Dunedin's Otago Penisula

8/7 Otago Penisula



Today was pretty special. I got to catch a tour that took us all through the Otago Penisula, the home to giant albatrosses, tiny penguins, and well, medium-sized seals.

A nice lie-in then some homemade clam chowder and another of my now near-daily favorite cappucinos, and then I met up with the group at 12:30. Again, while cold, travelling in the off-season has its advantages, as there were only 10 of us in a bus normally packing 30-40. As the Brits would say... result!

For being so close to Dunedin, the penisula is remarkably rural... with the rolling hillsides and small farms, I immediately thought of Northern California's Marin or Sonoma county.

Our first stop was the protected breeding grounds of the Royal Albatross, one of the largest birds in the world. It's a shame the pics can't really capture the scale – but suffice it to say that it's full wingspan is about twice the width of a person's arms spread wide. Kee-razy.




They even had life-sized mockups... even the smallest bird was about 15 pounds, and the largest, up to 25-30.



Unfortunately there weren't any adults flying about, but we did get to see one of the adolescents from a hide. Even that one was massive, and it kept stretching its wings to build up strength for its first flight. The funny thing about these birds – they're rather like planes launching from an aircraft carrier. Both need a lot of wind rushing over their wings to get up and airborne.

The museum also covered the other birds of the area - especially the world's 2nd best named bird:



...beaten out only by England's Great Tit. :)

Next we got to take some winding country lanes to a farm on the coast, which gave us access to a sea lion colony. Gorgeous from the outset – what looked like there an initial 20-30 animals, turned into 100+. Their camouflage is deceptively good and you only really noticed once they moved.



The good news is that this colony has recovered really well from near extinction in the 1800's – and is growing rapidly... a nice change from the albatross who are only slowly making a comeback.

Our last wildlife stop was the quirkiest, taking in some yellow-tailed penguins. The tour company has this trip down to a science, and we get down to the beach just as the penguins are coming back out of the water to roost in the shore.

Initially, we didn't see any, besides footprints from the previous day:



...but as we got settled into another hide, we got to see a bunch of them up on the grassy slopes, plus a few intrepid groups as they waddled out of the surf. It's a nervous time – as sea lions or other predators can try to grab them, so they go in groups. Not out of a sense of brotherhood mind you – nope, it basically gives each of them a greater chance that the predators will go for the OTHER guys.





The penguins are really cute – and got to within 15 feet of our hide...



As we walked back along the beach, we got to see some other sea lions at super close range:



… then a last mating pair of penguins decided to waddle right up our trail to bed down for the night. We took a separate trail to not spook them but got to watch from super close range as they settled in.



We caught the sunset, and then it was time to roll back to Dunedin. A beer at a pub and a bus ride home for some homemade curry at Dave and Drea's, and hm... what else besides Settlers?

D-d-d-d-Dunedin (Vurra cold, laddie!)

August 4/5/6 – D-d-d-d-Dunedin (Vurra cold, laddie!)

Dave had warned me, Lonely Planet warned me...I knew what to expect, yet when I landed to be introduced to the southernmost major NZ city of Dunedin, I was still surprised to find out – it's COLD.



You have to love the Scots – when they endured the 6 month sailing voyage to NZ to found a new city (Dunedin is taken from the name “Edinburgh”, they immediately moved nearly as close to Antartica as they could find. I guess it would remind them of home... but it's notoriously cold, especially since most of the houses were based on Australian models, and with high ceilings, thin walls, and no insulation, were designed to disipate whatever heat they do get. Brr.

But – besides that, Dunedin would prove to be an awesome place to be based on my 2nd trip to NZ.

The flight over just served to highlight how beautiful a country it is, as we flew over the Southern Alps, covered in snow and splitting the South Island in two. I finally got to indulge my geeky side, and saw the new Star Trek movie (awesome – now that they retired the first set of actors to comic book conventions).

Dave met in the airport – and it was pretty funny, to not see your best friend for over a year, then meet him in a far-off corner of the world like it was nothing. And, just like all good friendships, it was no time at all 'til I was calling him 'jackass' and he would retaliate with the odd 'buster' or two. Good times.

The first night was a bit of a blur – Dave and I went to cool cocktail bar, then some tasty Thai food, before getting in a long overdue round of ultimate frisbee, indoors this time with some funky new rules (end zone was the key of the basketball court). Great running around, but wow I ended up with some truly stellar blisters.

Once we rolled back to their place, it was dinner and a chat.I was pretty tired from the early start. But, to set the stage for the rest of my stay here, Dave and Drea introduced me to Settlers of Catan – a super fun, and yes, oh-so-geeky board game that we would end playing most nights.



The other big news was Dave and Drea's upcoming wedding (woohoo!), and the difficulties of planning on short notice from 10,000 miles away. Ouch.

I faded pretty quickly and was introduced to another new experience... staying warm in Dunedin is an art, not a science. The method I eventually arrived at included: 7 thick blankets/comforters, thermal underwear, a woolly hat, and a hot water bottle. That all sufficed – barely. Like I said, brr!

The next two days in Dunedin were spent mostly exploring the city. It's a great little city – about 125,000, and built around a steep valley. The funny part – the actual design for the city was done back in Scotland, without actually seeing the terrain. A minor oversight.

The end result is that Dunedin is a city of streets that climb straight up the surrounding hills – no curve, switchbacks or anything so pedestrian. The other fact – it's home to the “World's Steepest Street”... something that as someone who's lived in SF, it's a bit hard to accept:



My first day was spent mostly around the Octagon – the central plaza of the city. A leisurely walk from Dave and Drea's wound me through the Botanical Gardens:




...and the University, where I, ah, refortified with a great cappucino and an even better muffin, simply oozing with chocolate/raspberry gooey goodness.



The cold must have been the deciding factor as I checked out the local MacPak, and scored a super comfy and warm merino jacket, for only 60 quid. Score!

The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering, after a great lamb burger and skinny fries at what would become my favorite nosh spot – Velvet Burger. Yum.



The Kiwis and the Welsh have a running controversy over who has the unhealthiest fascination with their sheep:



A tasty homemade curry and yet more Settlers of Catan, then it was time to burrow under covers to stay warm through the night!

Day two was more of the same – more checking out Dunedin.

Not to sound like a broken record, but you know it's cold when Dave tells you as he's walking out the door for work in the morning... “hey, you might as well get up; it's warmer outside than in the house.” Uh, that kinda sorta defeats a main purpose for living in a house?

After lining up all my hostels, and travel logistics for the rest of my stay, I ended up back downtown checking out the very respectable art museum – showing a modern Iran/Russian exhibition. Strange but interesting stuff.

Then, it was time to head over to Dave's work – quite possibly the best sited engineering firm in the world, as they are literally right across the street from Speight's Brewery, who makes some seriously tasty beers. Heck, their building even has a covered bridge to keep them warm as they head over for a pint or three.



Dinner tonight was at Pluto's – an upscale seafood restaurant down by the port. Dave and Drea love this place, and it was instantly clear why. A damn good pinot noir, followed by paua (abalone) fritters and kelp/herb crusted monkfish for me – I was purring. Dave's salmon simply melted in the mouth, and Drea's pears on blue cheese in pasty was an offbeat combo, yet the best of the bunch!

Completely stuffed – we had enough in us for one more round of Settlers then bed... Drea is very attached to Coco, her favorite chicken, who gets tucked in as well in her little nook in the family room :)

Back to Sydney - End of My Lucky Logistics Streak

8/1 to 8/3:  Return to Sydney…


 
Well, in craps or in travel, all lucky streaks must eventually come to an end… after 3 months of travelling amazingly 99% hassle-free through Africa and Asia, I had my first cancelled flight - in Australia of all places.
 
It was a bit of a bummer since I showed up to the airport for a noon flight, expecting to get into Sydney by 2.  The airline passenger's classic favorite - “mechanical troubles” popped up, so we got an unexpected not-so scenic bus journey back to Brisbane, along with (due to the mixed audience) two child appropriate movies… the entirely forgettable Fluke and an even more forgettable one I can’t recall. ;)
 
The long and short – I got into Sydney around 9, and amazingly had a dorm room at the YHA all to myself, which kinda/sorta made up for the bad travel karma of the morning.

But, the next day made up for it...

…for my last two days in Oz, instead of trying to frantically squeeze in as much as possible, I decided to just lay low, and keep exploring Sydney. A bit after the fact, I’m still mentally patting myself on the back, for it turned to be the perfect decision.

To kick things off, I ended up catching a bus into Bondi Beach, yet another amazing beach community that are seemingly dotted everywhere around Sydney. My friend Becky had moved there from Manly Beach while I was gone, and as she was coming back from a weekend away, I got to occupy myself until the early evening.

Dropping my big rucksack at a friendly local hostel, I immediately had to sort out breakfast. Cosmopolitan Sydney lived up to its reputation, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Bondi had a Spanish café that specialized in the classic churros and hot chocolate. I’m not talking Swiss Miss cocoa here… this was thick, dark, and rich; it’s rather like drinking a gourmet chocolate bar.What a perfect way to start the day!

