New Zealand > Moeraki Boulders

In the northern suburbs of Dunedin lies Baldwin Street. According to the Guinness Book of Records, Baldwin Street is the steepest street in the world, with a gradient of 35 percent. We park the car at the bottom. Dozens of tourists are climbing the street. Some walk backwards—would that make it easier? As I start walking uphill, I immediately feel the steepness. The morning dew even makes the road a bit slippery. How do the residents of the houses on this street normally get home? If you drop something, it immediately ends up a hundred meters below. Bizarre. We follow the coast northwards and pass Moeraki Boulders Beach. Large round stones lie in the bay.

New Zealand - The steepest street in the world in Dunedin

Some have a diameter of two meters. How were these stones formed, and why are they found only here? It is suspected that about 60 million years ago they were worn down by sand and remained at this location. Extraterrestrial spheres or dinosaur eggs seem far less plausible explanations. It’s remarkable how many tourists are here. I haven’t seen so many gathered together anywhere else in New Zealand. Presumably, this is an ideal place for buses to stop briefly. In the next town, Oamaru, there is a sanctuary for the little blue penguins. Normally, you can only see these penguins in the evening, but here it is also possible to observe them during nesting without disturbing them. When we reach the center, we see that no penguin is on the nest—all are out at sea. We can’t see them. The town of Oamaru consists of many old nineteenth-century buildings. Many former warehouses now house art galleries. We stroll along the main street. The streetscape could easily be that of a European town—not surprising, given the strong British influences. We leave the coast and drive inland again. The road winds through rolling countryside.

New Zealand - Mysterious stone spheres lie in the surf at Moeraki Boulders

In the distance, we can already see the mountains of the Mount Cook range. The weather is good, and the peaks are free of clouds. How different it was a week and a half ago, when we were in Franz Josef on the other side of this mountain range. At three o’clock, we arrive in Twizel, a small town on the road to Mount Cook National Park. Here we stay in a comfortable motel. From Twizel, it’s still about an hour’s drive to the park. As soon as we turn onto the road, we see a sign for glacier flights. It turns out to be a scenic flight in a small airplane. The owner says the wind is strong today, but if we don’t mind a bumpy flight, we can go straight away. “Tomorrow should be better,” he adds. “Call me if you want to come along.” Our preference is for a helicopter ice landing on the glacier. A few kilometers further on, there is a sign for Heliflights. A flight is still possible tomorrow at one o’clock. Today, the wind is too strong for a helicopter, but tomorrow looks more favorable, says the staff member.

New Zealand - Lake Pukaki with Mount Cook in the background

The decision will be made tomorrow morning. We can call at nine o’clock to ask if the flight will take place. We decide to reserve the flight—fingers crossed it works out. We continue driving to Mount Cook. The mountain stands out beautifully against the blue water of Lake Pukaki. We park at the start of the Kea Track, a short walk to a glacier lake. From here, we have views of the glaciers in this area. Most of the mountain peaks are snow-capped. The winner, as always, is New Zealand’s highest mountain: Mount Cook. The mountain gleams in the sun. What a magnificent sight. Hopefully, the Tasman Glacier will look just as spectacular tomorrow, with not too much wind. We drive back to Twizel.