Red Rocks And Seals!

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If my last entry has left you confused I am sorry, it was my way of trying to cleverly tell Robert and Erin that I would be able to return to the states in time for their wedding. I spent the first couple of days of classes figuring out a course schedule that has no final exams and allows me to be completely done with classes the 14th of October.

This weekend called for a rainy Saturday so we were all bummed that we would not be able to really get out and explore more. However, when I awoke on Saturday morning it was clear and sunny. On a last minute decision me, Mara, Pablo, Emma, and Ben walked 4 hours down to the Island Bay region of Wellington, which is the southern most point of the North Island. When we reached the coast it was around 3 in the afternoon and we could see the south island and it's mountains. I have seen a few coast lines but I have never seen such a beautiful one in my life.

We wondered down the coast for about an hour and came across some people who were picking up some type of small bird, they looked like a cross between a penguin and a seagull. When we asked what they were doing we found out that the birds are flightless and they were thrown on to the beaches and rocks around the area by the rough weather that came threw. Since they are flightless they walk everywhere but they had become so tired from walking that they just stop and lay down where ever they are. Over the past couple of days hundreds of them have been dying because they lay down and do not move during high tide. Of course after hearing about this we took some time out of our walk and helped pick them up, which was a lot of fun, when you go to pick one up they try to run but their legs are so short that they fall over. We helped collect about 50 of the birds and then continued our walk.

About a mile from the birds we reached what is known as the Red Rocks, here is were one of a few famous Seal Colonies can be found in New Zealand. The rocks are indeed red and they extended around a point, which when you get to the tip is facing the south island. There are also hundreds of seals that are just relaxing all over the rocks. The seals will let people come about 3 feet away from them before they tried to eat your face, which almost happened to my friend Ben, who was then chased by one of the seals. I felt like I was in the movie Andre.

Although the walking all day was exhausting and we did not get back to our flats until about seven it was defiantly worth it.

Hope all is well.

Enjoy some free Ben and Jerrys for me this week!!!!!!

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