By now feeling the immense post cocoa sugar buzz, I set out on my hike from Bondi to Coogee Beach – another of Sydney's famous walks.



Winding along the coast, it's a great way to see so much of the beach vibe that gives the city its character. Surfers, bodyboarders, and even open-water swimmers – there are so many ways to stay fit...




The trail was 6km in all, and wound up and around the various craggy bluff. With hundreds of other folks out enjoying the clear Sunday weather, it was a great way to enjoy the day. I even got to watch a bit of youth rugby – complete with proud parents cheering them on...



A highlight was what has to be one of the prettiest cemeteries I've ever seen –
nestled on a seaside slope with a 180 degree view of the coast... the great and not-so great of Sydney have buried here since the founding of the city.





The rest of the trail took me through a succession of beaches and semi-calm coves – beach volleyball was pretty popular, or just watching bodyboarders try to catch that next wave:



Frisbee geek that I am, with all of the flat beach sand, I couldn't help but think that this would be an amazing place for beach ultimate...

Once I got to Coagee, lunch was a pretty good burger and an even better microbrew beer, then some homemade gelato as I wandered around the beach town. My allergies were acting up for some reason, so I caught a bus to Bondi.

At least, that was the plan. It turned out that I took the wrong bus and ended up about 2 miles away – right next to a spiffy new mall. Malls aren't my favorite thing – but I wandered around a bit. One thing is absolutely clear – books are really really expensive in Oz! Take your average Grisham paperback... $8 in the US.

In Oz? Try $25-30 AUS ($18-23 US)! Insane.

I was running dangerously low on books, so I was able to find a discount Clancy for a few bucks; then it was a meandering walk back down the hill towards Bondi Beach. They have some great cafes and restaurants dotting the back streets – and to kill time 'til Becky got back, I ended up taking a nap on the beach...

Becky landed another amazing flat – from overlooking Manly Beach, this time her studio had a stellar view of Bondi Beach...



Some pizza, beers, and the odd whisky with Becky and her friend Deke, which led to competitive board games until the early hours. I at least didn't have to work the next day... ;)

I had a windowside nook to sleep to the sound of the waves – and crashed immediately... full, slightly buzzed, and very, very content.

My last day in Sydney was pretty relaxed – rather than a quick trip out to the Blue Mountains for the day, I just couldn't get fired up. So instead, it was another day chilling out in Bondi...not the worst thing to have to do...

A great brunch breakfast with a meal of homemade cheese/egg goodness, then it was a long overdue haircut at a gruff Greek's barber shop. And besides chilling on the beach, and lunch, that was about it :)

Good day.

Becky continued to raise the bar as the “hostess with the mostest”, after moving just so that I could experience living in two amazing beach communities. She picked out a great pizza restaurant and bar that let me sample emu, crocodile, and kangaroo as toppings on yummy gourmet pizzas. Several beers and a good chat with some other ex-pats, then it was a rooftop bar with the two of us and her friend Chris:



Um, there just might have been a few rounds of whisky at this point – but fortunately the almighty hangover gods were merciful, and I was able to get up at 6 the following morning for my flight to Dunedin!

Fraser Island & a 75 Mile Beach Highway

7/31: Fraser Island, Day 2 -



The second day in the Cool Dingo tour was even better – seeing us really get out and about exploring the island.
 
We headed off to go exploring the deep interior, which meant we had an hour and a half of seriously bouncy road to endure (thank YOU Dramamine!):


 
… but it was all good fun, including a unique black water pool that has a bit of tar content.  True, that does sound rather, well, icky – but the plus side is that it lends itself to stunning reflections.  When the water is still, you really can’t tell which side of the picture is real or a mirror image…
 
 

After cruising on, we got to see an overlook on the eastern side of the island, which made it very clear how the island was formed.  Big sand dunes are pushed in from the constant south-eastern winds, and pile up inland.  Over millions of years this added up until Fraser Island is the massive place it is today…
 
From the heights, it was time to head down to the beach and another special feature of Fraser.  The beaches are wide and flat, and serve as the 75 mile long expressway for the island.  It’s a very very odd sight to be cruising at 60km/h among a stream of cars and buses going all over the place.  This lends itself to odd traffic rules too – there are no lanes, instead each oncoming car signals as it approaches so the other driver knows which direction it’s going to pass.


 
… and then there’s the planes, using the beach as a cheap airfield…


 
Funny stuff.  We were fortunate as well, in that we came across a female dingo just checking out the scene… dingos are descendants of domestic dogs of the first colonists, and they’ve made their home quite well in Fraser.
 

