The rain hammered on the roof of the van throughout the night. We waited in anticipation for the quietness of the forecast snow but it didn’t come. The morning was cold, the car thermometer read 3C. Sleet was in the air in the morning when I walked over to the 4 Square to purchase some yoghurt for breakfast.

Instead of driving to Twizel and Mount Cook campsite, we decided to head East to Oamaru where it might be warmer and less rainy. The mountains around us were topped with snow showing a very definite freezing point line. Stopped at the dam on Lake Aviemore, then at the dam at Lake Waitaki. We reached Oamaru to take a look around the Victorian area. The old dock and railroad warehouses had been converted into shops and galleries. Rosemary went into a secondhand bookshop, Slightly Foxed, and quizzed the chap as to whether he was connected to the UK publishers of that name. He knew of the publisher & received their newsletter. He said Slightly Foxed had been the name of many a bookshop before the internet showed up all the duplicates. He packed R’s shell book purchase in brown paper & string, added the shop’s stamp & a bookmark. She hesitated over a newish book on the dragonflies of NZ, but the $150 price put her off.

We ate lunch at The Galley, a lovely piece of Blue Cod, chips and salad. The café building was unusual cos it was clad with thick, rusted steel-plate.

Back at the Victorian Area we took a look at the Steam Punk exhibition. This art is all made from old iron objects, TVs etc reused to build sculptures, often with a sci-fi theme.

We paid a visit to the penguin colony, not to go in but to vindicate our thoughts that the place was a very circus display of penguins. Instead we watched hundreds of shags sitting on a pier. They must use the place to rest and roost. There was a continual coming and going of birds.

We are now sitting in the interim sun having a beer, waiting for the next shower to roll in. Oh, and here it is…..