Wed 6th January 2016 - The Catlins
Bit of a lazy day as today’s adventure require the low tide at 1700. We awoke to lovely sunshine and with the magnificent view looking even better we breakfasted outside and lay in the sun doing no more than watch the tide very slowly fill the mud flats in front of us.
Enjoying the tranquillity, and the sun, so much we decided to skip the 40 mile round trip to Cathedral Caves and instead had lunch watching some plovers pecking around the tide line then set off for Porpoise Bay with the hope of spotting some Blue Eyed penguins and some rare Hectors’ Dolphins. Although the sun was still out a brisk southerly was blowing, that’s cold in these parts, so our walk along another magnificent, and almost deserted, beach was curtailed with no sign of wildlife.
Our final stop of the day was Curio Bay, home to a petrified (fossilised) forest and some Blue Eyed penguins. The fossilised trees were on a large rocky platform just above the low tide line and were amazing. The tree stumps had been smoothed by the action of the sea but the rings and rotten timber could clearly be seen in the top. The fallen logs, however, are very well preserved and looked just like the original wood.
Although quite early for penguins, 1 or 2 hrs before dusk is recommended, whilst we were there we saw three of the four breeding couple leave the sea and all go through the same routine of preening and drying themselves in the wind before waddling and jumping across the rocks to their nests in the cliffs beyond. Although there was a DOC ranger on site he seemed quite unconcerned that people, us included, were getting as close as 10m to take photos. As a result we got some great ones and some good video footage.
Whilst walking between one penguin and another Glenn passed close to couple of Oystercatchers. We have got used to these birds squawking loudly when we get close to them or their nests so Glenn paid no attention to them when they started their noisy protest but one actually flew into the air and went for him like something from a Hitchcock film. They breed them tough in these parts!
Leaving there we headed for our last stop in the Catlins at Weir Beach reserve, very close to Slope Point the southernmost point of South Island. Arriving at the freedom camp area we drove to the edge of the estuary and had similar views to yesterday and again with no one around us so we enjoyed the panorama and watching the wading birds feeding until the sun set.
Bit of a lazy day as today’s adventure require the low tide at 1700. We awoke to lovely sunshine and with the magnificent view looking even better we breakfasted outside and lay in the sun doing no more than watch the tide very slowly fill the mud flats in front of us.
Enjoying the tranquillity, and the sun, so much we decided to skip the 40 mile round trip to Cathedral Caves and instead had lunch watching some plovers pecking around the tide line then set off for Porpoise Bay with the hope of spotting some Blue Eyed penguins and some rare Hectors’ Dolphins. Although the sun was still out a brisk southerly was blowing, that’s cold in these parts, so our walk along another magnificent, and almost deserted, beach was curtailed with no sign of wildlife.
Our final stop of the day was Curio Bay, home to a petrified (fossilised) forest and some Blue Eyed penguins. The fossilised trees were on a large rocky platform just above the low tide line and were amazing. The tree stumps had been smoothed by the action of the sea but the rings and rotten timber could clearly be seen in the top. The fallen logs, however, are very well preserved and looked just like the original wood.
Although quite early for penguins, 1 or 2 hrs before dusk is recommended, whilst we were there we saw three of the four breeding couple leave the sea and all go through the same routine of preening and drying themselves in the wind before waddling and jumping across the rocks to their nests in the cliffs beyond. Although there was a DOC ranger on site he seemed quite unconcerned that people, us included, were getting as close as 10m to take photos. As a result we got some great ones and some good video footage.
Whilst walking between one penguin and another Glenn passed close to couple of Oystercatchers. We have got used to these birds squawking loudly when we get close to them or their nests so Glenn paid no attention to them when they started their noisy protest but one actually flew into the air and went for him like something from a Hitchcock film. They breed them tough in these parts!
Leaving there we headed for our last stop in the Catlins at Weir Beach reserve, very close to Slope Point the southernmost point of South Island. Arriving at the freedom camp area we drove to the edge of the estuary and had similar views to yesterday and again with no one around us so we enjoyed the panorama and watching the wading birds feeding until the sun set.
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| Fossilised log |
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| Penguin drying himself |
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| Fossilised tree stumps |
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| The final penguin waddles home |
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