Waiting for Penguins

I didn’t travel today, I set my sights on tow things that were close to me. One was the Nugget Point Lighthouse, and the other was Yellow-Eyed Penguins at Roaring Bay. Both required a bit of patience, and only one was successful. There were plenty of clouds today. Mostly of the rainstorm variety. Only occasional bits of blue sky was occasionally exposed. On my first foray out to the Lighthouse at Nugget Point, I timed it wrong and arrived out there just about the same time as a rain cloud. So I beat feet back to the motorhome and waited out the rain showers. Then just as the showers were ending, I could see a blue spot heading my way, so I hiked out again and caught it just right. I even managed to get a rainbow over the sea at the very end when the next thunderclouds were arriving and made it back to the motorhome just ahead of a hail storm.

I wasn’t quite so lucky with the Penguins. The signs at Roaring Bay said that they come ashore after 4:00 PM. There’s a wildlife hide above the beach that you can lurk in waiting for them to return. Five O’clock came around and still no Penguins. I got the thinking that maybe nobody told them that Daylight Savings time was in effect now. So I waited another hour. Then I waited a little more, just to make sure. Finally, the sun went down over t he hills and I gave up without a single sighting.


Lots of clouds today, but some sunny spots as well.


This is the Nugget Point Lighthouse.


This is one of the most scenic spots in the Catlins.


The rocks offshore are the Nuggets.


The Lighthouse isn’t very tall, but it doesn’t need to be because of it’s location high up on the point.


I had a rainbow over the sea just as I was finishing up.


Can you find the Penguin in this photo? Me neither! I waited 2 1/2 hours in a chilly wildlife hide and none showed up.