17/02/2018 - Adventure New Zealand: Baby seals, high waterfalls & swimming with dolphins

04:30 am. The alarm clock rings. We carefully pulled the curtains aside and saw that it was still pitch dark outside. After putting on warm clothes, we drove to Nugget Point Lighthouse. The road from the campground to the lighthouse was already challenging in daylight. But we managed to avoid the deep potholes in time and navigate through the narrow passages without a scratch. We were the first visitors that morning. Still a bit unmotivated and slightly tired, we dragged ourselves to the lighthouse armed with flashlights. Along the way, we could hear the calls of baby seals. Even a possum was not particularly thrilled by our flashlight and startled us with a loud hiss. We reached Nugget Point and started taking pictures. Slowly, dawn set in and the rocks off the coast became clearer. So we spent nearly an hour at the lighthouse until the first rays of sunshine touched our faces. By now, we were no longer alone - eight other visitors were on-site, watching as the sun gradually rose in the sky. The lighting was beautiful. A few clouds could be seen on the horizon. With the increasing sunshine, they changed color. When the sun finally rose completely above the horizon, we slowly made our way back home. We returned to the campground around 08:30 am and had our belated breakfast. After replenishing ourselves, we were ready to continue our journey. When we arrived at the new campground in Curio Bay, we had an early dinner. Because in the evening, we planned to take a walk in Sorat Bay. The wide sandy beach is often visited by sea lions for a nap. They regularly cover themselves with sand - that's the sunscreen of the sea lions. ;) Just as we were about to head back, we had a very special encounter. Two little baby seals were hiding between algae and branches. While one of them was sleeping, its sibling looked around with curiosity. Slowly and cautiously, we approached the two adorable little creatures. We had never been so close to seal pups before. From a safe distance, we discovered that the two already had microchips and a marker on their flippers. Thanks to an information sign, we learned that there hadn't been any pups in Surat Bay for 20 years. The town is very proud of the new additions. And rightly so, because the two looked lively - albeit a bit sleepy. Since we didn't want to stress the two cuties any further, we reluctantly said goodbye after taking photos.

The next morning, our journey continued. We planned to stay overnight at Curio Bay. The road took us along a section of the 610km long Southern Scenic Route, which connects the cities of Queenstown and Dunedin. On the section we used, there were beautiful viewpoints and other worthwhile stops. One of the highlights is definitely the McLean Falls. The 22m high waterfalls can be reached after a leisurely walk. But to capture them in a stunning way, some climbing is required. After a short practice, we were able to set up our tripod and start taking long exposure shots. While Tobi kept pressing the shutter release button, I explored the area a bit more. I followed a small trail that starts next to the waterfall. The path quickly became very steep. Only the trampled path gave me an idea of where to go. Suddenly, I stood before large rocks. The only way to move forward was to crawl underneath them. Without any safety measures, the adrenaline rushed through me. Because the passage under the rocks was quite narrow. But I managed it and pulled myself up using the tree roots behind them. It required utmost concentration. After stepping over the final slippery roots, I arrived at the beginning of the waterfall after this little adventure. Before plunging 22 meters down, the river flows through a beautiful green oasis. Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera with me, but I guarantee you it was breathtakingly beautiful - untouched nature with various shades of green. Carefully, I looked over the abyss and Tobi had already spotted me by now. He quickly took a few snapshots before I climbed back down the same way. On the drive, we passed a somewhat different "art gallery". A visit to the Lost Gypsy Gallery in Papatowai is an absolute must! Because the artist, Blair Somerville, has created something very special here for himself and the visitors. We started by exploring a converted caravan. It contains various "artworks" made from old recycled junk. With just a few means, an interactive museum has been created here. Lights blink, things rustle, and objects wobble everywhere. The small artworks invite you to interact with them. Some creations produce music, while others, for example, make a small locomotive run through the caravan. After spending quite some time in the free area, we happily paid the five dollar admission fee for an additional exhibition. It's truly amazing how the artist managed to create something so extraordinary from such simple materials. Moving arms that appear from behind bushes, a bicycle that brings an old television to life, and so on. In the end, we were particularly impressed by a piano. But this is no ordinary piano, of course. In a small separate section, many different bells, radios, and dolls are set up. Each key produces a different sound. Even though the result didn't harmonize musically, playing the piano was great fun.
After visiting more lookout points and taking shorter hikes, we reached Curio Bay in the late afternoon. The campground is somewhat hidden among tall coastal grasses and is the only one around for miles. That also explained the somewhat chaotic situation throughout the entire property. To use the kitchen, you had to stand in a queue. There weren't enough stovetops or seats in the way too small container. The three showers and toilets also didn't match the number of parking spaces. As it started raining in the evening and we had very little motivation to "stand in line" in the kitchen, we had reheated leftovers in the car for dinner.

The weather only improved minimally the next morning. The rain gradually stopped, but the wind speed increased significantly. We still stayed away from the kitchen, so we had our usual cereal in the car for breakfast.
You might ask why so many people visit Curio Bay in the first place? The answer is relatively simple: It's the resident Hector's dolphins. We already saw these small dolphins leaping through the waves yesterday during check-in. So after breakfast, we went straight to the nearby beach. We were greeted by a sea lion, who was comfortably lying in the sand just five meters from the beach access. We walked along the beach for a while and saw dolphins surfacing repeatedly. Some brave individuals were already swimming in the water - some in wetsuits, others in just their swimsuits. After only a few minutes, Tobi was convinced that we had to get in the water too! Although I wasn't particularly enthusiastic at first, I didn't want to miss the chance to swim with wild dolphins. So we walked back to the car and changed into our swimsuits. By now, the sun had disappeared behind a cloud cover and the wind was getting stronger and stronger. And yet, we strolled back to the beach in our swimwear. We put our towels at the edge and then headed towards the sea. We slowly walked further and further in. Large waves hit us and regularly knocked us down. In short: The water was incredibly cold. It was terrible! But all these hardships were almost "forgotten" when a dolphin swam past us. The curious marine creatures approached us again and again. They came as close as one meter to us. We felt like they would touch us at any moment. It was simply amazing to watch them swim and dive - probably more for Tobi than for me. Due to the cold and the high waves, I couldn't fully focus on the animals. We spent about 15 minutes in the water - it felt much longer, of course. But it was an indescribable feeling. Only afterwards did we fully realize how close the Hector's dolphins came to us. We didn't have to follow or swim after them because they repeatedly approached us on their own. It was particularly exciting to watch them surf on the waves. Like a surfer, they wait for the perfect wave and swim along it. New Zealand has once again fascinated us and we are still speechless.
After this animal adventure, we treated ourselves to a well-deserved warm two-dollar shower. Towards the afternoon, the wind seemed to become stronger and stronger. Therefore, exploring the surroundings was quite difficult. Nevertheless, we set off to get a complete picture of Curio Bay. We visited a coastal area where remnants of a very old forest can still be found. The wood imprints were still clearly visible on the rocks, and their age is estimated to be millions of years. We paid the dolphins another visit, this time from the shore. We settled on a hill and watched them for a while.

The Hector's dolphins can be found in the protected bay almost all year round. But only during the current season (between summer and autumn), they raise their young here.

In the evening, we went to the kitchen early enough to cook ourselves a fresh dinner. But it quickly became crowded, so we only stayed in the shed for as long as necessary.
Tomorrow, the journey continues to the next larger city.