Dunedin
The day was fine and calm when we berthed early in the morning at Dunedin’s wharf. This was the first city on our voyage and many of our guests welcomed the opportunity to reach ‘civilisation.’ Dunedin, befitting its historical heritage has many classic Victorian and Edwardian era buildings that have survived in its central business districts and a plethora of stately homes and perusing these, along with an eye-catching visit to the Baldwin Street, the world’s steepest street, situated in the suburb of North East Valley formed the highlights of the city bus trip which occupied the first hour of our visit.
The excursions thence were two-fold. One group was taken on to Otago Peninsula for a wildlife treat, visiting first the home of New Zealand’s endemic yellow-eyed penguin, which live on the peninsula’s seaward side and on scattered shores to the south and north of the city. From the hides guests revelled in the sight of viewing both adult birds and six-to-eight week old chicks within six-to-ten feet basking in the sunshine on their nests. A splendid bonus was a sighting of two rare Hookers sea lions on the beach below the penguins.
The group then travelled to the peninsula trust’s information centre close to the home of the northern royal albatross where one of their professional guides lectured on the history of the colony. Afterwards guests moved to the viewing hide where one bird sitting on as nest was within 20 feet.
The second group went to Dunedin historic railway station designed by architect George Troup, built in 1905-06 and lovingly restored to its former majesty in recent years. They boarded the Taieri Gorge historic train, which winds its way through hills and up a spectacular gorge alongside the Taieri River that is dwarfed by spectacular cliffs and rocky outcrops. One wildlife highlight was the sighting of a rare New Zealand falcon, New Zealand’s only endemic bird of prey, a feisty character, which swoops with rapid wing movements towards its prey — other birds in flight. The four-hour trip to Pukerangi and return encompassed a collection of other observation treats as I explained to guests the importance of broom and gorse, prolifically sited during this trip — and brought originally from Great Britain in an unsuccessful attempt to make hedgerows — in helping to re-establish our native flora. From here, mid-afternoon we sailed north observing albatross and other seabirds on land and sea.
