The good thing about not having a fixed itinerary is that you can never be sure what is going to happen. Last night when we went to bed we were planning on driving the Christchurch and spending the next two nights there.  This morning we decided to head up into the mountains for a night, staying in the Arthur’s Pass Village, just below the highest pass in New Zealand, Arthur’s Pass at 1040m.  We had had several days of coastal exploration and it was time to venture inland to some mountains.

An incredibly coloured parakeet

Before we left Timaru we ventured down to the beach, a good 500m further out to sea than it was only a century ago.  It is a lovely area of grass, dunes and entertainment facilities with a sound shell stage and audience seating, a 1950s style fairground for children, a miniature railway, cafes and bars, and a walk in aviary with exotic birds from New Zealand and Australia.  With the exception of the toilets and the aviary, it was all shut down; children are back at school so not enough to keep it open.  There was a slight eeriness about it but it is good that these facilities are available.

All spruced up!!

The other change that took place today was a visit to a hairdresser, for us both, in Ashburton.  Certainly for me, it was time to spruce myself up for the wedding on Saturday with an all over number one trim.  When I say all over, I mean head and face.  If I told you that the last time I went to a hairdresser it cost 4 shillings and 6 pence (22.5p in new money) you will realise just how long ago that was. When you don’t have much it is not worth spending a lot of money on.  Angela also had her head trimmed and it looks great.  The total cost for the two of us, 78$ (£40).  Angela’s must have been really expensive! At least I didn’t have to sit on a wooden board across the arms of the hairdresser’s chair.

The Devil's Punch Bowl

We then headed inland, leaving traffic behind, and soon found ourselves in beautiful mountainous country.  The clouds that had lingered over the coast during the morning cleared and the mountains welcomed us with clear blue skies.  We had booked a cabin in Arthur’s Pass, courtesy of the i-site in Ashburton, soon finding it and settling ourselves in.  I decided to take myself off for a walk up to the Devil’s Punch Bowl, a waterfall above the village.  The walk climbed quite steeply up through silver beech trees to a viewpoint in front of the waterfall.  The 131m waterfall is quite impressive and as the sun shone there was a rainbow in the spray at the foot of the fall.

A Kea with plenty of character

On the way back, as I entered the village, I came across a woman putting the rubber trim back in place on her car.  She, or her car, had fallen victim to the mischievous behaviour of the local Kea.  There were several of them around and as I got my camera out to photograph them one came right up to the camera and started pecking at the lens.  He was far too close for me to take a picture.  I hope our hire car is safe and we can leave here unscathed in the morning.

Angela

We had spent a comfortable night in our motel suite, overlooking the park and beach beyond in Timaru.  These suites are very spacious and provide family accommodation.  We made our own toast & marmalade then walked locally.  John was chuffed to find budgies (reminding him of his childhood pet, Billy) among the more tropical cockatoos and parakeets at the aviary.

Hills above Arthur's Pass village

The journey was uneventful, we resisted the temptation to veer east to the coast.  Our stop in Ashburton brought our journey full circle as we had stopped there 16 days ago.  Continuing inland the trip to Arthurs pass took 2.5 hours.  The weather improved and we had a warm afternoon & evening.  We chatted easily to a Canadian couple over dinner.

Woke up to a bright morning overlooking the harbour entrance to Dunedin.  Our objective today was to get as far as Timaru and see whatever takes our fancy on the journey as we head north towards our appointment in the Marlborough Sound next Saturday.  Dunedin looked even better in the morning sunshine, particularly as it was so easy to drive through and the suburbs on the north side were much more pleasant.

Very colourful and interesting public toilets

Every so often we would take a detour from the main highway down to the coast.  The first such venture included us looking for some loos.  It took a while to find them but when we did they have to be some of the most colourful loos in the world.  I have seen lots of loos during my travels around the world but these have to be some of the best.

A Spoonbill

The whole area was alive with birds of all types, waders, herons, gulls, shags, even harriers but I had to exert some self-control over my urges to spend time photographing.  However, I did weaken when I came across a spoonbill.  I just had to stop and get the camera out.  They are bizarre birds with clapper boards for beaks.  They must make kissing very difficult!

Later we detoured to Shag Point.  Not only is it a shag nesting area but is also home to fur seals and Yellow-Eyed Penguins.

A beautiful fur seal

We only saw one shag flying by, no penguins but dozens of fur seals basking on the rocks in the warm sunshine.  Wherever we looked there were relaxed seals languishing on the colourful rock, occasionally bouncing their way down to the sea for a cooling dip.  A really magical moment.

