Taoka's Arches Beach Walk

Stop two on my tour from Oamaru to Dunedin was the Taoka's Arches Beach Walk or Doctor's Point Reserve. On this beach walk, at low tide, it is possible to walk through a few caves that have been created by the tides. The name Doctor's Point Reserve comes from the fact that in the past a few doctors and landowners from Dunedin joined forces and bought up the land that now forms the reserve, piece by piece. These doctors wanted to preserve this piece of land and leave it as natural as possible to protect the penguins, sea lions and birds. They also wanted to make it possible for future generations to relax on this beach and enjoy the peace and quiet. A pretty cool idea, I think. Hopefully the penguins that nest there feel the same way.

There are two caves on the way - a large one and a slightly smaller one. In the larger cave I met a new friend. There was a small chirping guest who had apparently chosen this cave as his new nesting place and was happily flying and chirping here. This is where my favorite photo of the day was taken:

After the walk I was pretty exhausted and made myself comfortable in my camping chair in the parking lot. This time I was actually alone again and enjoyed the peace and quiet and the sun. It also showed up for about 30 minutes. I also made myself a delicious Balinese-style coffee and maybe watched an episode of The Simpsons while lounging around in my camping chair in the form of a shrimp.

After the weather had improved a bit, I decided to drive to the last stop on my route and then spontaneously decide whether I would walk it or not.

More on this in my third stop: