Brush with Nature 1

From Te Anau we head south and east with Dunedin our destination and an evening with Mary's cousin Ali and his family. En route we decide to visit the coastline of the Catlins. One of the attractions is that this coast is known for its native wildlife. The drive to Invercargill and on to the coast is less spectacular than where we have been to date, but the journey proves worth it.


















We decide to camp at Curio Bay, where the guides say there is a chance of seeing rare yellow eyed penguins. The camp site is in a magnificent setting with the rocky headland of Curio Bay and the wild Pacific on one side of the headland where we park up for the night, and Porpoise Bay on the other. We check with the site office and are told to go straight to the Bay as the penguins come out of the ocean in the evening at this time of year to feed their young. The timing is perfect and we are on the beach only minutes before the first penguins arrive. As they waddle up the rocky beach they start to call out to their young and the chicks emerge from the sand and rocks at the head of the beach to be fed. A great sight!