The Moraiki Boulders

A further excursion took us to the Moraiki stones, a baffling geological phenomena.  There are numerous boards with Maori legendary reasons for their existence but when it comes to actual fact there is still some uncertainty as to how and why they formed.  They are remarkable formations, nevertheless.

Detoured out, we made our way direct to Timaru and our superb accommodation for the night.

Angela

A travelling day, but some laughs along the way!  Every place with a Maori name begins Wai….so when I asked John where we were, he said it must be Waicaki (because we were in a coffee shop with lots of tempting cakes!)  Later we visited the Moraiki stones………which look like donuts that have landed on the beach.

The weather is much improved, brighter and warmer.  Adam & Anna have landed safely in Auckland after their long flight from Birmingham, UK.

We are ensconced in a comfortable motel suite in Timaru, overlooking Caroline Bay.  Lovely!

The forecast for today predicted rain in the morning and the likelihood of it improving in the afternoon.  There were plenty of puddles to greet us as we ventured out at about 9.30 but at least the rain had eased.  On reflection we thought we had been a little harsh on Dunedin, so we decided to give it another chance, to redeem itself in our eyes. The place to do this was the Settlers Museum.  Unfortunately it was closed for a refurbishment until late 2012.  Oops!  Not a good start.  The Lonely Planet spoke very favourably about the Otago Museum, so we went there instead.  It was brilliant.  It has a Discovery Centre, Maori and South Sea Islanders cultural area, Otago geology, flora and fauna, geology and a butterfly farm.  We went first for the Discovery Centre, primarily designed for children, as there are lots of buttons to push and practical things to do.  I loved it; it is far too good for children.  Having had an hour of fun we then did all the adult things and learnt lots of adult things, not that I can remember any of them now.  All I can remember is the fun of pressing buttons and making incredible things happen!

The only thing that did disappoint me was the display commemorating the life and achievements of Sir Edmund Hillary.  It had some of his kit from the Everest ’53 Expedition – his ice axe, mug, gloves etc.  The disappointment came from an information board about his life.  On it was a picture of Everest, the highest point on earth, only it wasn’t Everest, it was a picture of Ama Dablam from Dingboche.  I tried to speak to one of the staff but she didn’t really know what I was talking about.  I will do my Victor Meldrew when I get home and write to them.  It is a serious mistake, though.

Synchronised aerial display

In the brightening weather we drove along the beautiful 30km Otago Peninsular to the very end at Taiaroa Head, where the Royal Albatross Centre is situated.  It is the only place in the world where albatross nest on mainland.  In all other cases they nest on very remote islands a long way from any mainland.  They are remarkable birds that generally live up to 35-40 years, although one was known to live for 62 years.  Once the young have left the nest they tend to take to the wing and spend the next five years flying around the southern seas before returning to its birthplace and finding a partner, with whom they will remain faithful for the rest of their life.  They tend to breed every other year as both parents are fully committed in rearing their young and they need time to recover before they start the process all over again.

There are several breeding pairs on the headland and we were fortunate to be able to get quite close to one parent with a chick.  While watching them a pair of juvenile birds were whirling and swirling on the breeze.  They synchronise their flight beautifully and are so graceful with their 3m wingspan.  A fabulous opportunity and a real privilege to be able to watch them.

It may only be a common gull but it is stunningly beautiful

Taiaroa Head is also a nesting area for a huge number of other birds.  There are thousands of the common red-footed gulls.  They may be a pain and scavenge for food from humans but they are extremely beautiful.  There are also black-backed gulls and Stewart Island Shags, which interested me particularly.  I had an enjoyable time filming them.  I just managed to spot a spoonbill but the photos did not do it justice.

A pair of juvenile males

Adjacent to Taiaroa Head is Pilot Beach.  Not really knowing very much about it we ventured down and came across a colony of fur seals, a lot more active than the sea lions we had seen on other occasions.  We were so lucky to be able to get so close to them, to photograph and film them.  I am really enjoying spending time watching wildlife and get really absorbed in what I am doing.

Yellow-Eyed Penguin Chicks

We were booked into Penguin Place, about 4km back towards Dunedin, in a lodge perched on the hillside overlooking the harbour entrance.  It was a stunning location but we stayed there really because we could enjoy some close encounters with the Yellow-Eyed Penguin.  I’m going to let Angela write about penguins so over to Angela…… Hello! from the yellow-eyed penguin hide on the south side of Otago Peninsular on an unnamed beach.  We have been brought here by bus and have been led on foot thru man-made trenches, which camouflage us from the shy creatures.

