14/02/2018 - First Impressions of the Catlins

The morning began with light drizzle and gusts of wind. We had hopes of seeing an albatross in flight, so after checking out, we headed to the Albatross Colony located at the tip of the Otago Peninsula. Our goal was the visitor terrace, where with a stroke of luck, you can catch a glimpse of one of these gigantic birds. We didn't even have time to take the camera out of the backpack when it flew directly over our heads. We were speechless... their appearance is simply magnificent. When fully grown, these birds can have a wingspan of up to three meters. We were overjoyed and couldn't believe it at first. We waited for a while, hoping to see another albatross fly by, but our first encounter turned out to be the only one. Unfortunately, we didn't get a photo, but this moment will be cherished in our memory.
After three quarters of an hour, we decided to move on. Our next stop was the "Lovers Leap Walking Track". The hike takes you through a enchanting forest, across sheep pastures, and up to a rock arch that extends over the sea. Below it, the waves crash onto a small beach. Just a few meters away, there is another platform to visit, situated right on the edge of steep cliffs. The surroundings were simply amazing: green mountains, the blue sea, and the steep cliffs. The overall picture was wonderfully harmonious. To our delight, the sun finally appeared, making the colors even more vibrant.
We then continued on the Highcliff Road back to Dunedin. Shortly before reaching the city, we passed by a war memorial. From here, there was a beautiful view of Dunedin and the estuary that connects the city to the sea. However, the wind speed had increased so much that the camera almost flew out of our hands. So we took a few photos as best we could, before descending the small hill.
The next stop was Pak'n'Save. Since we were heading to The Catlins Regional Park, we stocked up on plenty of groceries. In the next few days, we won't be passing through any major cities and therefore won't have much opportunity to buy food. Good planning was required to sensibly replenish our supplies for the next week. The shopping cart was packed to the brim - just like our car.
After a longer stay at the library, the day suddenly disappeared. Around 6:00 p.m., we headed to our final destination for the day - the campground in "Taieri Mouth". We had never arrived at a campground so late before. We quickly made ourselves some food and then took an extensive walk along the beach.
Since almost all the clouds had disappeared towards the evening, we set the alarm for 3 a.m. We wanted to take advantage of this remote location for astrophotography.

The alarm rang and we struggled to get out of the car. The sky was filled with sparkling stars. Practice makes perfect, as they say, and this time we were much better at photographing the stars. Getting up early was definitely worth it. After breakfast and a final walk on the beach, we continued our journey towards the Catlins. After about three hours, we arrived at the small sleepy town of "Kaka Point". We will be spending the next two nights at this campground.
Upon arrival, we first chilled our perishables and got a little overview of the area. Both of us were a bit exhausted from the "restless" night. Nevertheless, after dinner, we set out to visit one of the major attractions in the Catlins. The "Nugget Point Lighthouse" was reached after a 20-minute drive. On the way there, we made a quick stop at a small bay. Here, there is a chance to observe the rare yellow-eyed penguin. Although we have already seen this species twice, we wanted to take the opportunity again. This time, we were able to spot three of them. They were mostly busy drying their feathers. One of them struggled up the steep hill to its nest. What we liked about "Roaring Bay" was that visitors couldn't get too close to the penguins, but could only observe them from a small shelter (a little house with small windows). This allowed the birds to reach their nests undisturbed and be hardly bothered in their daily lives.
Upon arriving at the parking lot of the Lighthouse, we started the 20-minute hike to the lighthouse. The view was once again spectacular - from the cliffs, you could hear the baby seals calling, and in front of you, the lighthouse stood on a small hill. We explored the area at leisure. Because next to the lighthouse, there are the so-called "Nuggets". These are large rocks scattered in the water. We followed the trail all the way to the end. You reach the lighthouse and from the platform, you have a beautiful view of the Nuggets and the vast ocean. Unfortunately, we were not very lucky with the lighting conditions on this evening. We were hoping for a colorful sunset, but the clouds came in and the sky remained rather gloomy. Nevertheless, we quickly agreed that this would not be our last visit to this beautiful place.

We used the next day to play some Frisbee, write blog posts, and take a walk through Kaka Point. However, apart from a beautiful beach, the town doesn't have much to offer.
In the evening, we went to bed relatively early. Because tomorrow, we want to get up before sunrise.