January 20 – Ashore in Port Chalmers and Dunedin New Zealand

We finally had great weather yesterday and we able to enjoy a lovely view of Outaga Harbor and later headed into the town of Dunedin.

But before we left the ship we were treated to an early morning sight as we moved through the large harbor to our dock.

I had booked an excursion separate from Holland America and it turned out to be a very good way to see unusual birds and ‘ducks’ and even little penguins as well as some seals and a sea lion. The tour included excellent binoculars so we actually see the small floating birds from a distance. However we didn’t get any bird photos, but see if you can find the seals among the old lava rocks.

One of the main goals was to see Albatross which are often seen flying from the mountain next to the opening of the harbor. Our guide did her best to circle around and wait for one to come off the cliff, but it wasn’t very windy and that’s what they usually wait for before taking off. (They soar and glide, versus flapping wings and head out in the ocean and hunt for days before returning).

Fortunately, just as we were reentering the harbor she spotted one so we did see it for a little while before it disappeared out to sea, flying low.

After walking back to the boat we paid for a shuttle to take us to Dunedin where we enjoyed lunch, walking around town and exploring the Dunedin Settlers Museum. The museum covers all settlers including various indigenous people including the Maori and European settlers from various times. It was large, interesting and free!

Back at the boat we enjoyed dinner with new “friends” – we now go to the sit-down diner and ask to be seated with others. It’s a good way to meet people and learn from their travels.