If you happen to be down in Dunedin and you are in need of some light relief, grab a low cost rental car from Haley at our Dunedin Car Rentals Branch and take a trip out of Dunedin to Moeraki which is about an hour north on Highway 1.
Moeraki is famous for its boulders on the beach, of which these kind of rocks are known to be at only three sites in the world. When they start to erode they look like a large tortoise’s back. After taking a stroll around the rocks and checking out the gift shops, hop in your rental vehicle and drive about 3km south to the small village of Moeraki.
Here you will find a lovely fishing village, which could have come right out of a Rick Stein cooking show. Funny thing is that Rick Stein has actually visited this place.
At the end of the road there is a shed clad in corrugated iron, very rustic in keeping with the whole scene, home to a waterfront café and restaurant called Fleurs Place. Fleurs Place is also famous, as we found out. We entered and got a table – there weren’t too many people around at 11.30am. By 12.00 the place was packed and this was mid-week, and seemingly in the middle of nowhere, so it pays to book for lunch as this place is very popular.
Luckily we skipped breakfast so we had plenty of room, as the food is amazing and abundant. The fish comes straight from the quaint fishing boat, through the kitchen and onto our plates. A glass of the local Rosé plus Apricot and Apple Crumble to follow and I needed a couch for a nap (no space for sleepers though, it’s chock full of diners).
On our road trip Moeraki Bay stuck in my mind as somewhere I would love to spend a month or two. You could imagine writing a book here, or going out on one of the fishing boats. There is a lovely coastal walk and lighthouse to visit and the area is home to both Yellow-eyed Penguins and Blue Penguins. It feels like a sleepy English fishing village and very unlike the beaches I usually frequent in the North Island. It is a beautiful corner of New Zealand, world famous but also untouched and well worth visiting.
Happy travels!
Heather
New Zealand Rent A Car
