Where we’ve been

Where were we? After the whale watch in Kaikoura, we drove down to Dunedin. Along the way, we stopped in Katiki to admire its beautiful bay and walk out to see some New Zealand fur seals on the peninsula. We did not know that they would go up into grass. We could get vey close and were surprised that they didn’t seem to care.

Our first day in Dunedin, we drove out to Aramoana and saw more seals on the wharf. On Long Beach, a lone seal came in along the shoreline, though I didn’t have time to get a photo or video. We bumped into a couple about our age riding old rusty one-speed bikes whom we had seen jump into the water in wetsuits and spearfish out a “greenbone” they planned to have for lunch. Kiwis are very hearty, outdoor-loving people.

Christmas day we drove out on to the Otago Peninsula. We visited Sandfly Bay (not named for sandflies but because the sand flies away uphill) and walked out to Victory Beach in the Okia Reserve. We then drove to the Royal Albatross Center, home to the only mainland breeding colony of albatross (which normally prefer small offshore islands). The center was closed for the holidays, but we saw nesting gulls with chicks right by the car park and shags (a type of cormorant) on the cliffs. An added bonus was tiny bunnies.

The next day as Boxing Day, a big holiday in British Commonwealth countries. Kevin walked into downtown and Mary hung out closer to the hotel.

Next, we’re on our way to Invercargill for two days on our way back to near Queenstown where we flew into at the beginning of the month. We have plans to take a fjord tour January 2 and will start the new year with the chance to compare this fjord tour with a highlight from last year: the Norway fjord tour.

Happy New Year! The New Year’s Eve TV shows always announce when it’s already New Year’s on the first mainland time zone in New Zealand. I never thought we’d be in it one year!