Fleurs, Moeraki & Katiki beach

Well the last 2 days have flown and we seem to have done quite a lot. We left Oamaru with a bagful of the most delicious cherries I have ever had which had just been picked and some nice local tomatoes.
We took the coastal route down to Moeraki stopping on the way of course to see the Moeraki Boulders again. We did notice a difference from 8 years ago in that a couple of the boulders which previously were still embedded in the bank are now lying free on the sand. The process through which they are formed is quite amazing and a little similar to how a pearl forms in an oyster shell.

Moeraki boulders
We had been told by several people that we must go to Fleur's restaurant at Moeraki so we drove down the rough road to the jetty just taking potluck to see if we could get in for dinner later on. Like everywhere at the moment with it being school holidays it was busy even at 4.30pm but they could fit us in at 5.00pm and no later, which we accepted, but how we wished that we hadn't just had that icecream at the Boulder Cafe!

We enjoyed our meals with Len having fresh groper with caper and lime sauce and me scallops with smoked bacon and mushrooms but to my mind it wasn't extraordinary but it was simple food cooked well. Dessert was creme brulee and fresh fruits for me and Len had Aunty Maries Christmas pudding which again were nice. We loved the character of the wooden building and all the little knicknacks within. We actually ate at Fleurs "desk" and she joined us for a while in between chatting to other diners and signing her books of which I did buy a copy of her autobiography - so put your hand up if you want a read when we get home!
She told us that sometimes she has difficulty with new chefs who "want to put all sorts of sh*t on top of the food" which goes against her ethos of simple cooking.

2 blondes - Fleur signing her book

Halfway through the meal I was surprised to see John and Jeannette, a couple we played golf with occasionally at Ohope, come in with friends so we were able to have a quick catch-up with them.
From the restaurant it was only about 6 km inland to a DOC camp up Trotters Gorge so we headed there for the night - a nice little campground with real flush toilets in a bush setting by a stream and from where, the next morning, we could walk along a very muddy track to some caves and then further on to do a high loop track - less than 1.5 hours altogether.
We chatted to some nice young people who were camping - one of the girls who was originally from New York but has lived in Sydney for the past 8 years, working as an architect, left Len a couple of bottles of beer as she was flying home that afternoon.

That day (Saturday) started off a scorcher - it felt like it was already about 30° at 10.00am so we headed back to the coast stopping off the road by Katiki Beach where self contained vehicles are allowed to camp. It's a beautiful spot with the waves on our doorstep. We have enjoyed the sun and beachwalking ("shopping" for shells) and listening to the roar of the sea through the night.

Sun block time!

We're glad we made the most of the beach yesterday as today (Sunday) it is grey overhead and coolish but we are enjoying watching the birds diving for fish as we drink our coffee and before we head down the coast to Palmerston and then inland towards Naseby.