Trips.
The Monarch.
A few months ago I won a prize package. In the package along with useful household items, there was a voucher, entitling me and 3 others, to a family trip on a local sight-seeing boat, The Monarch. Not having kids of my own, it was no hardship borrowing my friends 14 y/o twin sons. It was decided that we would go during the school summer holidays, so on a Friday we booked and got ready. Sea-sickness had been a problem for one of the boys in the past, so with herbal remedies and pulse-point bands, we set off, driving out along the tortuous roads, to Wellers Rock, almost at the end of the Peninsula. We couldn�t go. A thick mist had descended and even if it were safe, we wouldn�t see anything. So we went and found a cafe and drowned our sorrows in coffee and milkshakes! The voucher had a three month limit, but the Monarch people said they would honour it beyond that point, since this cancellation was beyond all our controls!
They went back to school, so we waited for a Friday, when the weather seemed more settled and re-booked. Collecting them straight from school (thankfully a sports day, so no uniforms or books to carry), with drinks and snacks, we made the trek again. This time we had chosen a perfect day and a good time to go. The previous trip had been so full, it was impossible to imagine seeing anything other than the backs of heads!
We boarded the boat last and found a place to sit while we were manoeuvred out and away from the floating dock. The sun was shining but a keen breeze rushed across the water. Soon we came near to the place where we knew there were seals. As we approached a few massive gray lumps could be seen, lounging on the rocks. The boat moved in closer to the shore and a commentary continued, explaining about the Albatross colony above us. Then our attention was directed to the rocks ahead. There, all alone, was a juvenile Yellow Eyed Penguin. It had come ashore to moult and was just standing there. It was too difficult to focus and get a decent picture, so I can�t show you this rare sight. The commentator told us to look at its feet and see how bright pink they were. This, apparently, is how they lose heat in the sun. When swimming their feet are a dull grey! They really were a deep pink colour, so the poor bird was not having much fun where it stood. Apparently, according to a friend of mine, a bird moult is like us losing baby teeth and then replacing them with wisdom teeth � it can be very painful and traumatic!
There were seals everywhere.
Next we were told to look up and see the nests on the hillside. In some of the long grass, though hundreds of feet above us, we could see the nests and occupants of the Royal Albatross Colony. These birds stand over a metre high and have a wingspan in excess of 3 metres. They were clearly visible and quite active, feeding their chicks. We were told how, a few years ago, one of the hen birds stayed on her nst for a full 28 days, without food or water, as her partner had flown off to sea and clearly had died. They normally swap roles after two or three days, allowing each to feed and exercise, bringing food to the nest daily. She had viable eggs under her, so Conservation Dept. staff did all they could � making her move and feed, taking her egg and incubating it, then fostering the chick to a pair whose own chick had died. Albatross are very special birds and too rare not to do all we can to preserve them! The other nests (the albatrosses are the black and white dots in the grass) are of the Stewart Island Shag. They build from mud, silt, grass, hay and their own waste and raise two clutches of eggs every year. These birds aren�t found anywhere else on the mainland.
Once the albatross chicks are able to fly, they will practice lifting off the nests, relying on the adults for food. Then eventually, after about 8 months, they will fly away, returning to the place of their birth after TWO YEARS at sea. They will not touch down on land again until they return here and in that time they will have circumnavigated the world at least four times.
It was the perfect day and conditions couldn�t have been better!
Next, as we rounded a cove, the commentator told us that, in this particular bay, was a 3,000kg male seal. He was 6 metres long and came here every year to shed his skin in privacy. People were looking in the water � I scanned the rocks and there, to the left, was the huge shape of an Elephant Seal. He didn�t DO much, except snort at us. He lays there for a few days, then dives in and swims to remove more skin, then feeds. Unlike common fur seals, the Elephant Seal can dive to depths in excess of a mile and remain submerged for over an hour.
Around another bend and there was the fur seal creche. Hundreds of baby seals, learning new skills in the rock pools. Some were no bigger than my cats! They are hard to see, too!
We were taken further out to sea than I imagined we would go. We went out over a dangerous sand bar, looking to see if there were any albatross flying. We saw some, but none were the elusive Royals. We also spotted a lone Little Blue Penguin swimming past. It was far too fast to photograph! The views, from the water, were magnificent. This is what was behind us as we started to turn back. It was at this time that I gave up taking pictures as I was getting covered with salty spray. It was fun and the boys loved it.
This shot shows the lighthouse, in the distance, above where the seal, penguins and albatross colonies are. Taiaroa Head is on the southern tip of the entrance into Otago Harbour and Port Chalmers.
As we went back in and long the narrow channel, we paused under the heads to get one more photo. The trip was almost over but it had been worth the rush and thoroughly enjoyable.
We got back to the car and drove the short distance into Portabello, where we got some hot take-away food and cold drinks before driving off to a scenic spot to eat a much needed meal, in the car! The perfect end to a lovely afternoon!
All photos taken by Mark Hindle, using my camera!