It's full waterproof gear for a trip in the zodiaks. We're off for the day, walking on Enderby Island.
First, we have our gear vacuumed. All alien seeds must be removed from everything that we will bring ashore. Then we wash and scrub our boots. We pick up packed lunches and a poo bag. Just in case.
On Enderby: Deb changes from wellies to hiking boots. My wellies are fine for walking -- and waterproof.
From our landing site we walk through tussocks of grass. There may be a track, it's not visible. We walk behind a seal beach. Hookers seals. Maybe a couple of hundred, sleeping, fighting and breeding on the beach. As Deb says, more sex and violence on this beach than in all the rest of NZ.
Past a section where yellow eyed penguins stroll between nest and beach. There's a research station just beyond here. We turn off, onto a boardwalk through the rata forest. From what I've read -- and am now seeing -- rata is generally impenetrable. The cleared path is essential.
The forest fades away. It's short and boggy grass on either side. Small patches of very small flowers. Occasional albatrosses, near and far, brown and white, different breeds.
On the open grass area, the constant wind can be felt. Temperature is possibly in the low teens. Weather is fine and cloudy, occasional patches of sunshine, some very light rain later on.
We walk round the island. "Keep the sea on your left."
We see seals and sealions. Lots of birds, albatri of some sort, I don't know their names. A scattering of penguins. The yellow eyed penguins are solitary, so no huge penguin flocks on this island.
We stop for lunch in a bit of shelter. The wind is still blowing but the sun is shining. We're looking out over grass and rocks to the sea. Seal/ions in the rocks. One starts at the top of the hill and gradually moves closer to us. (Oh no! It's the cows, all over again!) But he stops, thirty metres away. A few scratches and stretches and he sleeps. With one eye on us.
Very small birds hop round at ground level. They hop within a metre or two of us, not worried by us.
I take some photos, nothing great. The wildlife is not scared of us but still stays beyond the range of a good shot with my standard lens. Some people have giant lenses on big cameras. I would have lens envy -- but I know how heavy they are.
One seal decides that he doesn't like the look of us. He runs at us -- not too fast, not too close -- and shows his teeth. I spread my arms, show my size. He decides to allow us to pass.
The walk takes about six hours. The terrain is "flat" -- not much climb. The ground is uneven and occasionally boggy, occasionally overgrown with lumpy tussocks of grass. Quite heavy walking. By the end, we are glad to see the end.
Now we collapse back to the peace and quiet of our cabin. It's great to have a space just to ourselves :-)
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