The New Zealand summer is still looking remarkably like winter with snow on the hillsides behind the big Cromwell roadside fruit. Still, the blue skies and pristine air were infinitely preferable to the rain from the day before. We stopped at a bakery for our Valentine’s breakfast. De Ann has been helping Kylie with her knitting so she couldn't resist buying a couple skeins for herself at the nearby crafts shop.
Our goal for the day was Dunedin and the wildlife of the Otago Peninsula -- penguins, sea lions, seals, and albatrosses. We ended up taking the more northern “pig route” according to the man at the crafts shop. We didn't see many pigs, but the scenery was fantastic and, not surprisingly, there were plenty of sheep. The adults all crammed into the front of the van while Dex and Kylie did some homework in the back. Although only a couple feet longer than our van in Australia, this one has been working out pretty well space-wise.
After looking around the informative visitor's center, we signed up for the 6:00 Albatross and fort tour. With a wingspan of up to three meters (9.6 ft) and weighing in at 6 to 8 kg (13 to 18 lbs), the Royal Albatross is a very big bird. Their wings fold in three sections to fit along the length of their bodies. Although there was little breeze, we did get to see a handful soaring around above the cliffs.
Apparently, Taiaroa Head is the only place in the world where the Royal Albatross mate on the mainland, which makes these 250 birds quite special. Every two years, the females lay a single egg. The breeding pair mate for life and share all child rearing duties: incubating the egg and feeding the chick. Mating takes place in November and December and three months later a single chick hacks its way out of a large and surprisingly heavy egg. One parent will head out to sea to feed and returns 4-10 days later to relieve the other parent, who has spent the entire time on the nest -- or on the young chick itself. That is real commitment.
By the time July rolls around, the chick has eaten so much it's actually too heavy to fly weighing in at 10-12 kg (22-26 lb). During August the parents start to reduce the amount of food they bring while also landing at greater and greater distances from the nest forcing their little fatty to get some exercise. In September, the now fully grown bird is ready to fledge. Incredibly, once on their own, they spend the first five years at sea without ever returning to land. Their migratory route makes a huge circle around Antarctica, during which they spend most of their time in the waters near the tip of South America before finishing the circle and ending up back here on the South Island.
After the tour we followed the recommendation of our young, enthusiastic guide to watch the sunset at Allan’s beach, just a few miles from our campground. It was an absolutely amazing evening with stunning views no matter which way we turned. There were dozens of white tailed rabbits hopping though the tall grass on the way to the beach, while on the sand a couple bull sea lions and one beautiful golden female were relaxing. The sea lions seemed to have little interest or concern for us, letting us approach to within the mandated 10 m.
We couldn't help but marvel at the pristine landscape: green hills tinted gold with the setting sun, rugged coastline, wide flat beach and brisk, crystal clear air. New Zealand is truly an unspoiled paradise.
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