Enderby Island

Saturday, January 30

We have early breakfast and an early briefing on today's activities. Then we have to collect the snack packs and the poo bags! 

Because all the food for the ship was loaded in Hobart, none of it must go ashore on the New Zealand Islands. Hence the snack pack with pre-packaged chips, nuts, muesli bars etc.
At the other end of the scale, we must not leave anything behind on the island, therefore the poo bag.

As usual, we go across to the island by Zodiac. It is a wet landing at the beach. Unfortunately, just as I step into the water, another wave comes up behind and fills up my rubber boots. 

While we wait for everybody to arrive, we spot the first yellow eyed penguins coming down the hill. It's quite a privilege to see them coming so close as they are very shy and often quite elusive.

As soon as we're all there, we start walking the gauntlet past all the sea lions on the beach to the huts where the researchers are. There we can take off the rubber boots and leave them in a little shed for the day. 

We follow the board walk from there to the other side of the island. When the group who opt to take the long walk halfway round the island splits off, I start following, but I soon find a hole in the ground to drop into and get convinced that it would only get worse from there. Totally and utterly disgusted with myself and plenty of egg on my face, I turn back to go down the board walk with the other group. I'm quite inconsolable about letting myself down.

Still, there is plenty to see no matter where we walk. It's quite romantic at times.

Tomtit

Rata

These are young Rata trees

Gentian

The view from the top - the other side of the island

There are some birds on a rock ledge down there

Sooty Albatross - a pair and a chick

Pipit

Royal Albatross

The Rata trees are bigger down here

Walking underneath the Rata trees, expecting hobbits at every bend

This is a castaway hut. Such huts used to be all over the islands for shipwreck survivors to have some food until they got rescued by one of the regular rescue ships.

After this little walk, we settle on the grassy bank above the beach and watch the sea lions while we munch on our snacks and wait for the other group to return.

Rodney was telling us earlier that because there has been high mortality among baby sea lions, the researchers were doing an autopsy today to try and figure out the cause. I'd be very interested in that, but I dare not mention it.

Not amused

Skua

 

This cub is very much alive and obviously very hungry

When everybody is back, we go over to the shed to don our rubber boots and walk back along the beach to the Zodiacs for our return to the ship. Along the way we have some cheeky babies trying to snap at our heels. They are so funny.

Back on board, the ship moves on to a different spot and later on, Rodney organises for the Zodiacs to take people over to the site of Hardwick which had been an unsuccessful settlement. All that remains is a tiny cemetery.
I have to give this outing a miss as all my gear is still soaking wet.