The Catlins

The Catlins are the most southern region of the South Island, famous for its rough winds, savage cliffs and for the Yellow Penguin, the rarest species of penguin in the world. After our 3rd degree encounter with the Blue Penguin we felt a kind of vocation to meet the Yellow Penguin, too. Unfortunately the Yellow Penguin is even shyer than the blue one and can only be observed from far away and in hides.


Nevertheless we could get close enough to discern the yellow Hero Turtle-ish blindfold.

Again, we waited for about 1 hour in the chilly wet winds of the Catlins until we spotted some Penguins, which left us soaking wet and trembling.

But it wasn´t only the evaporation of our wet clothes on the clothesline that created a kind of sultry atmosphere in the car afterwards...

The atmosphere still wet and wild, we kept on braving the elements and explored the Catlins in a stop-motion style that no Japanese bus tour could have managed. In the Catlins, you want to choose the places where you get out of the car carefully. Which we did:


We hurried through the rain for a quick photo of Nugget Point











In perfect harmony with nature...



Harmony didn´t include our travel preferences

Leaving the Catlins is like stepping out of the airplane door on the Cook Islands - but this is another story...


Watch it raining cat(lin)s and dogs at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephan_mittas/sets/72157614342578840/