It was with a great deal of sadness that we left Oamuru and continued south on Wendy’s Off-Map adventure. Highway 1 leads all the way from Oamuru to our next destination Dunedin where we had managed to get some accommodation at the romantically named Dunedin Motel and Villas. We couldn’t wait!
However, that would be far, far too easy and, of course, there was another route – The Fossil Trail – that followed the geological highlights of the coast from the strata outcrop that first clarified the geology of the area to the rock stars, and they were amazing – The Moeraki Boulders.
Millions of years ago, the rocks were hidden inside the area’s cliffs, but as erosion occurred, they were gradually revealed. Essentially, the sandstone-type rock was held together with calcium carbonate, while an extremely slow chemical reaction gave them their unique roundness. Finally, after about 60 million years, the stones became the fantastic landmarks they are today. That is a load of nonsense of course because, as Wendy always prefers, the Maori know that the boulders were once food baskets and gourds used by ancient people aboard a famous canoe. When the canoe crashed, however, its survivors were transformed into the area’s surrounding hills, while the baskets and gourds became these gray, round boulders. And why not?
And on we travelled, getting a bit peckish by now. En route we passed a sign for Fleur’s Place, pointing down a long dusty gravelly track. Wendy of course was immediately up for it and we rocked and rolled down the track to the most picturesque little harbour with a corrugated iron (or corrugated steel as they call it here) shack at the end.
We looked at each other and then at the rather full car park, shrugged and went inside … to discover one of Rick Stein’s favourite restaurants.
It was amazing. The local fishing boats deliver directly to the restaurant each morning and Fleur cooks the wonderful fresh fish simply but beautifully.
It was the best fish I have ever tasted. We had a tasting plate of five different varieties and scoffed the lot, then hummed and hawed over dessert, should we or shouldn’t we share one? So, Wendy ordered two..
.. they were delicious.
Suitably replete we journeyed on to the Edinburgh of the south, Dunedin, waving, of course, to our new found friend as we left.
Not that he cared!
To Middle Earth and Beyond 