where we were pleasantly surprised by the historical artifacts exhibits.
In addition to the preserved bones of a massive extinct Moa and stuffed Kiwi (pictured with Jess above), the Pacific Islands displays were impressive, reminding me of my dealings in French Polynesia just last year.After the museum, we grabbed some delicious cheap sushi (I love college towns) and headed off to the historical train station (where we are standing below) to take part in one of the "world's great train rides." I am referring to the Taieri Gorge Limited, which is a classy route through a rugged, virtually uninhabited gorge.
Though it was Jessica who wanted to experience one of New Zealand's famous train rides all along, I found myself really enjoying the scenery that the train had to offer and we really got to experience it freely in the open-air sections between train carts (see picures below).
Above is one of the several viaducts that we passed over--it was rickety but thankfully it was also structurally sound.
Can you imagine being a railroad worker posted at the hut above? Jessica at 5' 4'' couldn't even fit through the door! I guess people are taller these days...That night we decided to drive out to the coastal town of Porto Bello, just east of Dunedin on the Otago peninsula. We got in late but were able to get a good deal on a lodge for the evening, and after Brian spoke to a local bar tender we realized that we were lucky that it wasn't the high season yet, as accommodation in the town was booked through 2012 for the peak summer months. We rested well for the evening and had an early start the next day.
In the morning, we decided to do a local walk, through pastoral coast lands to a point called 'the Chasm.' Brian was a bit under the weather (due to beer the night before) so he rested up in the car, but he definitely missed out, as the scenery was beautiful and unique despite all that we've seen so far. The lush green pasture on rolling hills, dropping off into the sea reminded me of Scotland, and the views were vast from the Chasm (see below).
After the walk, we headed back to the city but only just passed through on our way up north. We did make time to drive up and down Baldwin Street, which holds the record for being the steepest street in the world (I am standing on it below). Jessica was reluctantly behind the wheel, but in low gear and with a lot of encouragement our red wagon (now affectionately referred to as "Abe" because of our license plate number) was able to make the treacherous climb to the top of Baldwin. It was a pretty neat experience, and luckily the brakes did not fail on the way down!
After leaving the city we made a brief stop at the famous Moeraki Boulders. These massive rocks sit in clusters on the beach and are remarkably smooth and rounded from constant weathering (see below).
Brian and I took advantage of the terrain with a quick kung fu fight before getting back into the car (below).
That night we decided to stop in a town called Omaru for dinner and to visit an acclaimed Blue penguin colony. The colony itself is pretty remarkable, as it was set up by a nonprofit organization that built little penguin dens for wild penguins to use for breeding. Well the idea worked, and after 15 years the number of resident breeding pairs increased from a handful to over 100. Now there are several wild penguins that choose to nest in this area on their own volition, making the colony a huge conservation success since so much of the Blue penguin's homeland has been encroached upon by development (much like the endangered Yellow-eyed penguin pictured in my last blog). I will not bore you with any more details except to say that these Blue penguins are the smallest penguins in the world, reaching a maximum height of about a foot, which inevitably increases their appeal. So back to our visit...
We got to the colony visitor center about a half hour early (we were scheduled to watch the penguins return to their homes from gathering food at sea at about 9 pm), but we were glad that we did because we actually got to see a few early birds (pun intended) arrive on the beach while it was still light out. We watched from a set of designated stands, situated far enough from the penguins and their path to their homes to not disturb them, but we still got some great views of the animals awkwardly stumbling across rocks and flat ground to quickly seek shelter. They arrived in several large 'rafts,' or groups of a dozen or so to avoid predators. We watched in awe for about an hour as they came in, wave after wave. It was an adorable site, which was enhanced even more by the occasional collision between a penguin and one of the many resident bunnies that also lived in the penguin nesting area. As the night rolled on, more and more spectators left until it was just the four of us and an Australian couple. This is where cute turned to wild, as a pair of penguins began to mate right outside their den opening. It was quite a site (and sound), though it did not last long. Afterwards things got even crazier as a pair of males violently fought over a female. The bout lasted for over a minute and ended with the loser, bloodied up from beak stabbings, waddling away in defeat. It was kind of sad (though I'm sure the hurt bird shook it off), but it was a reminder that we were dealing with wild animals here. Just before we left we enjoyed a few more close encounters, including a mating pair nearly stepping over me and Jessica's feet as they made their way to their den. I also caught one on film walking just inside the restricted nesting area (below).
Needless to say, we got all that we came for and then some at the Blue penguin colony. We got a late start camping for the evening though and had to pitch tents in the dark. It was worth it though, and fortunately we were able to stay for free at a DOC camp ground.
The next day (today), we got a much-needed oil change and made the drive to Christchurch where we are now. Tomorrow we will likely check out a few museums and gardens in the South Island's largest city and then continue north. Thankfully, since Dunedin it seems to have warmed up due to our geographic and seasonal position. I am hoping the nights of sleeping in thermal clothing have passed!
Mike
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