Take a wrong turn

The best decision I’ve made academically was to switch my ecology lab to Monday. Why do we care? Well that leaves Thursdays absolutely clear! Emma and Colleen have the same schedule so we’ve turned Thursdays into our travel-eat-take pictures-get lost days. Yesterday we celebrated St. Patricks day and roamed about Dunedin, but last week we rented a car and hopped on Rt 1 headed for the Moeraki Boulders. On our way we took detours whenever we felt curious. A small sign labeled “Shag beach” sparked our interest and after traveling a few miles down a sparsely residential road, we decided it was the best wrong turn ever! We had discovered and absolutely beautiful and breathtaking seal and penguin watching spot. We had picked the perfect day, sun shining, nice and warm and plenty of seals! New Zealand is indescribable. Everywhere you look there is something new, exciting and beautiful. At times it doesn’t seem real and you need to be pinched to remind youself that THIS IS REAL. I’m not sure my pictures can adequately show you how beautiful a country this is. And if you can’t tell, I’m really struggling to even desribe it. It has this essence that’s just screaming out to you that there is no where else in the world quite like this. This wrong turn to Shag Beach, and this entire day in general, was one of those days where I was seeing the beauty and uniqueness of New Zealand everywhere and I couldn’t help but try to soak it all in! 

Emma at the wrong turn

SEALS!

The reward for being curious...

We eventually had to pull ourselves away from our stumbled upon special place and headed off to our original destination – the Moeraki Boulders. Geologic anomoles, that’s all I can say. Esentailly perfectly round boulders spread across a beautiful beach. Science says they are septarian concretions, the Maori say they are eel baskets, but we decided that they are the pods from which geologists break free. Just crack one open and what’s inside? A geologist waiting to be released into the world, only to sit in awe of the beauty and complexity of the Moeraki Boulders.  We had ourselves a photoshoot and a nice relaxing sprawl on the boulders.

Moeraki Boulders

Thinking man

Geologists Emerging

After that we took the advice of my flatmate Thierry and went to Fleurs Place for lunch. If there is one restaurant that you eat at in all of New Zealand, and perhaps the world, you MUST go to Fleurs Place.  New Zealand wine, fresh fish and cockles, home-made bread, delectable desserts; all from a table looking out over the ocean with seals playing in front. Literally this was not real life! I was in awe the entire time and thought I had actually died and gone to heaven! It was not at all a cheap meal, but it was the best bread, cod, cockles, wine, and crème brulee I have EVER had! I am drooling just thinking about it. I am definitely going to get back there sometime in life, perhaps even get myself a little hut on the hill where I can eat at Fleurs and watch the seals every day! 

Not at all a bad place to have lunch

New Zealand wine, fresh fish, fresh cockles.... heaven

We regretfully headed onwards to Oamaru and were at little disappointed, especially after the morning we had had.  We got stuck behind a house on Rt 1 for about an hour. Whoever thought it was a good idea to put a 2.5 lane house on a two lane road… not so bright. The poor people on the otherside had to basically go into a ditch just to drive by. We eventually made it by, did a quick loop around Oamaru trying to get to the beach, but with no luck we headed home – getting the rental car back just in the nick of time. Over all an incredible day… let’s hope every Thursday can keep up with that!