On the way to Oamaru 20/1/16 – 21/1/16

(R) We then travelled north to Oamaru, (somewhere else we had never been to before). Not knowing the area we were not sure what to expect. We spotted a sign stating “scenic route” and thought we would take that road, however for some reason the road was closed to through traffic, so had to continue on the highway. Further along yet another sign informing us of the “Trotters Gorge” and decided as it was raining a nice drive along the gorge would be great. We took the turning off, but hadn’t realised to get to the gorge we had to walk along a track! Anyway after parking the car and reading the DOC sign, (which stated 30 mins to cave and 1.5 hours loop walk), decided on both the walks. The walk was pretty stunning through natural forest and as it was raining, the and walk was rather refreshing. At times it took us over the stream, each with its own obstacles and problem solving thoughts to get across, and the return journey took us about 20 minutes including the photo shoot. Therefore we decided to take the loop walkway……as said before the DOC sign stated 1.5 hours return, and as anyone in NZ knows the DOC’s timings are there as a guide and the actual time stated is meant for a slow pace meander, or the infirm, or the elderly……we walked further and further into the forest, crossing more streams, zig-zagging around fallen tress, up and over boulders, and most of it on a high incline. We got to what we believe to be the top of a mountain before turning round. The return journey had its own problems as we slipped this way and that, landing on our backsides several times, and completely covered in mud to find it had taken us over 2 hours to complete only half the walk!!!!!! We took a photo but as we were in the clouds it doesn’t prove how high we were.
However as the Dr’s state getting the heart pumping is the best form of exercising, we think we got our fare share. We thoroughly enjoyed this, even if we nearly had a heart attack.
Once back in the car we headed north again and was soon at the turning off for the Moeraki Boulders. What an impressive sight these were. We parked the car and walked to them (about 10 minutes away), keeping an eye on the ever increasing shoreline as the tide was coming in. We made it just in time as they were mostly covered by the sea, but got to climb on 1 or 2 of them before our walk back. These boulders – according to the guide books and Maori history – are said to be the food baskets of an ancestral canoe that brought Maori to NZ, the canoe was wrecked whilst on a Greenstone gathering journey. The kumera on board became the rough rocks and the baskets became the boulders.
We spent 2 nights in Oamaru, and ventured out to the Steampunk HQ – a fascinating building full of interesting machinery, built from old parts of former machinery from the industrial age. AMAZING full on interactive things to play with including a motor bike made from parts of an old tractor. Most of the exhibits would not be lost on the film set of Mad Max, and/or a futuristic sci fi movie! One exhibit they had was behind a door with a sign on it named “portal”. Off we went in and within seconds we were in the midst of a visual and audible display. (we were actually in a ‘mirrored room’), walls, floor and ceiling all mirrors, and once the lighting show started it appeared we were in some kind of vortex, being transported to another world. It was awesome. The $10 entry well worth it.
After a great cuppa we wondered around the Victorian Prescint, a well preserved collection of historic buildings we have ever seen, built in the 1880 from stone. Oamaru would be a place i would have liked to have lived in the steam age, really enjoyed this. There’s nothing else to do in this town.