The Yellow-Eyed Penguin

Hi guys!
Wanna tell you about my life here on Otego Peninsula! I'm one of the rarest penguins (5000-6000) of the world and I'm only found in New Zealand. Maoris called us Hoiho 'noise shouter', because of our loud and distinctive call, the loudest of all penguin species. Normaly I'm very shy, but I am used here into tourists because Elm Tours is visiting this place several times a day. They let us live here in peace and support our environment by planting bushes, where we can breed...
OK, let's have a look at where I live!

I've just arrived my beach here. During day I'm going to sea to feed and return to my roosting area late in the afternoon.

Hurry up! No sealions here?...only to cross this beach and I'm safe!

It's quite steep here to climb up...and jump over all these rocks...Ufff!

Whow, I just made it...some steps and I am at my nest!

Come on boy, make a walk...might be good for your muscels!...No, I don,t want! Don't you see all these funny guys down there, who are watching us with their cameras!

OK, don't worry, going alone...let,s cool down here a little bit!

Wildlife tour Otago Peninsula

Tour with www.elmwildlifetours.co.nz (see link)

The Fur Seal has been a success story for recolonising an area from which it was hunted to extinction by Eureapean seal hunters last century. A very large population increase has occured over the past few years. Females reach sexual maturity at 4 years and bear their first pup at 5 years. Approximately 8 days after the birth of their pup, females mate with the local territorial male. Pups are weaned July/August after which time the female feeds at sea until November.


The Hooker Sealions are the rarest of the world's five species of sealions and are endemic to New Zealand. They are making a comeback to mainland New Zealand after being eliminated by Maori hunting centuries before the arrival of Europeans. The small number now established on the mainland exist in the Catlins and on the Otago Peninsula. They are gregarious animals and enjoy each others close comapany, unlike fur seals. Adult males reach 3 metres in length, weight up to 400kg and can live up to 25 years. Females are smaller an generally light in coulour. Sea lions are highly agile in the water and can dive over 200 metres deep.




The royal albatross from Taiaroa
Albatross are the largest of the worlds's seabirds with the Royal being the largest of all. It can measure 1.2 metres from the tip of iits beak to the tip of its tail and up to 3.3 metres in windgspan. The Taiaroa Head breeding colony is the only Albatross colony anywhere in the world which is based on a mainland.

Moreaki Boulders

A volcanic mysteria at the estcoast...

Lake Pukaki - Mt.Cook

I slept at Lake Pukaki. A thunderstorm past in the evening in the south...



On the beaten track between Lake Tekapo and Pukaki.


Some spots at Pukaki look like an English garden. Lupins which is a introduced plant are spreading out every where.

Rainforest

The westcoast has more than 5000mm rainfall a year...

Sealpoint

These guys were not very happy about my visit. But I had to pass there and they let me go... some heartbeating moments after being attached from some seaguls I reached my camp.

Waterworld

Cloudes opened their doors for my holidays...rivers, waterfalls and streams seemed to show me their power and elegance.

Westcoast - Glacier world

What a devastating effect nature has on cars!
The effect which global warming has on glaciers are obvious...stony, muddy surfaces...not very different to Switzerland. Here Franz Josef glacier.

Bye bye Seafield

I see, it's just one month ago that I posted last time. Four industrious weeks...and finally the exame which I think worked out fine. So let's start my holiday here in New Zealand!

Tramp to Mt.Isobel

For once we were lucky. We had fantastic weather for our weekend to Kaikoura and Hanmar Springs. At Friday we headed with our rented car up to Kaikoura, where we enjoyed the marine sealife. (see the previous post)
At Saturday we had a short drive to Hanmar, where we had to buy all our food for the tramp. The sun burned quiet hard when we started our walk, but we found some shadow in the forest. After passing a awesome waterfall we arrived in the late afternoon at the crest to Mt.Isobel, our target for this day. The wind gusts were sometimes very hard, but we could find a place which offered protection, there we set up our tent. After dinner we walked to the top to enjoy the sunset. My friends organized a disco with their walk mans, but I prefered to go to sleep. At dawn we got up. we had not a long time to wait till the sun rised over the sea. A breathtaking moment!
After a delicious breakfast with cappuccino and muesli we had to set off for our walk down to Hanmar. What a relief to sit there in the hotpools and recover from our adventure!

Sealife in Kaikoura

Kaikoura is famous for it's sea life. It was in the 80this a calm fisher village and changed nowadays to a bustling touristic place. We were strolling along the shore and were able to watch a few seals... what cute animals! They are used in having contact with people and don't seem to care about curious photographers, but take care! Seals can be very dangerous and going to approach them to carelessly can be dangerous. Keep always 10m distance!








In the afternoon was our whale watching trip schedulded. Three and a half hour were we on our vessel and it was impressive how these guys were able to detect wild life animals. It needed them half an hour to recognize the first whale by radiosonar. With high speed were we tracking the whale and we were successful!
In were able to watch two whales and a school of Delphine's. I got a little bit jealous... it was obvious that they enjoyed their life in the sea, jumping around and playing in the waves...