Seabirds galore on an Albatross Encounter Tour

A morning Albatross Encounter tour awaited and I eagerly met up with skipper Gary to head out on the hunt for the mightiest sea bird of them all. Our boat was small and open-sided which meant a perfect view was to be had on this gloriously sunny day. Gary explained that one of the best starting points was to seek out the local fishing boats as sea birds naturally pursue these chaps hoping for some of their scraps. It didn’t take very long to spot some activity up ahead and our little boat surfed and jumped the pacific waves rapidly to reach it. Almost immediately we began being circled by some rare and exciting sea birds – Mollymawks, Westland Petrels (who I personally thought had handsome faces), and boisterous Northern Giant Petrels who happily scrapped with each other right by our boat as they fought over the chunk of ham Gary had tossed into the ocean. After a short while and a lot of happy photo snaps later we headed off again. This time Gary told us we were going further out to sea all the way to the edge of the Kaikoura Canyon. As the engine stopped and we bobbed and swayed about it was mentioned that the sea floor beneath us was at least 1km deep! Our eyes were thankfully more focused on what was happening overhead. We all silently waited as more and more birds began to appear. Gary pointed several specific ones out for our attention – the Hutton’s Shearwater and Buller’s Shearwater, a Wandering Gibson’s Albatross and a New Zealand White-Capped Albatross. An awesome spectacle was on display but the show stopper and the bird we all instantly recognized with a collective gasp was the Southern Royal Albatross. It soared across in front of the boat, a very close distance above our heads! For a bird with such a large wingspan (about three metres) it was wondrously graceful. It felt awfully surreal drifting about out on the ocean with the only noise being a raucous squeal or flap of oversized wings. Gary informed us that many of the Albatross we were seeing nest down in the Campbell Islands, 700km south of New Zealand’s South Island. Several of these Albatross have been tracked using satellite transmitters which have showed them capable of travelling up to 1,000km per day!!  Despite observing all these astounding over-sized seabirds my own personal favourite was the little Fluttering Shearwater – a tiny guy by comparison. They fly just above the water with a series of rapid wing beats – hence their endearing name.

Spend the night on a lavender farm complete with outdoor bathroom

Just north of Kaikoura is Lavendyl Farm dreamily situated beneath the lofty peaks of the Kaikoura Mountain Range. A stroll around the farms gardens introduced me to so many different variations of lavender that personally I had no idea existed. My accommodation for the night was at one of their two on-site petite cottages. This allowed me to wander the lavender gardens on my own after all other visitors had departed which was a real pleasure. A delight also was the private outdoor bath and shower I had at my cottage. My very considerate host had kindly left me a bottle of lavender oil and it was a delicious luxury to soak in the peaceful outdoor tub surrounded only by birdsong and bush. The following morning, I woke to find some freshly made bread wrapped up and left by the cottage door, gratefully received as I had another early start.

Swimming with the fur seals, in Kaikoura

Seal Swim Kaikoura afforded me the fantastic opportunity of mixing it up with the playful New Zealand fur seals. First though I needed to get dressed and geared-up for such an occasion, so I headed into the changing rooms at the back of their office in Kaikoura’s main street.  Decked out in a snug fitting buoyant wet suit complete with snorkel and mask I was all set to trickily wade my way over to the distinctive yellow Seal Swim Bus. During our short journey our enthusiastic crew told us all about the seals and how the location chosen to swim in changed daily dependent on the clarity of the water and playfulness of the seals. I was reminded that any interaction was at their discretion and it was crucial to remember that this was a wild encounter. Luckily New Zealand fur seals are a naturally curious bunch and as we approached in the Seal Swim yellow zodiac boat – yes there is a lot of yellow going on - the younger pups were soon inquisitive, peering down at us eager to discover what these odd things were! Impatient to get in the water I donned my face mask, set up my snorkel and gently guided myself over the edge of the boat. The sea water instantly felt on the cold side – it was the Pacific Ocean after all – and the waves a little choppy, but this soon mattered not one iota as I began to see movement around me in the water. Clambering about on solid ground they were a clumsy bunch, but in the water, it was a different matter entirely as they twisted, turned, spun and weaved, gliding through the water uninhibited. All the time I got the impression though that they were still being mischievously inquisitive.  I kicked against the tide putting my head down just in time to see a seal swim right up to my mask and peer direct at me. For a few precious seconds I literally was nose to nose with a fur seal! I struggled to think of an adequate word to help describe this amazing close-up encounter – perhaps honoured.