 
We got out to check out a 1930’s shipwreck of the Maheno, that has served as a bombing target and now as a bird sanctuary:
 



 
… then it was off to a beautiful peninsula called Indian Head.  After a 20 minute hike up, you could see forever straight up and down 75 Mile Beach, accompanied by sea eagles gently coasting on the swirling wind currents, and BIG sting rays floating in the surf.
 
Lunch was a bit further on, and then it was time for a last stop – the Champagne Pools, a series of shallow wave fed pool protected (mostly) from the crashing surf.  It was a bit odd to swim around the rocks, knowing that the waves were just yards away, but we got used to it…



 
Phew… almost there – the rest of the trip was spent heading back, although we did squeeze in a creek walk up 500 meters of a tree covered stream.  Yup, you guessed it – crystal clear waters again… so refreshing, and since the current was fairly strong, so we could even coast/float like ungainly albino crocodiles back down the beach.
 
A bit of disc on the sand, then it was time to say farewell to the wilder bits of Fraser.  A rather bouncy trip back, and we made it just in time for a sunset and a beer on the beach:

 

 
… then it was a quick dinner, and a ferry trip back to Hervey Bay for some much-anticipated sleep!

Fraser Island: Driving with the Dingoes

7/30 - Fraser Island and the Cool Dingo Tour: 



Well over halfway through my trip, and I’ve come to realize something fairly obvious - Australia seems to have cornered the market on a huge portion of the weird and unusual plants and animals of the world.  Pouch-equipped mammals like the kangaroo?  Check.  A wide range of generally poisonous and unpleasant spiders, snakes, and jellyfish?  Sure.  And of course, there’s the world’s largest rock near Alice Springs, that’s probably bigger than Monaco! So, that brings us to Fraser Island – which kilometer for kilometer boasts some of the most diversity in the world. 

It all comes down to sand.
 
Fraser Island is basically a huge sand dune, over 2,000 sq. km worth, off the coast of Australia.   Now, my first thought was that it was going to be a desert, almost like a classic castaway story.
 
What a surprise to find that it’s actually an amazingly diverse jungle – with plants and animals all specifically adapted to the climate… even the humans have had to adapt – as paved roads are pretty much non-existent, and instead you have the fun choice of driving on either a) really deep, dry, and tricky sand or b) really wet, slippery, and tricky sand.  Which prompted the invention of tour buses like this:
 


…able to drive all over.  Planes have the same difficulty… and pilots get to try this sort of thing on the beach:
 

 
‘kay, that’s enough background… I arrived on the island in the morning, and joined the rest of our Cool Dingoes tour group, led by our truly knowledgeable guide Chris.  Again, the benefits of travelling in the low season continue to add up – we had a bare 12 people in a bus built for 40, which made everything easier.  Heck, even just getting on/off the bus was about 5 minutes faster each time!
 
Our first stop was the stunning Lake McKenzie – one of many freshwater lakes in the middle of the island.  You often hear travel writers rhapsodize over ‘crystal clear water’ at a beach or river somewhere, but this one put them to shame.  It was so clear that as you dove underwater in the shallows, you could see the bottom seemingly dropping into the dark abyss a hundred meters away… just stunning.
 
… but cold too!  Swims were very brief, and we chilled out on the beach trying to warm up again:
 

 


The rest of the afternoon was spent with a couple of hikes to another lake (protected, so no swimming, alas) and among the trees, which were a great hodgepodge of massive gum trees or other, well, big trees whose names I can't recall:
 



 
It turns out that the island had been heavily logged since the 20’s, happily chopping down 400 year+ trees.  The protectionist movement was only able to get a response from the nation when they took a picture of 27 children sitting on just one stump of a monster tree – the message being that “hey, our kids won’t be able to see these trees unless we act”…
 
As we headed back to our bus, we got to stop and drink from another (again) crystal stream, checking out some freshwater eels, and the massive ferns that are essentially unchanged in form for the last 300 million years.
 
Enough of the nature stuff – rolling back into the fenced off resort area (to protect from dingo incursions), it was time to washup, change, and grab some dinner. 
 
Except for one wee problem… our luggage had been shipped back to the mainland, and wouldn’t be back for another few hours.  Chris was a star, and he got us free beers as a make-good and apology.  And, like so many things, cold beers ARE an astonishingly effective customer service tool – we were all very happy… so much so in fact, that I got the group playing the “Bawk” and a few other party games.  A very good time ‘twas had by all – seeing everyone clucking like chickens is a surefire way to break the ice.