Last penguins and Sydney

We had breakfast in the room again, then spent a fairly frantic time sorting through and repacking stuff. The most fragile items went into hand luggage and we also kept out the wooden items in case Australian customs wanted to inspect them. I got rid of the wool I had been carrying inb my pocket since the shearing we watched in Queenstown as we didn't think that would meet with their approval.

The poor porter who came to store our bags only had a small trolley and had to make 3 separate journeys. Then we walked dow to the harbour front to await the free shuttle bus to Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium.

we arrived a few minutes early and killed some time in the Champions of the World shop, picking up another rugby top (Blues), then the bus arrived, shaped like a shark, with big teeth and shark head at the front. We hopped on and were driven the 10 minutes or so to the aquarium. On the way and dvd was played about the history of the aquarium. It used to be old sewage storage tanks and Kelly Tarlton, who was a famous NZ marine explorer wanted to set up somewhere where people could view fish and decided this was a good spot. They created the first walk through perspex tunnel in any aquarium, and moulded the sheets themselves to save money. It opened in January `985 and Kelly Tarlton died a couple of months later.

On arrival you go downstairs to get in as the whole complex is underground and below high tide sea level - the cafe has a window that looks out under the ocean when the tide is high. We had photos taken on the way in (which we bought later) after passing through a mock up of Scott's hut in Antarctica. This was much bigger than I had thought, hut didn't really do it justice, it was a whole series of areas, sleeping, science, photography etc.

After this came the stars of the visit for us all, the penguins. There were two types in a cold Antarctic enclosure, with snow on the ground - King Penguins, the classic 1m tall, with shades of yellow on them and Gentoo penguins, smaller and no colours. We watched the Gentoo's doing circuits of the enclosure, waddling round, belly flopping into the pool then climbing out and repeating, like a little exercise circuit. The King's were less active, most standing still (though many of the Gentoos were also standing or lying down) or lying flat on the stone. One Gentoo looked like he was standing still pretending to be a rock. There were also some baby King penguins, as big as the adults but brown and fluffy - early explorers thought they were a different species.

We moved on through an area with a preserved Giant Squid and info on whales, as well as Antarctic temperature water that you were challenged to keep your hand in for thirty seconds - I managed about 7!

We hit the cafe next, and had drinks and snacks before heading back to the penguins for feeding time. This was funny - some of the penguins kept going back for another fish pretending they hadn't had one whilst others just didn't want a fish and looked like they were shaking their heads like a small child to refuse the fish.

we chatted for a while to the guy looking after the touch area, which had a tank of starfish you could feel. The spiny 11 legged ones lived to their name with sharp spines. They ate shellfish by just pulling the shell until a small hole appeared then sticking their stomach through and digesting the contents. They can shed legs when threatened or stressed and they take about a year to grow back. We also saw a huge crayfish skeleton, far bigger than the ones we had caught in Hokitika what seems like a long time ago.

Next area was Stingray Bay, with some huge stingrays in, them on to the big tank with the tunnel and moving walkway, like in Napier . Equally as impressive, went a long way round the tank and some fiercely teethed sharks in their.

Fish galley had various fish from around NZ and other areas - our favourite was a puffer fish, who looked puffed up, until we read that he would be the size of a basketball if he was! Another area was devoted to seahorses, including some that had come from colonies in Milford Sound we watched a short video of how they were captured. We went back through the tunnels to Stingray Bay to see a keeper hand feeding the stingray, then hit the shop before catching the bus back to the hotel.

We were back about 2pm, after calling in to NcD's to use the last of the free cheeseburger vouchers to keep us going. About 2.30pm a cab appeared outside and we checked and it was ours come early. Whilst watching the video of my jump yesterday the cab company had called to check the pick up and said they had no vans available so would send two cars. The other arived shortly and we were on our way at about 2.40, getting tot he aiport just after 3. Check in and security were painless and we were in the lounge about 3.45 for a bit of food. I got the lady on the desk to check the pick up in Sydney - she reported that the company were very insistent they were sending a van and it would cope with all our stuff and two cars were not needed (they were right but only just!)

The flight when smoothly. I wanted to watch the second Hobbit film, but ended up watching twenty minutes of the third by mistake, I thought it seemed odd. This left me with not enough time to fit the whole second one in so I'll have to pick it up on the way back to London. Had a moment of worry when I was filling in the customs forms for Australia and the passports slipped off my knee and down the side of the seat. I fished out Tash's, but couldn't see Sam's down there. after take off I got s stewardess to help look and she got a torh and pulled the seat apart. She claimed it happened all the itime, but I said I thought she was just trying to make me feel better. anyway after more looking she asked if I was certain Sam had given it to me. I said I had had it all the tim, but would double check the bag and lo and behold there it was. I felt very foolish, but the stewardess just laughed, though am sure she must have laughed with her colleagues later!

The rest of the flight was uneventful until we got to Australian immigration where I hadn't realised we needed to fill in Ebola forms. The guy was very good, sent us to a table to fill them in then cut back in the line. He was very jolly, teasing Natasha and Edward and talking rugby as some of the reserves of an Aussie rugby team were coming through from a game in NZ.

Our driver was waiting for us with name tag showing Samantha Smith and we headed for his car which was a van size and did just fit our luggage in. Half an hour to our hotel, Quay West Suites and we were on the 23rd floor, with a great panoramic window view over the whole of the harbour, with the bridge and Opera House in full view.Read more