Tag: Oamaru

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Steampunk

Time Dilation

Time seems to move slower in New Zealand. Everything is moving at an easier pace. Many towns we drove by looked to be in the ’60 or ’70. It’s not that buildings or the surrounding looked outdated, rather they were just not in any hurry to get old.

Oamaru

Oamaru used to be known for its population of blue penguins and having the best-preserved collection of Victorian architecture in the country. Steampunk HQ was founded in 2011 by a group of creative minds, who were passionate about Steampunk, and showcasing it to the public. Located within Oamaru’s Victorian precinct, it is the perfect setting for steampunk. Beyond the Steampunk HQ, there are many steampunk installation around Oamaru.

Christchurch

We arrived in Christchurch in the afternoon. First visited the i-SITE on Worcester Blvd to get some information. Walked around the Christchurch Botanic Garden admiring the tall trees and well planned gardens. Dinner at Cook N’ With Gas for some authentic New Zealand food.

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East Coast

Alternative Route

Instead of driving through the Mt. Cook region by way of Tekapo, we are traveling along the east coast through Dunedin and Oamaru towards Christchurch. Contrast to the west coast, the east coast is mostly flat plains.

Albatross and blue penguin

As we did not have much information about Dunedin, the first thing was to visit the i-SITE to get some information. The only question my wife asked was “Where can we see wild animals?” and we were pointed towards the Otago Peninsula. We visited the Royal Albatross Centre and went down the beach to find the cutest penguin in the world.

Moeraki Boulders

Continue north from Dunedin we arrived at the Moeraki beach in the afternoon. It is another amazing sight showcasing the wonder of a geological event. A boulder would take million years to form and another tens of millions of year for geological process to expose it to the surface.

Oamaru

Last stop for the day was Oamaru. We were too late for the evening viewing of Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony. We walked around the area taking in the scene as we would not be here tomorrow night. As we were leaving, we saw a big crowd gathering around the parking lot; and it was a lone blue penguin waddling across the parking lot trying to get back to its nest.

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