Birds and a castle

Last night it started to rain and didn’t stop all night! Fortunately it managed to stop by the time we awoke at 9.30am and there is a glimmer of sunshine out there...yipeee!! We are heading up to the Otago Peninsula today which is a haven for wildlife. We head to Taiaroa Head which is the home to the Royal Albatross. It is the only place on the mainland where they nest. We head up to the hide and get to see 4 birds sitting on their nests, unfortunately we don’t get to see any flying in to swap with their partners which is a shame as they have a 3m wingspan. We do see a Little Owl which is quite a rare thing to see which is a bonus. We take a look down over the cliffs and see more sea lions playing around the rocks.

We then head up to Lanarch Castle which is the only one in NZ and set high up on the peninsula. The views from the castle are amazing and the castle itself has been carefully restored by the owners, who also live there and the gardens have also been renovated and look great.