Pohatu Marine Reserve is a part of Flea Bay, which is one bay of Bank’s
Peninsula, an old volcanic crater. The nearest town to Flea Bay is Akaroa,
which retains a French flair. Some streets in Akaroa still have French names,
but I guess the real reason behind this is tourism. Just went to the
supermarket as I was heading for the wilderness. Though Akaroa isn’t that far
from Christchurch, Flea Bay must be called remote, as driving isn’t all easy
with roads being steep and on the gravel roads you enjoy having a four wheel
drive car.
Flea Bay is a dream. You hardly
see other people, sometimes a couple of hikers. The house was small, basic,
and the toilet (no WC!) 30 m away from the house; originally the teacher lived
in this small house. Only natural
sounds around: wind, waves, penguins, sheep, cattle. Very relaxing.
If it hadn’t been for Francis and Shireen Helps there would be no Pohatu
Marine Reserve. It’s the largest colony of the small blue penguins on mainland
in Australasia [if you go for ornithology, it’s Eudyptula minor albosignata].
For a long time they cared for the penguins on their own, before the Department
of Conservation declared the region a marine reserve. The major point had been
keeping predators out of the bay. The penguins build their own burrows or they
nest in the nest boxes, which Francis and Shireen have provided. One can look
easily at the penguins inside the nest box, which are opened for tourists, when
the family is surveying the breed. I went on their tour twice and I liked it
very much. You can also watch the incoming penguins in the evening, though the
light is already dimming then. But watching the little penguins hopping from
stone to stone is fun.
Flea Bay during the day
Little blue penguin
Young penguins in the breeding box
Flea Bay very early in the morning
Other texts on this New Zealand travel:
New Zealand Itinerary with Annotations and Pictures http://rheumatologe.blogspot.de/2013/12/blog-new-zealand-itinerary-with.html
New Zealand
Haiku First Series: http://rheumatologe.blogspot.de/2014/01/new-zealand-haiku-first-series.html
New Zealand Haiku Second Series http://rheumatologe.blogspot.de/2014/01/new-zealand-haiku-second-series.html
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