Jan 29th

Medical update - Jeff has had no further cramp and the 'bonk' is behind him however his memory is still defective as he thought yesterday was Sunday - he has been put right. Linda's bottom is now recovered and thank you for your empathy in not asking.
Morning was overcast and hazy but dry and warm. Cycled out of Oamaru up a very steep hill which certainly got the blood coursing through the veins! For the first 25 miles we travelled along the South Pacific coast road virtually by ourselves. Watched Dusky Dolphins bobbing up and down in the sea and then sat on the edge of a lake and watched flocks of black swans, pied stilts, ducks and a Royal Spoonbill, which has a flat spoon-shaped bill, its body brilliantly white with black legs. Our photographer, after much coughing finally encouraged it to fly which it did rather reluctantly with its neck outstretched.
Stopped for a wander along the beach through the Te Kaihinaki [ancient boulders] at Moeraki. These spherical creations were formed millions of years ago around lime crystals within the sorrounding mudstone. The spheres are about 6 - 8 feet in circumference sunk in the sand and as though marching out to sea; there were scores of these strange shapes which can only be seen at low tide, for which we had cunningly timed our arrival.
Later we spotted a Paua sign next to the beach. The shellfish is a delicacy and the abalone shell or Paua in NZ is used in jewellery and for ornaments [it looks like mother of pearl]; the shells measure 4-5 inches long and 3-4 inches wide. Harvesting them is restricted and this particular sign said the limit was 10 per person. Fred and Myrtle Flukey were Bluff residents[ the most southerly settlement on South Island]  and Fred liked to collect Paua shells - he persuaded Myrtle to let him hang them on their sitting room walls and eventually the whole house was decorated in them - coach tours would visit daily and the couple became eccentric icons to such an extent that when they died parts of their house were replicated and made part of a special exhibition at Christchurch Museum which we found equally kitsch and hilarious but somehow fascinating!
We are now back in hilly, mountainous terrain staying at the Pioneer Motel at Palmerston [named after the British Prime Minister in 1862] which is beautifully equipped and  because the restaurant choices here are limited to say the least we will be dining in our room tonight with perhaps a few Tuis and some red.