Spotting whales over Kaikoura

‘This whale is going to dive any second now, have your cameras at the ready’ our Pilot, Edward, shouted back from the cockpit of the small aircraft as we flew repeated circles around a magnificent sperm whale clearly visible just metres below in the clear teal waters of the Kaikoura sea. The ‘Wings Over Whales’ plane was set up perfectly to give every one of us seven passengers a perfect close-up view of any activity happening below. Sperm whales are resident all year round in Kaikoura as they feed off the ample quantities of squid that are present in the deep depths of the Kaikoura Canyon - a colossal underwater mountain range which begins just a short distance out from the shore line.

My experience began with a presentation about Kaikoura and the sperm whales followed by a concise but thorough safety briefing. Every flight appears to be timed to try to coincide with when they understand a whale may breach the surface – as each whale only spends roughly about ten minutes taking in air before descending vertically deep down into the dark depths below. The take-off along the grass runway was an experience in itself - before I even began to take in the majestic view out over the coastline.  It was the whales though that I really wanted to see, and I soon felt a rush of excitement throughout the plane as one was suddenly sighted. At up to eighteen metres in length these are true giants of the sea. From the air I was able to fully appreciate their substantial size and scale, from head to tail literally!

After experiencing such a buzz from the air, I figured that now I needed to get out in the water itself to encounter on a closer basis some of this area’s incredible marine life. You see the resident sperm whales are just the start, also present are huge pods of dusky dolphins, large breeding colonies of New Zealand Fur Seals and a staggering array of rare and unique seabirds.

Otago Peninsula, Pilots Beach, Little Blue Penguins coming home

The staff at the Royal Albatross Centre recommended I return that evening for a rather special homecoming. Each night at dusk huge numbers of Korora or Little Penguins arrive back at Pilots Beach just beneath Taiaroa Head on the Otago Peninsula. A purpose-built boardwalk allows visitors to experience the noisy and calamitous arrival without distressing or disrupting the penguins. Just as darkness appears to consume the shoreline the penguins begin to congregate into what is known as a raft to make a collective group return to dry land. As I waited silently I spotted dark shapes moving swiftly across the water as the rafts began to reach the shoreline. Loud squawks emerged out from the darkness. Then small dark silver specks started to tumble onto the beach, belly flopping ashore and then clumsily climbing up onto their flippered feet. And so, the penguin march began. It started with a few and then gradually these curious and cute little guys were all around us, scrambling over the rocky beach, meandering along well-worn penguin pathways to the grassy headlands above. Excited yelps cut through the night as penguins were reunited. Some paused for a while directly under my feet on the boardwalk. Others comically shuffled up a pathway to return shortly afterwards obviously having taken a wrong turn in their eagerness to arrive home. I checked with my guide who elatedly told me that over one hundred and fifty had returned that night, a thrilling result as numbers continue to increase following the protective measures put in place.

Taiaroa Head, Otago Peninsula, the only place on land to spot Albatross

A short way along the picturesque coastline from The Penguin Place is Taiaroa Head. Home to the world’s only mainland breeding colony for the Northern Royal Albatross. With wingspans of up to 3 metres the albatross are truly the giants of the seabird world. The first observatory opened here in 1967 and visitors now flock from far and wide for the privilege of seeing this mighty bird. I joined one of the guided tours at the Royal Albatross Centre to take a walk up to the glassed observation viewing area. Three nests where within sight and with the help of binoculars I peered across to the distinctive looking fluffy white albatross chick waiting for its parents return. A larger albatross hovered over another nest – I initially thought to protect the chick but was corrected by my guide who advised that this was instead a mischievous juvenile intent on bullying the youngsters whilst their parents were absent. The centre set up a successful Royal cam a couple of years ago on the headland. I was told that people worldwide have tuned in to discover the tenacious plight, adventure and achievement of the little albatross chick. Last year’s chick was named Tumanako and it fledged in September. After spending the next few years out at sea tracking across the Southern Hemisphere it is hoped Tumanako returns to raise a family of its own. I suspect thousands will be eager to hear news.

Face to face with the worlds rarest penguins - Penguin Place Otago Peninsula

Under our watchful gaze Todd shuffled awkwardly up the rugged hillside. Exhausted after a long day fishing out at sea, he had already conquered the lengthy walk across the wide windswept beach. He now faced a scrambled climb through bushland to his nest and hopefully a peaceful evening ahead. He stopped frequently to peer all around him to anxiously check for any potential predator. He appeared quite unaware of our small group a short distance away absorbed by his presence and keenly watching his every move. Our guides were great, constantly checking on Todd’s welfare and urging everyone to respectful silence. We were hurriedly moved along if any disturbance was observed for Todd is a very special little guy. He is one of a frightening low number (and sadly dwindling) of Yellow-eyed Penguins or Hoiho that still exist in New Zealand. Found only on the Eastern Coastline of the South Island these adorable little chaps with their distinctive yellow eye bands are the rarest penguin type in the world.  The Penguin Place at Otago Peninsula is an inspirational spot. They are open to the public for tours which take place usually as the penguins return home for the day which is a few hours before dusk. They help to promote the plight of these endangered little birds with all proceeds from the tours being put towards further research and ongoing penguin care.

The tour is an adventure in itself! I followed my guide through an underground network of camouflaged tunnels which have been elaborately and carefully built to reach deep into the heart of the penguin colony. An ingenious way of enabling people to get close to the penguins without causing them too much disturbance. I followed my guide Julia on a rapid march through the tunnels to the nest of Maggie, the only current resident female who was sat proudly guarding her nest. Maggie is quite a character. She previously ignored bachelor Rodd’s persistent courting ritual, to remain with long time partner Jim – who at 24 is the colonies oldest surviving penguin. However, this season Maggie has jilted Jim in favour of a younger intruder. Matai is from the neighbouring Catlin’s region and has invaded the Otago colony and stolen the girl! Such is the soap opera world of the Yellow-eyed Penguin!



Bay of Islands paradise, dolphins and Captain Cook

The Bay of Islands premier holiday spot Paihia is an appealing place with three gorgeous sandy beaches, attractive waterfront accommodation, lively bars and restaurants. It is also the starting point for a vast array of water activities.  With over 144 islands scattered throughout the Bay of Islands not getting out on the water would seem rather criminal. With this in mind I joined one of the popular ‘Hole in the Rock’ cruises which I was told was a must do. As I peered over the front railings of the boat and did my very best titanic impression I was fortunate to spot several little penguins and even a hammerhead shark. These crystal clear turquoise waters teemed with marine life. Being at the front of the boat also had its advantages when we cruised out to Piercy Island and its famous ‘hole’. If the conditions are right the boat ventures right through the very middle of the hole and out to the Pacific Ocean beyond - a surreal experience. Sailing out around the islands we were told some fascinating stories. Robertson Island was where Captain Cook had anchored the Endeavour. My personal highlight was Black Rocks where only the tops are visible from the lava flow left behind about 1.2million years ago. The rocks are actually sheer cliffs which drop down to the sea floor as far as thirty metres below, quite incredible.  The climax of the trip for everyone though was the spotting of several fins surfing through the water as a pod of bottle nosed dolphins raced towards our boat.  They apparently frequent the bay and are spotted regularly. They love to frolic around and swim with the boats and were grandly applauded as they put on quite an acrobatic show.