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Published: March 14th 2013
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Josh with a Hectors Dolphin
Not a great shot but better than nothing Woke to a pretty good morning and after a hearty breakfast, had a look around Te Anau. Bought a beautiful Paua Shell and a Green Jade Pounamu ring, two of the natural treasures New Zealand is famous for.
Our destination today - Curio Bay on the South Coast
Stopped on the way at the most southerly lighthouse at Waipapa Point and came across to huge Fur Seals on the beach. They were beasts and kept a healthy distance.
Arrived at the very quirky Curio Bay Camping Ground. If you are looking for luxury, this certainly isnt it. The washing up area and toilets were in strange little round concrete buildings as was the shower that needed coins, but the water was hot and it all worked.
But, if you can cope with much less it was in a little gem of a location for 2 main reasons. The first for seeing YEP's (or Yellow Eyed Penguins) and the second - for seeing rare mini Hectors Dolphins. It also has its own little cafe that was brilliant and just how beach cafe's should be.
Porpoise Bay is right next to the camp site and home to these
beautiful creatures that live inshore in the bay all their lives. It doesnt seem to be widely publicised as a site where they are and kept very discreet. As we arrived a bit early to see the penguins come in, Josh couldnt resist an early evening swim and the chance of a dolphin encounter. However, he got more than he'd bargained for. Sure enough the dolphins were there, but he soon found another aquatic friend had joined him - a big Fur Seal. We had heard how these can sometimes get quite viscious when protecting their territory and young, so he didn't hang around long as too close for comfort. He got some wicked footage on his GoPro though involving thrashing water, feet and seal.
After this we headed for the evening penguin viewing. Only about 15 minutes walk from the camp site is a bay with strange stumps. These are the remains of a petrified forest and it is here that the YEP's have a nesting site, nesting under bushes on the banks. There is no charge here, a rope has been put across to stop people roaming too close to the penguins now and a volunteer ranger
comes each evening to ensure their privacy is respected. Before too long penguins started to arrive one at a time down on the shore After a whole day of fishing they come in at dusk to feed their young. They would hang around near the waters edge seemingly drying themselves off for a bit and then gradually waddle up the beach and across the fossilised stumps. One or two of the very well fed young appeared for a photoshoot session and were often bigger than their parents. Apparently this is normal as the excess stores are needed to help them when they first have to start getting their own food. Great viewing.
What a day again. Love New Zealand, but by heck, there really is a lot of sheep everywhere.
G & T time, hot, hot, hot curry, fan heater on, toasty, Gin rummy, no internet. Lovely😊
15th January
Straight into bathers and down to the beach to swim with these Dolphins. They had their young while we were there and its important not to disturb their feeding pattern. Lots of signs around telling people not to bother the dolphins but to let them come to
you of their own accord - and thats exactly what they did, loads of them. The sea was FREEZING, I can't tell you how cold, but worth every 30 teeth chattering minutes that Josh and I managed to brave it for. I sadly couldnt take photos and be in the water, but Josh did manage to get some more epic shots o his GoPro that he will hopefully have edited soon. These beautiful creatures swam all around us as they worked their way up and down the bay. They are completely wild and not fed by humans to encourage them in so we felt truly honoured to have had this experience. Very lucky. A real WOW moment.
As we walked still blue and shivering, back along the beach, a big Fur Seal came into the shore and just rolled around in the lapping waves at the waters edge. Josh thought this may have been the same one he had the encounter with yesterday and seeing its size, wwe understood why he hadnt hung around. After about 10 minutes he just lolloped off again out to sea.
Once dry and changed we were off again along the coast road.
Our destination today, Portobello, on the Otago Peninsula Dunedin.
We stopped on the way at Mclean Falls. Accessed by a lovely track through a rainforest of tree ferns and twisted trees. Although the day was lovely, once in the forest the temperature noticably dropped and became very dank. The falls were full and furious. Although I had braved the sea earlier, I couldnt get in the water here which we had planned to do. I tried but just couldnt do it. Josh managed it although God knows how as it was so cold it hurt so much with just your feet in. BRRRRRRR.
Found a camp site in Portobello and once there, made a real camping supper of sausages, mash and BBQ beans. This wasnt the end of our day though. From there, we headed off to the Albatros Centre for their 9.15pm viewing of Blue Penguins (also known as Fairy Penguins). These are the smallest penguins and the same as I have been seeing sometimes in Manly harbour at dusk of an evening when sailing. They are very cute.
Here, they swim around in the bay after a day out at sea fishing until they feel it is dark enough to come in to feed their young in their nests. This isnt the same time for all of them. A group will form and come in as a 'raft' ( a dark line of penguins, which can be seen working its way through the sea) until they land on the bank together. From there they scurry up the bank to hide in the vegetation until they feel its safe enough to make their way up to their nests that can be quite a distance from the shore. Like the YEP's, they nest in holes in the banks. Sometimes there can be 30 or so heading in together as a 'raft', sometimes much less and many minutes can pass before the next lot decide to come in. It was great with the penguins passing right next to the viewing platform. The centre charges $20 which goes towards maintaining a safe environment for them. The warden was very knowledgable, it was well managed and the experience was again wonderfully low key. Saw two large Fur Seals basking on the rocks whilst we waited.
After a very full and long day we were all very ready for our bed. WOW what a day.
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