Hoiho

Again, another day of covering more kms than I had initially thought I would.  I contemplated turning off and heading to Milford but decided against it in favour of less kms but more quality time.  One of my plans was to spend some time in the Catlins, an area renown for its beauty but, being virtually at the southern tip on the South Island and therefore about as far away from home as it could possibly be, an area that I haven't spent much time in before.  On the only other occasion I have been there I 'found' a quirky campsite at Curio Bay right alongside a bay with a petrified forest and regular visits from yellow-eyed penguins, and I was keen to revisit it all.

The further east I got, the heavier the wind became..........a stop at the lighthouse at Waipapa point left me feeling more than I little unsteady on my feet and when I finally made it to Curio Bay campground, many gusts of wind rocked the van so much it felt like there was another 7.8 earthquake!

Took a walk in the evening (hardly a 'real' walk........just a few hundred metres!) to the penguin beach and was thrilled to see several of the not-quite-as-wee-as-you-might-think fellas waddling up the beach to nest overnight.  They're amazing birds - not just their upright gait and their waddling action, but these ones in particular who don't seem overly fazed by human presence.  There would have been at least a dozen people scattered around the beach watching them, and they just pick their route across the rocks, through the people (who are encouraged to maintain a good 10m distance from the birds) without appearing to be stressed by the encounter.  

It's been quite a tiring few days and I'm considering staying here another night, just so I can rest a bit, have a shower........and go penguin watching again :)

Oh - and Bertie Gnome wished you all a Happy new Year this morning from the shores of lake Wakatipu.  Those of you with very keen eyesight may even spot the ladybird who joined him in his well-wishes!