The sun is already low in the west as we leave Loburn and continue south. But in the southern summer in New Zealand, it doesn't get dark until late in the evening. So we have plenty of time to enjoy the scenery. To avoid the evening rush hour traffic around Christchurch, we decide to take a western route instead of Highway 1, which passes right by Christchurch.
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| When the sun sets in the Otago District, New Zealand |
We drive west across the Canterbury Plains towards Glentui, which lies on the eastern edge of the mountain range on New Zealand's South Island. Mount Thomas, at an altitude of around 1,000 meters, lies ahead of us. We cross the Ashley River, which winds its way out of the mountain range, and drive towards Oxford. Founded in the mid-18th century, the town now has a population of just 2,000. Most people here make their living from agriculture and forestry. Southwest of Oxford, we cross the Waimakariri River to Sheffield and continue on to Glentunnel. Mount Hutt and the mighty riverbed of the Rakaia River appear before us. The area around Mount Hutt is a very popular ski resort in winter. We reach Geraldine. Founded in 1840, the town now has 2,300 inhabitants. In 1908, all hotels were closed and no alcohol was served until 1950. The town is considered a center for arts and crafts. The artists' works are offered for sale in many studios. From Geraldine, we reach Highway 1 via Winchester and drive south to Timaru. With a population of around 26,000, Timaru is one of the larger cities on New Zealand's South Island. Settlement began with the Weller brothers in 1838/1839, who established a whaling station at Patiti Point, near today's city center. The Wellermansong immortalized the pioneering work of the Weller brothers during the settlement of New Zealand. Have a listen (https://youtu.be/bNQSMTNSnUw?si=m0T15Bjc1xQ5pp5T). Until 1859, only a few Europeans lived in Timaru. That year, the Strathallan brought 120 settlers from England, which initially led to disputes between the brothers and the city administration. The result was a division of the city, which was then reversed in 1868. Due to the loss of several ships, an artificial harbor was planned in 1877, which contributed significantly to the city's growth. We continue south along the coast and finally reach Oamaru, where we are welcomed by a nice older couple and spend a week in their house.
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| Oamaru, New Zealand |
Oamaru is pronounced without the first “a.” The ‘O’ is pronounced rather long, like “Ohh.” Oamaru means “place of Maru” in Maori. Maru is considered the god of war by the Maori of the South Island. However, he is also considered the god of fresh water. He is the son of Rangihore, god of rocks and stones, and grandson of the famous demigod Maui. Oamaru was founded in 1853 and today has a population of around 14,000. New Zealand's industrial decline had a severe impact on port operations in Oamaru. In 1974, after the departure of the merchant ship Holmdale, commercial operations at the port facilities were discontinued. Today, the port is only used by small fishing and pleasure boats.
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| Port facilities at Oamaru, New Zealand |
The townscape of Oamaru is characterized by the white limestone quarried nearby. During the long depression (1880s depression), Oamaru was one of the most beautiful and financially strongest towns in New Zealand. In terms of size, the town was comparable to Los Angeles. The Victorian architecture of the historic city center and harbor district is considered one of the best-preserved complexes in New Zealand and is a protected heritage site.
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| Harbor district of Oamaru, New Zealand |
Today, Oamaru lives mainly from tourism. The steampunk scene in particular has established itself. Steampunk is an art form that makes old junk fashionable again. Old clothes are jazzed up in bizarre ways, and old junk is turned into art. Some of the creations are quite bizarre and always make you smile. There are numerous shops in the harbor district where you can buy art and accessories. We stroll through the streets and feel transported back to the Victorian era.
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| Steampunk art movement, Oamaru, New Zealand |
In a brewery that serves Belgian beer, we drink an outrageously expensive beer and eat Belgian fries with diet mayonnaise. I think the only Belgian there that day was the almost-Belgian who was born near the Belgian border in Germany. Once you've eaten fries in Belgium, the New Zealand version is just that—New Zealand—and only resembles Belgium in shape. The diet mayonnaise, however, was an insult but is probably due to the New Zealand health craze. Anyway, it shows us once again that you should stick to local food. Especially since that's not the worst thing in New Zealand.
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| Belgian brewery in Oamaru, New Zealand |
Another thing is the New Zealand summer. When the sun isn't shining, it can get bitterly cold here, even in the height of summer. Add rain to the mix and it becomes unpleasant. In any case, you need warm clothing. I'm glad I brought my hand-knitted wool socks with me. I'm also reluctant to do without my softshell jacket. It is cool and cloudy as we walk along the narrow path above Bushey Beach. A stiff east wind chills us to the bone. Sea lions lounge on the narrow strip of sand below us. Today they can do so safely. That was not always the case. In 1810, whalers killed the animals with clubs, skinned them, and left the carcasses behind. In 1875, hunting was restricted to winter, and since 1978, they have been completely protected under the Marine Mammals Protection Act. The animals' population has been so severely reduced that they are still considered endangered today.
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| Sea lions at Bushy Beach, New Zealand |
Signs indicate that the beach should not be accessed after 3 p.m. This is not because of the sea lions but because of the penguins, which are extremely shy and very fearful of humans. Obviously, not everyone understands English, because every now and then a tourist strays onto the beach after 3 p.m. This may be because the signs are only in English. Anyway, we wait another hour in the shelter above the beach, but the penguins don't show up today. Feeling a little stiff, we are the last visitors to leave the observation point, which is located in a rock niche, and slowly thaw out at home with a glass of red wine. At least we got to see the sea lions and are looking forward to the next excursion to see the penguins, hoping to catch a glimpse of them then. Until then, we wish you fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.
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