Dunedin, we traveled back the east coast of New Zealand. We have an old house with lots of stained glass but it will be hard to keep warm. We are a stones throw from a working bay and can watch big ships go by. Maybe some wildlife if we are lucky. The peninsula across this bay, Otago Peninsula, has a couple special treats for bird and nature lovers. First is the only albatross breeding colony on a mainland (first you need to forget that New Zealand is only an island, but you get the drift) – the only place you can drive to, then hike to see albatross on land. The Royal Albatross Centre
And The Penguin Place, a penguin nesting/resting site for the yellow eye penguin. The yellow eye is a pretty big penguin, taller then knee high, the 3rd tallest penguin. And it is the most rare of all penguins. There is a place they like to come ashore to mate and nest. It is private, but the owners have made it into a refuge. Blinds and tunnels installed so that tourists can view the penguins without disturbing them. And they try to stop predators. We were lucky enough to see some albatross babies on nests (big babies) exercising their wings in preparation for months and months on the wing. And we saw 14 of the only 1400 yellow eye penguins. We saw them porpoise in the waves and then waddle up the beach to their nests, past a sleeping sea lion that was giving them pause. One of those once in a lifetime sights.
Both the Penguin Place and the Royal Albatross Centre make Dunedin a great stop for nature lovers.. Dunedin also has more to offer: the Speigt’s Brewery Tour for one. It is a university town and has the unmistakable vibe of aspiring youth.