Victorians and Rare Penguins.

OAMARU. 17 NOVEMBER 2024.

We’re ready to leave at 9:30. We’re packing the car when the owner appears over the fence like Chad to say where’s the key. We’d left it in the door. As we leave, the handyman, who calls himself Howie the Howinator, tells us to visit the Catlins.

We turn off for Geraldine. Unfortunately, we turn right at a T junction. There’s only a farm shop selling coffee. The service is slow and it’s cold when the sun goes behind the clouds. Rejoining the route, we come across a thriving town with plenty of cafe options.

We arrive in Oamaru at 2pm. The receptionist tells us that there’s a Victorian market in the town. So, after unpacking, we head straight there. It’s starting to pack up but we get the feel for it. We then walk around the harbour to the penguin colony. There will not be any penguins until dusk. Other than the one Rosie found.

We decide to have fish and chips for dinner. We find a takeaway about a mile away. It’s very busy and looks to be a little goldmine. We eat the food outside the chalet.

We then drive to Bushy Beach some rare yellow eyed penguins are expected. As we arrive we learn that we’ve just missed one. We then stand for close to two hours in the freezing cold until three more arrive. We drive back to the harbour and are rewarded by the arrival of four blue penguins climbing the ramp.