Invercargill to Dunedin and Blue Penguins

Fabulous drive from Invercargill through Catlins National Park with a few stops on the way for the views including Waipapa Point Lighthouse, Curio Bay (site of fossiled jurassic era trees and the odd sealion), Nugget Point (to see sealions, but none visible), Kaka Point and in to Dunedin centre.

Had booked a tour to see Albatross and Little Blue Penguins, who come into the beach at the end of the Otago Peninsula near dusk. Had to be well wrapped up but was worth it. Saw lots of Albatross flying around before a talk about the Maori history and wildlife and then heading down to the viewing platform.

A couple of sealions on the beach (who eat penguins but decided not to thankfully) who both went out to sea later. The penguins started coming in groups from the sea, before heading up the beach towards the platform area, where a lot of their burrows were along with a few of the younger penguins who were not quite able to go to sea as yet.

Fabulous sight and there must have been a few hundred of them, this species is not endangered but the Yellow Eyed Penguin which is on the other side of the peninsula is very rare.

Next day in Dunedin we visited Larnach Castle (originally the only castle in NZ) with fabulous gardens. Took a stroll around nearby Glenfalloch Gardens before the rain started.

Central Dunedin buildings look very much like those in Edinburgh, including a piece of rock from there on the top of Signal Hill. Baldwin Street the steepest residential street in the World lives up to its name, but restrictions on parking etc, due to disruption to the residents, completely understandable.

Heading back to Christchurch next where we will be handing the car back.