CATLINS NATIONAL PARK - SURAT BAY AND NUGGET POINT (29/08/07)
After our rather disasterous, soggy stay on Stuart Island we felt a little deflated. However when we arrived at Surat Bay we perked up a bit. Our quiet hostel was right on the beach in a beautiful bay and there wasn't a hailstone in sight. Also there were these distinctive sealion tracks only minutes walk from our room.
As if to brighten our mood even further this ray of sunshine illuminated the hillside across the bay. It never found it's way over to us but did remind us that there was a sun behind all those thick, grey clouds.
We had been recommended a visit to nearby Nugget Point so, after our short walk in Surat Bay, we jumped back in the car and drove for about half an hour. On the way we noticed a ewe with her two lambs, a not uncommon sight in New Zealand. However in this case one of the lambs had managed to squeeze through the fence leaving it on the wrong side to it's mother. Worried that it might run in front of a car we stopped and Adam, after a little chasing, managed to catch the lamb and place it over on the right side of the fence. Unfortunately the mother and second lamb had run away from us by this time and the confused lamb decided to adopt Adam and follow him bleating mournfully. In the end Adam managed to persuade the lamb to get near enough it's mother that they both heard each other calling and were reunited. Ahhhh!
Up at Nugget Point we went for a cliff top walk and marvellled at the bright blue colouration of the sea, even on a cloudy day.
The 'nuggets' that give the headland it's name.
Nugget Point Lighthouse.
The main reason that we had been told to drive over here was the existence of a Yellow-Eyed Penguin colony. These very shy birds are the rarest species of penguin in existence and we hadn't really expected to see any. However after sitting in a specially constructed viewing hide for about half an hour this handsome individual strolled out of the surf.
He proceeded to climb across the rocks and then up the hillside next to us, presumably on his way back to his burrow.
About halfway up he stopped and began loudly calling, over and over again.
As if in response to his call another penguin emerged out of the sea.
And then several others. Having not expected to see any we ended up seeing seven or eight and left feeling very satisfied- and we had been the only people there to see them! They were fascinating to watch but, since they only start coming onto dry land at dusk when they have finished their days fishing, it soon got too dark to see and we went home to warm up.
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