power generation. The dams were accessible to tourists so we decided to stop and have a look at Lake Aviemore. (Aviemore Dam) Here Matt gave Renee her first ... read more

Jeg fik ikke fortalt saa meget om Fjordland. Det er den stoerste af NZ's mange nationalparker. Mt. Aspiring, Westland og Fjordland daekker til sammen et omraade paa 2 500 000 hektar. Fjordland ligger ved det sydvestlige hjoerne af Southern Alps, et stoerre bjergomraade, der paa langs gennemskaerer en stor del af sydoeen. Fjordland er et omraade med sneklaedte bjergtoppe, dybe gletcherdale, styrtende vandfald, skarpe haarnaalssving og taet regnskov. Naesten mennesketom bush i en haard og vild natur. For de mere lokalkendte: Hollyford Vally ligger 30 km nord for Milford Sound. Det er den laengste dal i Fjordland. Langt tilbage har Hollyford ogsaa vaeret en fjord, men indgangen blev blokeret, og der dannedes en soe i dalen. Soen er fortsat sat i de dybere lag. Inden europeerne kom til (sidste halvdel af 1800tallet) hed Hollyford: Te Wahipounamu, ... read more

18th September 2008 We broke camp early with just a cup of hot coffee inside us and a wiz in the wood. Within half an hour we we’re in the one horse town called Twizel. This is where the Black Stilt program resides. Disaster struck us; we’re supposed to book a tour before 9am for a start at 9:30am. We call the Department of Conservation plus a couple of other number given to us and all had the same reply, call back at 10am, TO BLOODY LATE!! We decided to try and find the place ourselves and blag it. We drove around for about an hour and nothing. I was beginning to panic; I didn’t want to miss this opportunity. I finally called in at a Salmon farm and was given directions by the English owner. ... read more