Penguin Paradise

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Penguins!
We arrived just in time to visit Dusky Beach to see the rare Yellow-Eyed Penguins arriving home from a hard day's fishing in the sea. We spotted one wash up on the surf and a few more were waiting patiently for their partners in the rocky clifftops, with one penguin right in front of us in the grass! We bumped back up to the harbour in the van and visited the Blue Penguin Colony, which are protected by a conservation team. We sat in a mini stadium overlooking the small bay, which is illuminated by special lights that the penguins can't see and we were instructed not to take any pics or videos as our flashlights could upset them. We sat patiently as the sun set and marvelled at the bull kelp reflecting the floodlights like twinkling gold glow worms dancing on the rocks. The first raft of penguins arrived soon after dark, surfing onto the beach and then waddling up the ramp to find their nests in the hillside. More and more tiny penguins arrived in the darkness, calling out to their families up the beach. But soon it was time for us to say goodnight too...

Moeraki Boulders
We drove from Oamura to Dunedin, stopping on route to visit the Moeraki Boulders. Ryan had said to take a look at them because they were rocky and round. Hmmm....sounded interesting! We wandered down to the beach, which was littered with huge, perfectly spherical boulders. Apparently, the boulders formed from calcite clustering around organic matter in the mudstone. Later the land level fell and the boulders were exposed, and rolled towards the beach. Well something like that...we're not geologists you know! Naturally the Maori had a more romantic explanation.

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Photos

Yellow eyed penguin
suppose to be quite rare so was lucky to find this one

moeraki boulders
Round stones.....on the beach...

and the last one
They were scatterd all over the beach, not your average boulders!

Comments

[Edd]

Penguin Paradise
Nay Nay, doubt the Maori were more romantic or poetic. To be honest both of you, (or is it just Rach?), seem quite poetic in your bloggs. It makes great reading, but picturing you both; "watching the sun sink, as the waves beat gently at the rocks below", am I reading Mills and Boon? Hey it's all good. Have you lost a little weight Jase? Certainly looks like that in the photos. Really looking forward to seeing you both Christmas, keep up the bloggs and enjoying yourselves!!!

[DJ]

Christmas pudding
That Moeraki boulder looks just like a Christmas pudding. Nice penguins.