Dunedin to Invercargil

Up early-ish for a quick breakfast and off to the Northern Royal Albatross colony at the end of the Otago Peninsular - or so we thought. The interpretation centre didn’t open until 10:15 and the rather expensive tours were booked up. Never mind though; we found ourselves in the car park, in a colony of Red-billed Gulls, which included many, many dead ones, though plenty alive still and loads of young.

A walk to a nearby vantage point and a setup of the scope revealed plenty of interest, especially a few areas of birds’ feeding frenzies where krill or small fishes were on the sea’s surface attracting 1000’s of seabirds. Most were two species of gull but there were White-fronted Terns, a few Sooty Shearwaters and about 6 Royal Albatrosses. Huge birds and wonderful in flight. Job done!

Then driving south to Curio Bay along the route through the Catlins, which were quite scenic with amazing undulating countryside and some areas of native forest but we have decided that much of the NZ we have seen so far is one huge stock farm, almost nothing but grass and fodder crops and more sheep and cattle than I’ve ever seen before. It must have been incredible though, and so different, when the first indigenous peoples arrived. Judging by the high number of roadkill Possums we saw, these non-natives must be abundant. We just missed running over a Stoat - another present from the later colonisers.

Curio Bay yielded views of the rounded dorsal fins and grey backs of about 10 Hector’s Dolphins. Quite a highlight. Then on to our third Air B&B, near Invercargill, within striking distance of our ferry to Stewart Island tomorrow.

Dark about 21:00hrs - like being at home in our summer! The television is on - it’s Jamie Oliver doing something with harissa. No escape, even here!En savoir plus