Transformation in progress

Surprisingly they prefer to nest among trees and shrubs so the reserve owners are replacing the original vegetation, which the European settlers had removed in order to provide sheep farming land. Here we are treated to 2 ‘chicks’, which are the same size as their parents already, tho only 6 weeks old.  They are 6/7 kilos.  We went on to the cliff top to view seals and some moulting penguins.  They are fluffy bundles and will soon leave the nesting site, find a mate and return.  It has been very special to see the world’s rarest penguin at such close quarters.

90 mins later we are back at the Lodge eating our quick pasta meal before going to Pilots Beach to see the tiny Blue penguins coming ashore at dusk. How exciting to be peering thru the gloom, led by the volunteer guide’s red torchlight, hoping to see a raft of miniature penguins landing with the surf.  We were rewarded by two groups coming ashore in quick succession then strutting, running and clambering their way up the rocks and undergrowth to their chicks, who are by now screeching their greetings from adjacent commandeered rabbit holes! A great day!

We woke to a beautiful, sunny morning.

Dunedin had looked impressive last night. It has a reputation for being the Edinburgh of the southern hemisphere, so we thought we would spend a day absorbing the cultural delights of the city.  Driving in and finding somewhere to park was easy, largely due to Angela’s excellent navigational skills.  Our first port of call was the First Church of Dunedin, a spired church overlooking the old harbour from on high.  The sign on the door as we entered welcomed passengers from the cruise ship Princess ???  When we ventured into the Heritage Centre at the back of the church we were asked if we were from the cruise ship Princess ???  As soon as we said ‘no’ they seemed to lose interest in us.

Two sides of the Octagon, Dunedin

Back in the Octagon, the centre of Dunedin, we were asked if we were from the cruise ship Princess ???  ‘No’, I said, ‘but what would have happened if I had said yes?’  Apparently, I would have been asked questions.  Glad I wasn’t on the cruise ship, Princess whatever its name is.  The Octagon has a number of bars and restaurants, the art gallery, a cinema, St Paul’s Cathedral and the house of justice around the edges.  The restaurants all looked a little tired.  In the middle was a market that was very disappointing for the city.  I have seen better in much smaller towns.

We ventured into the art gallery, an impressive building.  On the whole the art within was fairly unimpressive.

We struggled to find the heart of the city.  Princes Street, which I assume had at one time been the heart now looked a little run down and disappointing.  Princes Street runs into George Street and that is where we found the heart.  George Street is where the shops are and the shoppers.  The place was alive with lots of young people – Dunedin is the premier university town in New Zealand and the population increases by 25,000 during term time.

Struggling to fill the day with cultural activity, we visited St Paul’s Cathedral after lunch.  It has the outward appearance of being a traditional church built on standard lines.  What a surprise as you enter and find a traditional nave but a concrete, modern altar end.  Apparently, when they originally built the cathedral in the early 20^th Century they ran out of money by the time they got to that end of the church.  In the 70s they found the money to do the job properly but building traditions had moved on.  It works quite well but it has certainly raised some local eyebrows and is a cause for some discussion.

Overlooking Sandfly Bay

By now we had both had enough of culture and the city, so took ourselves off to explore the stunning Otago Peninsular, created out of an ancient volcano. The sunshine of the morning had given way to cloud, which occasionally produced sharp showers on a strong breeze.  We found some really stunning locations – Sandfly Bay, Hoopers Inlet and Taiaroa Head.  Penguins live at Sandfly Bay but as we are having a penguin day tomorrow we left them in peace.

A pair of young shags on their nesting perch

The highlight of Hoopers Inlet was wading birds searching for food and Taiaroa Head, as well as being home to the Royal Albatros Centre (also on the menu for tomorrow) is also home to a great many nesting sea birds on the cliffs.  We are looking forward to an exciting time.

Angela’s Bit

We had a DIY breakfast in our large ‘suite’,which came with double & single bed, fully equipped kitchen and bathroom, TV & free Wi Fi.

Coffee (Flat White & Americano with warm milk on the side) was taken overlooking the ocean on the newly renovated Esplanade.

Lunch in a café in the city and a dinner back at the morning’s haunt on the Esplanade…….the restaurant was called Swell……and it was, so were we and so was the sea!!