The Otago Pennisula is just south of Dunedin and is one of New Zealand’s most renowned ecotourism areas.

Our first stop on the Pennisula was to visit Larnarch Castle, the gorgeous home built by a wealthy merchant and politician in 1871. It was interesting to walk through the various gardens surrounding the castle.

Next we drove to Sandfly Bay, a very pretty bay where we saw many sea lions. They were not at all afraid of people. Sea lions prefer sandy shores for sleeping, unlike the fur seals which sleep on rocks.

We checked into our campground in the village of Portobello. We chose to go on our tours late in the day so as to see more wildlife, and it was an excellent decision.

First we took an hour cruise around Taiaroa Head at the end of the Pennisula. We saw fur seals, another sea lion, a group of dusky dolphins, a rare crested penguin, lots of birds, but most importantly, we saw the only northern royal albatross colony in the world close to human habitation. The birds were nesting. We watched many of them circle overhead; what huge magnificent birds. The naturalist said that when the fledged chicks leave their nest, they go to sea for five years before returning to land at the same spot.

Our final tour of the day was to Penguin Place, a unique conservation effort for the yellow-eyed penguins. The other day we saw them from far away. Tonight we walked through a clever system of trenches and hides and saw nesting penguins up close. We even saw a Daddy yellow-eyed penguin feeding and caring for his chick in the nest while Mom was out at sea. We also saw a little blue penguin and seals at the sanctuary.