I know it's been awhile since I updated... I apologize. Time has kind of gotten away from me... but, I'm going to do my best to wrap up the honeymoon recap before we get our pro-wedding photos back so I can then start on that (hopefully we get them SOON!).
So, after spending the night in Timaru, we headed off to Dunedin with hopes of seeing some Albatross. =) But first, we had a bit of a drive and a little adventure.
Along the way we continued to pass by signs pointing out different spots of interest. Jacob saw my longingly watching them go by and told me that if I wanted to stop at one, just to let him know. So, I did. The next sign we passed, I told him to go toward that... it wasn't what I expected. At one point Jacob asked, "Do you think we're allowed to drive this thing out here?" lol
Didn't start out too bad...
Getting a little sketchier...
This is about the "oh shit" moment... lol
I just found this humorous. =)
I just found this humorous. =)
We finally make it to the end, and what do we see???
A frickin' stretch limo! lol We were worried about our vehicle, but apparently this is just every day stuff for these guys!After stopping to eat some lunch and use the bathroom at the park, we headed back across the rugged terrain and continued south... making a pit stop in a little town for some ice cream (we ate a LOT of ice cream over there... mmmm).
Finally, we made it to Dunedin and made our way out the Ortago Peninsula to the Royal Albatross Center.
See that little building out there? That's where we're headed!
Driving along this curvy, cliff-side road, Jacob kept muttering "just one missed step..." Thanks babe... didn't make me nervous at all! lol
Finally, we made it to Dunedin and made our way out the Ortago Peninsula to the Royal Albatross Center.
See that little building out there? That's where we're headed!Driving along this curvy, cliff-side road, Jacob kept muttering "just one missed step..." Thanks babe... didn't make me nervous at all! lolWe finally made it up to the center and to the observation deck. I apologize now for the fuzzy photos, the weather was changing, it was starting to get a little dark, and we weren't allowed to use flash photography.
There were about 5 baby albatross hanging out right around the observation deck. We saw one adult, but only for a minute before it flew away.
Baby
A bunch of some kinda other birds =)
Jacob holding a "to-scale" replica of a baby albatross
View from the barracks.
The Disappearing Gun
There were about 5 baby albatross hanging out right around the observation deck. We saw one adult, but only for a minute before it flew away.
BabyA bunch of some kinda other birds =)Jacob holding a "to-scale" replica of a baby albatrossThe Peninsula is also the home of an old military barrack. Part of our tour was to go through part of the facility and see the "Six Inch Disappearing Gun" (that was built, but never actually used in battle).
View from the barracks.The Disappearing GunWhen we finished with the Royal Albatross Center, we decided to head back inland and find a place to stay for the night. The weather was starting to get a little temperamental and we were getting pretty tired. We were very thankful the next morning that we didn't camp on the peninsula though... stay tuned for why! lol
The holiday park we found was pretty interesting. It was a nice, well-kept place, but it kind of looked like it used to be an elementary school or something... take a look:
After plugging our camper in, and settling in for the night, Jacob and I started to cook dinner... and the wind decided to pick up... a LOT. The van started rocking just as bad as it did during the earthquake. I mentioned to Jacob that, for all we knew, we were feeling aftershocks but the wind was just covering it up. It was BAD. I was afraid that our little vent that we open when we were cooking (think link a moon roof type of thing) was going to get blown off. It made for an interesting evening.
The next morning we woke up to a rainy, dreary day (much like a regular day in Oregon! lol) and listened to the radio. The winds the night before hit "near hurricane force" at about 150 kmph (90+ mph). So many trees had fallen out on the peninsula that the roads were closed leading back inland (which is why I'm glad we didn't stay out there!). Mother nature definitely had it store for Jacob and I on this honeymoon... and she wasn't done yet!
After breakfast and packing up, we headed out to explore the city a little before making our way to our next destination.
The holiday park we found was pretty interesting. It was a nice, well-kept place, but it kind of looked like it used to be an elementary school or something... take a look:
After plugging our camper in, and settling in for the night, Jacob and I started to cook dinner... and the wind decided to pick up... a LOT. The van started rocking just as bad as it did during the earthquake. I mentioned to Jacob that, for all we knew, we were feeling aftershocks but the wind was just covering it up. It was BAD. I was afraid that our little vent that we open when we were cooking (think link a moon roof type of thing) was going to get blown off. It made for an interesting evening.
The next morning we woke up to a rainy, dreary day (much like a regular day in Oregon! lol) and listened to the radio. The winds the night before hit "near hurricane force" at about 150 kmph (90+ mph). So many trees had fallen out on the peninsula that the roads were closed leading back inland (which is why I'm glad we didn't stay out there!). Mother nature definitely had it store for Jacob and I on this honeymoon... and she wasn't done yet!
After breakfast and packing up, we headed out to explore the city a little before making our way to our next destination.
Wow....so many adventures to be had!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful location! It looks like you had a great time.
ReplyDeleteReally amazing shots, especially the first set.
ReplyDelete