How long to Kakapoint?

As charming as I find the small towns in New Zealand, I sometimes have the impression that a small moment of consideration in the choice of names might have been a good idea. Just to name a few classics from my top 10 list: Tuttukaka, Kakapoint and the popular town "Herbert". There is nothing wrong with the first name "Herbert". However, I would feel a bit strange if someone asks me where I live and I answer, "I live in Herbert". Well, I'm getting off track..

So penguins.. That was at least the plan. As it turned out, the little tuxedo-wearers are not waiting on the beach for tourists to gawk at them. It seems to be pure luck to see one in the wild. The everyday life of penguins mainly consists of getting up early and searching for food. (Envy!) Unfortunately, we didn't manage to catch the approximate 8 minutes when the guys and gals waddle from the beach into the sea.

So we had to change our plan. We decided to book a little tour. The whole thing was organized by the company "Monarch". The tour included a short boat trip of about 1 hour and a guided tour of a penguin reserve of about 1.5 hours. At the end of the tour, we not only arrived at our goal of seeing penguins, but we were also made aware of the super nice albatross by a very friendly crew on the boat. A truly impressive bird, which is native to the coasts of New Zealand. I'm certainly not a hobby ornithologist, but it was impressive.

On our further journey, we passed through the Otago region. There we made a stop at Nugget Point. No, we're not talking about the nearest McDonald's. The nuggets are not the deep-fried chicken nuggets from the Happy Meal, but a really worth seeing rock formation in the sea. From a beautifully arranged viewpoint, you have an incredible view of the coast. As always, I have attached some pictures.

One point that can be skipped on a trip to New Zealand (at least in our opinion) is the southernmost point of the South Island. The so-called "Bluff". The name suits it perfectly.. A small, totally overcrowded parking lot, a ridiculously small "viewing platform" and a very limited view. We used the stop to have lunch and then made our way to Invercargill. Here we had a nice evening in the local Irish pub.

Today we are on our way to the north of the South Island. On the 17th of January, we will take the ferry back to the North Island.

Unfortunately, due to poor internet conditions, I am not able to upload the pictures. I will do that tomorrow.