Penguins

A few kilometers south of Moeraki is Point Kartiki. Here there is a yellow-eyed penguin colony. Can I get out of this one? Not a chance.


The DoC goes on and on about how shy these little guys are and how you have to go to great lengths to hide yourself from them so as not to disrupt them.

This guy is in the bushes right next to the car park. You can see how worked up and panicked he got when I took his picture...from ten feet!

Anyways, there's a trail (steep one...knees, remember?) down the cliff-side to a duck blind they call a "penguin hide". The first time I saw the term I thought maybe they were selling little penguin rugs or something.

Another example of the shy penguin


Just trundling across the ol' hay field. Probably about 300' vertical from the beach.

Like I was saying, at the bottom of the hill there is a little shack that you can go into. It has hinged windows that you can open up, and courtesy binoculars attached to log chains with typically one or both oculars missing. Cynthia decided to run back up the hill and retrieve hers, while I proceeded to snap away.

Oh yeah, penguins...

Hey baby, how was your day?


Hey honey, have you ever met my secretary Bambi?
I was thinking that maybe we could all...well...you know...

WHAT!? Are you out of your mind? Get that bimbo outta here!


Geez...she doesn't have to get personal...sniff


Two can play at this game..."honey, have you met Bob, my Manager?"


I don't think anyone's following...

Man, I thought the chicks would be all over this Maori arm band...


And the king of the beach remains!


Not sure what all was worked out with Bob, Ted, Carol and Bambi, but I spotted them later in the woods!


Dora the Explora