Penguins, Planes, Petting and Poi

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So after Starbucks, we headed back out to the International Antarctic Centre with Marie. This time we signed up for the Backstage Tour, which provided a closer look at the blue penguins. It was another terrific penguin encounter (can you ever have enough of penguins?). In addition, to being provided with an excellent tour guide, we were permitted inside the penguin enclosure. These remarkable little birds swam around within inches of us. However, the highlight of our visit had to be the penguin keeper’s room. It is here that the penguins are looked after and during our visit, Elvis, (a blind bird) was permitted to go walkabout. While touching was strictly verboten, this did not prevent Elvis from pecking at our toes. I think we all could have spent an hour or more just watching him poke around using his beak as a sort of cane to feel his way around. Elvis got her name from her blue suede shoes - little blue socks which she wore to keep calluses from forming on her feet. We had another ride on the Hagglund all terrain vehicle - this time sitting in the back where the ride had a more roller-coaster feel to it.

After lunch we went out to the Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum which is at Wigram air force base, a recently decommissioned training base originally built in 1916. There were about 28 planes on static display and a number of restorations in progress could be seen on the guided tour. Amongst our tour group was an 85 year old gentleman who piloted a B-24 Liberator during WWII. He had many fond memories of his training in Canada. There were some fine airframes including a Dakota (the type of plane on which my father served as a radio operator toward the end of WWII). After an hour or so, the rest of the crew’s interest was wearing thin so we headed out, but I suspect I will be back again, perhaps when Roland comes over.

We ended our day at the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve. This was a pleasant surprise that had been recommended by the staff at the I-Site. It was combination heritage site, wildlife preserve and petting zoo. The exhibits were all well laid out. Marie was delighted when, during a tour, a mountain parrott alighted on her shoulder. However, little shouts of "ouch, ouch" followed. The group was puzlled at her protests as the parrott appeared to be sitting quietly. It was then that she explained that another parrott was sampling her neather regions.

The highlight for me was the Kiwi encounter. While the tour was not as interesting nor informative as the one which had seen in Rotoura, the viewing enclosure was significantly larger and provided a much better viewing environment. We able to see a number of these birds close up as they foraged for their nocturnal food.

Before dinner we took in the Ko Tane Cultural Performance (with the Ngai Tahu tribe), which was very tastefully done. It included the expected traditional singing and dancing; poi and sticks but the theatre was much more intimate. Avery and Adrianne were pulled reluctantly up to the stage to perform a poi dance, while Josh and I had the misfortune to be asked to perform haka (war dance - fair bit of hip thursting, while sticking out your tongue).

Back at home, it was a little NRL (National Rugby League): the Kiwi Warriors destroying the Gold Coast Titans and off to bed.

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Photos

Ngai Tahu Friends
A classic tourist photo op at the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve and Cultural Show

Comments

[junior]

penguins
You ask if you could ever have enough penguins? I wonder if the answer would be the same if you asked Batman? You speak of the Gooneybird. I love the C-47! I have always wanted to built flying machines. One of which is a fractional Gooneybird! Very interesting about the DC-3. It was just today (at work) that I explored some internet entries about the famous 'bird'. Turbo-props make it a viable mode of transport around the world. Who's Roland?, cause I have a friend by that name. I wonder if he(I'm assuming he's a he) is the same person?!