Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula

First of all a warning. This blog will be very much like an Attenborough production - something like the 'Blue Planet'.

As snow was falling in the UK, the intrepid Maggie and her partner made their way from Te Anau to Dunedin via a number of small towns. It was like driving in the UK in the 1950's. Every so often we even passed a car. Lumsden was a town that stood out for me. It had a fantastic cafe (called the Bafe Cafe), selling doughnuts and muffins to die for, one pub, a senior citizen's centre and a maternity hospital and that was it. If it had a golf course I'd move there.

Dunedin sits on the east coast of NZ but after two days we haven't actually seen it. We are staying on the Otago Peninsula which overlooks the city and (sorry readers), the weather has been fabulous. The area is described as the wildlife capital of NZ and it's probably justified. We are staying with an English guy and his Australian wife in a wonderfully eccentric cottage surrounded by beautiful gardens and a magnificent view over the Otago harbour. Cathy (our host) is a huge wildlife fan and walker and has given us some excellent advice on where and when to go to various spots on the peninsula. Driving is largely across unsurfaced roads but in fairness they are fine, especially with a quality rental car (which again reminds me of the 1950's - except all dashboard instructions which are in Japanese. Eccentric doesn't cover it!). A quick view of 'our' garden:

On day one (late pm) we took off to the northern side of the peninsular to see the 'chasm', and 'lover's leap'. Views over the South Pacific were breathtaking.

Yesterday we again went 'off roading' in the Executive Nissan to Allan's Beach via a beautiful deserted inlet where we saw about two dozen black swan. Allan's Beach feels almost untouched. We walked the length of it from south to north and from the very start we saw sea lions basking on the beach. In fact we saw more sea lions than people in the course of the walk - about 12 (all males). They were wonderful, sleeping on the beach, playing in the sea and just chilling out! It was a privilege to be there.

Mid afternoon we took off to the end of the island, a place called Pukekura, to an albatross centre. This is the only mainland breeding colony in the world for the Royal Albatross. Access to the site is controlled to ensure the safety of the birds, who spend about 80% of their lives at sea, only returning every 2 years to breed. These are seriously huge birds, living on average 50 years. The adults weigh on average 8kg with a wingspan of 3 metres. The 'chicks' are fed until they outweigh their parents - one was weighed recently at 13kg!!!! They are then put on a diet by their parents and made to work for their food, ensuring they can eventually take off!

The birds in the air were amazing. It's estimated in a single lifetime they can fly the equivalent of a trip to the moon and back.

We finished the day with another beach walk and saw fur seals playing in the harbour (like you do).

As a treat we had fish and chips on the cottage deck overlooking the harbour and booked a trip to see blue penguins this evening and hopefully the rarer, yellow eyed penguins when they return to the beach to feed their young. Nothing guaranteed though.

This is a magical place where on every turn you see birds you've never seen like the variable oyster catcher, paradise ducks and so on and so on. Pictures and words really don't do it justice. On leaving Te Anau I was speaking to a Canadian and told him where we were going. He said he and his wife had been and were very disappointed - it was all farm land on the Peninsula. What do we learn from this? Either you should never trust Canadians or just get out of the car!