Birdlife

We drove a smooth tarmac road that hugged the cliffside around the bay of Dunedin, right onto the Otago Peninsula. As a protected region, we had to go to the one campsite as free camping was a strict no-no. Here, we experience the most squishy grass known to mankind and little else really. We got an early night and made ready to set out in the morning.
Our plan was to visit the Royal Albatross colony on the headland and after climbing high into the hills, buffeted by wind, we made it to the colony centre. However, turns out that this time of year is prime egg laying time and as such no-one is allowed to even breathe near the albatross in case they spook and fly off, never to attempt reproducing again. Nevertheless, there were some taxidermed versions to look at as well as an instructive exhibition about the wildlife and a video that made me instantly guilty about having started to eat fish. In other words...Save the Albatross! Use simple fishing methods to avoid catching giant, 3m wingspan birds of the sea on your hooks! Albatross friendly fish!
We left the hills and meandered into Dunedin itself. We were not sure if we would like this city, after initially visiting it on the way into the Otago Peninsula in search of fuel, at 6.30pm, with the emergency light bleeping and the car making funny straining noises on hills. Fuel is aparently a rare commodity in Dunedin when you are actively searching for it, but we got some in the end, after coming across a disused fuel station, one in the process of being built and one that was just closed early!
Turns out however, that Dunedin is very pleasant. We wandered the streets and had a browse in the shops. I discovered a pajama store that is now my absolute favourite shop, called peteralexander. We also discovered a Cadbury's chocolate factory and decided to go on the tour.
This was an awesome decision. First up, we went through the groovy exhibition on the discovery of chocolate by the Aztecs (I love learning about Aztecs) and how Cadbury's came into being. While Alex waited for the tour to begin, scorning my need to read every board on display, I carried on regardless. This, it turned out, was the way to go!
Our guide 'Cocoa Joe' turned up in bright purple dungarees and fetching head cover. We had to don head covers as well and in a moment of pure comedic genius, Alex was made to wear a 'snou' or a beard cover! Hilarious, he looked like Santa Claus. Off we went into the factory, the air positively heavy with chocolate scents. We were each given a little plastic bag with a chocolate bar in it - to hold goodies as we went. This was excellent, we had not realised we got free stuff into the bargain.
In some weird cliche, everyone working at the chocolate factory was happy. Everyone! They all beamed at us as we passed, gave out free chocolate to fill our bags and had names like Bernie. It was awesome. Even better, 'Cocoa Joe' had a policy of ask a question, and give the reward correct answers with free chocolate. The moment I realised this, the stuff I'd been reading in the exhibition came into itself! I have many, many free chocolate bars now. All is good in the world. They are all weird crazy ones that have never been heard of in the UK - like 'pinky', 'moro', 'snowball' and 'funkynana'! They all involve much marshmallow though, so Alex is pretty much reaping the bounty of my question answering skills.
After Cadburys we went into Dunedin and had a coffee before going back to the car to start the drive onwards to Christchurch.
We arrived in Moeraki around about 5pm. Now, the boulders along the beach here are what initially decided New Zealand for me - they are the photograph on the cover of my travel guide. As such, I was eager to see them. They are a bit of a geological oddity, in that they are rounded boulders, quite large, randomly strewn about the otherwise unremarkable beach of Moeraki. Some are split open, like eggs, and reveal a honeycomb centre which is even caramel coloured for realism! Alex and I had a good bit of fun playing about on these, Alex jumping easily from one to the other while I flopped and floundered about through them.
Onto Christchurch. On the way, we passed Omarau, which promised a Blue/Fairy penguin colony. We decided to stop and have a looksie. Imagine our amusement when it turned out to be a full-on centre and conservation movement for penguins which we had seen earlier in a leaflet and wanted to go to, but clean forgotton about since. Not only this, but we managed to turn up at dusk, at the exact time that they recommend you arriving so you can get seats before the penguins come inland.
Here, we sat in a small grandstand overlooking the beach, the boulderstrewn cliff and the swathe of grass covered in hummocks and man-man penguin next boxes. As darkness fells and the yellow lights came on (penguins cannot see yellow) we spied a tiny little blue penguin making its way up the rocky ramp. We named it 'Jonesy' as such named individuals are apparently always on point position in war games and watched it scamper up in a very sneaky, ninj-like manner. Upon finally reaching the grass, it made an all out break for it, scurrying across the grass towards its nestbox at full throttle. I know this description is typical of penguins, but it is so true - he looked like he was wearing a full dinner jacket and smart shirt. Admittedly, in oh-so-fashionable indigo blue and satin sheeny white, but still. What makes it funny is that he was a mere 10 inches tall. As it got darker, more and more penguins arrived. They spend the day fishing alone, then form up into groups or 'rafts' about a kilometre out to sea. They then cruise in together, catch a wave and ride it onto the beach, standing up as it recedes and waddling, hopping and scrambling up the rocks. They make odd honking-shrieking-purring noises to each other and move across the open area before the grass in groups of 20 or 30, leaving behind a rear guard each time who waddle back to the waiting penguins in the rocks to, assumably, inform them it is okay to cross now! We saw fuzzy chicks and mates running out of their nests to welcome back there partners from the sea. It was really cool. It was also very, very cold. After freezing for an hour or so, we decided to leave. As we stood, one of the penguins noticed and appeared to make eye contact with ALex, even though they are not supposed to be able to see in the dark. It made straight for him in an unwavering line, practically leaping over the pebbles. After stopping and staring for a while, it moved on and ALex and I continued down the path. Here, there were three penguins clustered together. They were wandering about so we stopped to watch and they started towards us. Alex bent down and the penguins went crazy for him again! Running straight through the wire fence, one approached him and gently tapped his shoe! Whether this was because he was wearing blue and white converse or because, as I think, he has a weird affinity with birds and was quite possibly a bird in a past life and thus attracts them to him...who knows?
We drove away from Omarau to find somewhere out of town to park up for the night. This proved tricky. Everywhere else we have been there have been lookouts and rest stops about every 10kms. Not so here. After driving for nigh on 50kms, in the dark, we were starting to be concerned. This was not helped by glimpsing a possum trying to leap in front of the car (it failed, luckily and stayed on the other lane), by a random collie dog frolicking around in the dark and by a giant unrecognisable creature slinking along the side of the road. Suitably freaked, we drew up at a lookout over a dam and went to sleep, nervously awaiting attack by previously mentioned unrecognisable creature.
In the morning, it was gloriously cloudfree sky and brillaint sunshine. There was no evidence of fenzied scratching or clawmarks on the car, so we ventured forth again. This time, our goal was a lookout over a lake to Mt Cook. Upon reaching it, we sat on the roof for elevenses and marvelled at the expanse of pastel blue water stretching in front of us to the foot of the mountains covered in snow. It was stunning.
Continuing on, we reached Lake Tekapo which was, if possible, even more beautiful. We were both amazed at the fact that all the land around the edge of one side of the lake is for sale - the view is spectacular. We sat on the rocky beach and soaked up the sunshine for a while, skimming stones across the water.
Some time later, we arrived in Christchurch, in the evening. We have bought ourselves a patch of holiday park to call our own for the next two nights, so we get showers, a pool and loads of associated benefits, wahey! It also allows us to catch a bus into the centre tomorrow and properly look around the city, which we are both keen to do as it is almost impossible to do when you have a car in tow!

Happy Halloween everybody!