Nugget Point

Hi! Am in an internet cafe with the usual short ration of time.

Yesterday we saw a sealion mum lying on a sandy beach, with its enormous cub... walked quite close to it very carefully, they can get cross.

When we went to Nugget Point we saw lots of fur seals on the rocks below us, the cubs calling, sounded a bit like a hen that has laid an egg , without the chuck chuck!! There was also a roost of spoonbills, saw their huge spoons quite clearly, and also a lot of spotted shags.

As we drove up to the point, a yellow-eyed penguin walked across the road in front of us! Not a pelican crossing, but a p p p penguin crossing. We watched the fur seals swimming in the green water.

Spent a second night at Hilltop Backpackers, would have been super except for a party of 3 Chinese bods who occupied the sitting room and played a video of Spiderman, modern version, very loudly.

We left there this morning, and had a look at some more of the Catlins coast at Curio Bay. There we saw a fur seal which was lolling about on the grass near the car park, doing rolly pollies like a pussy cat. When someone approached it got up and showed its teeth. At Curio Bay there were lots of people on the beach, so no yellow eyed penguins, but the moment the last person left, a penguin emerged from the bush and waddled across the rocks to the sea!

We drove north through gravel roads and are now staying in Roxburgh in central Otago by the river Clutha, which is the most extraordinary colour, a brilliant blue/green, and it rushes along at about 10 mph., with standing waves.

Our backpackers is actually rather luxurious, a huge bed and TV, en suite wet room (shared with one other, but nobody in there yet, fingers crossed). All the gardens here are crammed with the most perfect roses. The village has a splendid swimming pool - eat your heart out Weston super Mare. It is boiling hot, 28 C and very humid. May go and look at Lake Roxburgh before cooking supper.

My mum also said that my dad read a bit of my email to her about his plant being poorly.. I have been exhorted to get it better before their return :-) Dear father.. I will try my best! :-)