Sunday 17th April 2016

Time to go fishing!

​Hello friends and family
There are no penguins here in care. The last 2 chicks are in the soft release pen, the Crested is finishing the moult by the beach and the adult YEP is back with his partner, several Kgs heavier and in a fit state to survive the winter.

A seal pup checking out a penguin house for size.

​I am still checking the beaches regularly, but have time for some autumn activities like harvesting apples and Robyn gave me some walnuts to dry for the winter. I am still making bread and cheese each week and enjoying that too! At times the kitchen looks like a bomb site.

A returned juvenile, looking fabulous!

​On Monday I had an appointment in Dunedin so took the chance to deliver some firewood to Chris and Hiltrun, and to bring back some plumbing for the planned expansion of habitat at Okahau point. We are very lucky and will get some funding from Speights in Dunedin to make new nest sites where the sheep are grazing, so it will be a busy winter.

A moulting Snares Crested penguin.

​Chris and Hiltrun came up on Friday with Chris’s brother Peter and the plumbing was successfully installed. Hiltrun and I did the monitoring rounds and some habitat maintenance and then some watering. The weather has been glorious and with only 6 mm of rain during the week, the drought continues.

A visiting NZ sealion.

There has been a number of tourists thinking that they can freedom camp here in the car park. There are plenty of notices telling them that they cannot, but when you turn up after dark, the notices are invisible. I tell them that it will cost them $200 to stay and so they move. Very tedious!
Have a great week!
​Rosalie