Christmas Day was a day of fine weather, and our gift was a tailwind pushing us down the coast in the quiet of the early morning, while the rest of the world was home opening their presents.
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| South of Oamaru, the coast was sparsely developed and dominated by tussock. |
In the small town of Hampden, there is not much more than a fish and chips shop and a convenience store. And a quiet little campground steps from the beach. It was recently purchased by a young Swiss couple who are doing renovations, but still retaining the family feel of the place. We walked down the beach a couple of kilometers to visit some famous residents -- the
Moeraki Boulders.
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| As we walked along the sand, the rocks became gradually bigger and more spherical, dislodged from the horizontal beds on the cliff above. |
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| Some of the boulders reveal their core when rolled and cracked in the surf. |
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| I am only in the picture for scale. |
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| Some of these concretions have a web of calcite veins surrounding and bisecting them. |
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| Some of the giant cue balls in the area where most visitors can access the beach from a nearby car park. |
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| The boulders are best viewed two hours before and after low tide. |
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| As boulders get claimed by the sea, others emerge from the cliff. |
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