Catlins – Day 2 – (more) Yellow eyed penguins

Stayed the night at Purakanui bay..

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Very nice spot with some Rata growing down by the beach. It was definitely a popular place to stay… but in the off season I bet you’d have the place to yourself.

After that it was on to visit the Gypsy Caravan at Papatowai. That place is a must see I reckon if you’re in the area. The guy has made a whole lot of automata (I really should have brought my video camera…). Really very cool and maybe, when I’m all growned up I’ll have to tinker a bit.

Next it was onto Curio bay where we stayed the night for Christmas Eve. Twas a lovely spot. I was slightly disappointed by the petrified forest…

I mean… it’s a stone log. Sure it’s a hundred million billion years old (well, Jurassic period but.. they’re hardly a “forest” now are they. I was expecting giant trees made out of stone. Admittedly that was a daft thing to hope for, but it’s the truth.

Penguins made up for it (again! hurrah for penguins)

Then a lovely eve at a simply beautiful campsite looking out over the Southern Ocean towards our friend Amy who’s in Antarctica. Well worth a look at her blog.