Penguins - and once again driving

Seals and penguins and too many birds…

After breakfast on the beach, I took a tour at the Penguin Place - a ‘private conservation reserve dedicated to helping the endangered Yellow-Eyed Penguin survive’… those little guys are pretty close to extinction and they try their best to avoid that. It is a lovely place…
We saw Yellow-Eyed Penguins, Fiordland Crest Penguins and (allegedly) a baby Blue Eyed Penguin (it was hidden in a tiny house and could also have been a piece of wood 😉). And seals!!

From there, it was quite a drive all the way to Wanaka - home for one night. Lake Wanaka is quite cold - but I was brave - and rewarded myself with ice cream afterwards…

Lesson 1 learned today: the only native NZ mammals were bats and marine mammals… all the rabbits, possums, feral cats and other rodents are not supposed to be here - abs actually a problem for the little penguins. There are some wallabies here - also considered a pest…

Lesson 2 learned today: Traveling alone in a country with soooo many wineries and vineyards is annoying. Who goes wine tasting alone?!? 😟

Plans for tomorrow - getting back in my hiking boots… and only a short drive for once….Read more