msqq with love: Oamaru #WHPost5

10.04.2015

Oamaru #WHPost5

Belated post of 19 September..

The most anticipating day of the week has to be Thursday--our day off. I have come up with a list of to-go-places which they are basically all scheduled up to be done.

Last week was Oamaru. Well, not just Oamaru, but it comes in a package--Oamaru Town, Bushy Beach, Moeraki Boulders and Katiki Point.

The highlight of the whole short trip goes to penguin and seal. I got a thing for wildlife and so do Xt.

The decision was made ad hoc that we booked a cabin at the last minute before departing. Oamaru is 227.4km from Cromwell, a 2.45 hours journey. We departed late after work at 6.15pm and arrived in Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony at Waterfront Road.

These pictures will do the talking,

1. We decided not to spend a penny on penguin sightseeing. So that's what we do....we went straight to 'ambush' penguins at Waterfront Road. Blue-eyed penguin (little blue) nests along coastline of Oamaru. It is the smallest penguin of its kinds. To catch a penguin in sight is totally by luck.

By the time we arrived, there was no one there, no nothing. We walked along the sea to see a small harbour and came to ' Blue Penguin Colony' building that was already closed.

Best time to view penguins is just before dark (5.30pm in winter and 9.30pm in summer). So, if according to the guide, we got no chance for penguins.

Just as we wandered back to the harbour, we heard some 'dog-barking' noise, it is hard to tell if that was from a bird or a dog. Xt being a great observant, discovers the first penguin then more to go.

Due to low light it's quite hard to shoot on animal but this one just stays still like a BOSS! Little Blue, the World's smallest penguin.

2.Our cabin in Waitaki Water Holiday Park, $50/night for 2 persons. It was a starry night and Waitaki Water Holiday Park was deemed a good place for stargazing or star shooting. We made a few shoots despite the chilly weather.

3.Woke up in the morning to sunshine. Good weather day. I'm not a weather person in Malaysia coz I tend for indoor activity thank to toxic sun and hot weather; in NZ everyone talks about today's weather and good weather renders beautiful photosss!

Here's a few shoots.

Right beside our little cabin.

Waitaki Water Holiday Park

nearby beach

4. Our first stop , Oamaru Town. Walked around and saw a super vintage steam train in front of Steampunk HQ. The Steampunk museum features steam-powered technology but we didn't pay a visit (entrance fee $10).

There'll be 30 minutes rail journey tour on every Sunday but this is impossible for us coz we never have day off on Sunday.

5.A lot of vintage shops and cafe around the town.

live the life you dream

6. Church--the attraction

7.2nd stop--Bushy Beach. On penguin searching expedition hehe. No penguin was seen but successfully spotted a seal, opps, TWO (one distant, another was just 1m away)! Just way too cute with its eyes closed, but scare the shit out of me when it made even mildest movement!

LOL! like deadfish

Btw, Bushy Beach is quite spectacular so totally worth stopping by!

8.Moraeki Boulders --- the next stop. Quite a popular attraction (bumped into at least 50 visitors...). Famous for its dinosaur's ball (not the real one lah) which originally form in the sea sediment some 60 million years ago.

According to reference, a total of 50 large spherical rocks lied along Otago Coastline with the largest of them having a diameter of 2m.

Cracked from my egg shell.

9. The last stop --- Katiki Point. What for? Yellow-eyed penguins of course. By chance you see a peguin, by luck you have them in front of you less than 1metre away.

The journey started with a lazy looking penguin sunbathing itself, suppose the one that did not go fishing..a day off? a sick leave?...We have no idea but it totally made my day thank you xD

Hives of seals around. LOL. So blessed to have my long lens so that I can have a nice closed up 'Portraits' of them

cute horr?

this one very fat...

Aloha!

like a mermaid lol

Very excited when we found out more and more penguins around 3pm (spring time). From what I read, penguins returned to their nest 1-2 hours before sun sets. It seemed they were coming back early!