Penguins, Icebergs and a Load of Old Boots


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Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Otago » Oamaru Hinterlands
November 26th 2006
Published: November 26th 2006
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Banks PenninsulaBanks PenninsulaBanks Penninsula

Maori Church at Onuku
After the commercialism of the Queenstown area, the Goldfields of Central Otago were next on the agenda. The towns were a mix of fine old buildings and deriliction and decay or in the case of Cromwell, underwater due to the dam built at Clyde.

We followed the old Central Otago railway line (now a cycle route) and had an overnight in the former provincial capital of Naseby - things have changed somewhat since the good old days of the goldrush in 1863 and the fulltime population now struggles to a 100. The town's motor camp was proof that the spirit of Butlin's wooden chalets is still alive and kicking in the southern hemisphere. The small town of Ranfurly was another step in the art deco tour of New Zealand and the day was also marked by the official burial of the old boots on a barbed wire fence seemingly given over to that purpose. We ended up at a Kalgoorlie style gold mine at McCraes Flat and then were on for a spot of iceberg watching from the top of Mount Cargill outside Dunedin - there are currently a few pieces of Antarctica drifting about 90 kms offshore that are
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The final resting place of the "boots"
clearly visible to the naked eye.

After a day of torrential downpour which restricted our activities to the city centre, we headed off to Tunnel Beach just south towards the Catlins area - a kind of minature Great Ocean Road. Otago United provided the sporting diversion at the so called House Of Pain stadium, Carrisbrook, where another former great of the English game is cutting his managerial teeth in the esteemed surroundings of the New Zealand Football Championship. Alas neither Otago's temporary home, nor Terry Phelan's loud and regular shouts of encouragement failed to prevent a 2-1 home loss to league leaders Waitakere United.
There are rumours that the world's steepest street is no longer a claim that can be made by Baldwin Street in north Dunedin, but it was still a worthwhile repeat trip even if it was only to talk to a local resident who was in training for the annual Baldwin Street Gutbuster race - his training involved running up and down 30 times each day, which is quite some achievement seeing as plenty of people struggle to drive up it!

Miranda had wanted to travel on the Taieri Gorge railway back in 2002 and
Hampden, Northern OtagoHampden, Northern OtagoHampden, Northern Otago

...all I want for Christmas is a big icecream
so this time, we joined the hordes on the 2 hour trip up the gorge to Pukerangi.

The journey north was punctuated by a trip to the seal colony at Shag Point, the Moeraki Boulders and also some very close encounters with the rare Yellow Eyed Penguins by the nearby lighthouse. We proceeded via the Victorian splendour of Omaru (where we stayed at probably the finest backpacking establishment since we left home called Old Bones), Akaroa on the Banks Peninisula and on to Christchurch to dispose of the car.

We fly back to Australia tomorrow after 11 weeks in New Zealand.


Additional photos below
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Northern Otago

Yellow Eyed Penguin
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Northern Otago

Yellow Eyed Penguin
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Northern Otago

NZ Fur Seal
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Cromwell

The reconstructed old town - the rest is under the lake
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Clyde

Storm clouds over Lake Dunstan
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Naseby

Butlins lives on...
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Naseby

..relaxing in the 1970's
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Dunedin

Cadbury World
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Dunedin

Baldwin Street - allegedly the steepest street in the world!
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Dunedin

Baldwin Street - allegedly the steepest street in the world!


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