On our way to Milford Sound

Yesterday we spent the day in Oamaru, on the Eastern coast. It reminded me of Seaside, Oregon only not as tacky. The buildings are all stone and Victorian. And great news, we saw the elusive yellow eyed penguins that Larry was so determined to see! More on that in a bit.

First, we drove in around 2 from Twizel and had our picnic lunch in a beautiful botanical garden. There have been gorgeous gardens with paths and fountains and birds in almost every city, large and small. It's a great place to eat, people watch adn walk. Then we hit the information bureau for "Penguin Info". Seriously, I was dumbfounded by how excited Larry was at the thought of seeing penguins in the wild. I would have been right there with him if they were being chased by leopard seals or killer whales but just coming ashore??? So we first went to our B & B to get rid of our luggage. This was a beautiful place. A huge Victorian house with ten rooms on the second floor. We were the only guests so we got this huge room that overlooked their lush garden complete with chickens, vegetables, herbs, etc. Downstairs was a tv room and a reading room you could use and the dining room for breakfast.

Then we bundled up and drove to this far spit of land where the yellow eyed penguins are supposed to nest. These are the endangered ones. the blue-eyed penguins come ashore by the hundreds and you have to pay $20 each to sit on bleachers as the parade by after coming ashore. You do this in the dark so they light them up with infrared lights. We thought this was stupid and weren't going to pay $40 for this. So, we hiked to the beach overlook, high up a cliff, and waited with about 40 other people with cameras. The estimated time for the yellow eyed penguins to return from their day at sea is between 3:30-7:30. We got there at 5:45. After just 15 minutes someone shouted adn sure enough, there was this penguin in the surf, just bobbing and being tossed about, waiting to come ashore. Then someone spotted another one. This section of coast is only about a quarter mile long so we kept looking up and down with binoculars. Then we saw another one. In just one hour, we saw five! Once they came ashore, they just sit and preen and clean and don't seem to worried. but you aren't allowed on that section of beach after 3 to leave them alone.

It was COLD up there and windy but we were very happy to see five of those endangered penguins. they supposedly swim off shore for up to 50 miles for the entire day before returning home to their nests.

Then we came back for hot tea at the B & B and got ready for dinner. have I mentioned yet how expensive it is here? A bowl of soup is $9.00. A typical entree at night of fish and some potatoes can be up to $28! That's why we eat every bite if we stay at a B & B for breakfast and go to the grocery store for picnic food for lunch. This night we walked down the main drag and found a pub that had a porterhouse special for $16.00 including salad and chips. Neither of us is big red meat eaters but for a $16 dinner, we could choke it down. We asked for veggies instead of chips and got a big plate of roasted vegetables along with our steak.

This morning the woman host fixed us the most amazing breakfast. First, they husband made us lattes with a milk foamer that were terrific. Then she gathered fresh eggs from her backyard (this is a house in the city, one block from the main street, but a big backyard). Plus fresh herbs. We started with homemade mueseli with plain yoghurt and fresh fruit. then she scrambled up her fresh eggs, with garden tomatoes and herbs on homemade bread with roasted potatoes, mushrooms, thick bacon and onions./ It was incredible!!

Before we hit the road for a long day's drive to TeAnue, we stopped at the local grocery store for picnic supplies and Larry hit the jackpot. He actually said that, "Come over here, I hit the jackpot!!" He found the fridge with the Clearance Items. Sliced deli chicken that was good till the next day along with yoghurt one day past the expiration and a round of brie. It was 80% off and so that's what we got. Didnt even get sick. my mom would be so proud cuz those expiration dates didn't scare us one bit. Now we keep looking for those deals in every store.

Here's some random notes on New Zealand:

Lamb has not been on the menu ONCE! We thought we'd eat affordable lamb every day but our B & B host said it's very expensive because the farmers charge the restaurants and people what they can get to ship it to the states or Germany. So, we havent' had lamb.

Restaurants we thought we'd see Lamb-orama Nuttin but Mutton Ewes R Us

We wondered how they decided what sheep get eaten and which ones they will use for wool?

They don't call milk regular and skim. They call it standard and trim.

Food is not called "To Go" it is called "Take Away"

There is one small picnic table along the highways everywhere! Some are by a pasture or at a great overlook. So if you want to stop for a drink or a snack or lunch, you just find a table, pull over and enjoy the view.

So far this country has been incredibly clean. We have barely seen a piece of trash anywhere!

As we drove today and I read the map, we noticed something interesting. The town names would go back and forth between English sounding and Maori sounding. This is the exact order as we drove "Herbert" "Taranui" "Hampden" "Moeraki" "Palmerston" "Waikowiti" "Brighton" "Waihola" It's like they took turns naming them.

The place we are in tonight has wifi which is why I get to sit here and write for so long. It's great. I think tomorrow night's does too. It's nice to check the e-mails. We did get a phone call in to Lauren today and actually caught her inbetween class and working at the free clinic. She almost didn't pick up cuz she thought it was a telemarketer number. It's such an odd feeling to be so far away and hear someone plain as day on the line.

tomorrow we are getting up early to make the 2 and a half hour drive up this scenic but desolate road to Milford sound. Most people go by tour bus or float plane. We are talking a naturalist boat tour out at 9:45 up the sound and back. Then hope to hike off the road on the way back. There is really no straight road to anything. They all wind and bend and go up passes and back down and around huge glacial lakes. So you just go with the flow.

Good news. i saw my first working border collie today. It was up a big, giant hill and was herding sheep through a gate so the farmer could do something in that field. i was happy i got to see that finally.

Will update tomorrow night when we return from Milford sound. We plan on half a day of laundry, downloading photos, (maybe I can finally add some to this), Larry has to do his work bids, and I can look for some souveniers.