November 10, Dunedin New Zealand
It is believed that the first human occupation of southern New Zealand was around 1100 AD. There was a settlement in what is now central Dunedin occupied as late as about 1785 but abandoned by 1826. Captain James Cook stood off the coast of Dunedin between February 25 and March 5, 1770, and reported penguins and seals in the vicinity. By the late 1830s the harbor was an international whaling port.
We booked an all day tour through Chris Roberts, owner of Back to Nature Tours, and what a fabulous tour it was. We started the morning off with a tour of Dunedin including Baldwin Street, the steepest street in the world, and made stops at the railway station and the college grounds. From there it was off to Larnach Castle where some of the folks with us toured the inside while others of us (me, LOL) toured the garden grounds where I got lots of pictures of beautiful flowers and gardens.
From there we went to lunch in Portabella, a small town of about 200 people and ate at the local pub. Had a great meal of fish and chips along with a pint or two of local beer. One lunch was over we drove to the yellow-eyed penguin refuge. We were quite fortunate as a few chicks had hatched within the last week or so and we were able to see and get great photos of adults with their chicks. If you come here however fair warning, in most cases you will need at least a 300mm lens to get a good picture as you can’t get very close to them.
From there we made a quick stop by the albatross sanctuary. We watched one fly along the coast line as we pulled into the parking area but that was the only one we saw and were unable to get a picture of it. We did however see some seals on the rocks and got some pictures of them.
All in all a fantastic tour and I can’t say enough good things about Chris. An excellent guide, very knowledgeable, and kept up a nice narrative as we drove along. If you book a tour with him tell him Bill says hello.
Up tomorrow, Christchurch New Zealand.
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