“Penguins mate for life. That doesn’t surprise me much because they all look alike. It’s not like they’re going to meet a really new, great looking penguin someday.” -Unknown

After weeks of talking about it, Brad and I finally rented a car to putter around and check out some of the things just out of reach of the Dunedin buses.  Our Nissan Sunny served us well and we had... the. best. day. ever!

Our first stop was 75 km north of here at the Moeraki Boulders.  Wikipedia tells me, "The Moeraki Boulders are unusually large and spherical boulders lying along a stretch of Koekohe Beach on the wave cut Otago coast of New Zealand between Moeraki and Hampden, and are located at 45°20′42.99″S 170°49′33.82″E."  However, I like to just say they look like giant turtles that I can jump on.  *Hair flip*

I <3 lambing season!

This is what I do to those who try to take me treasure.

Brad said to make my "grossest being hatched face."  Check.

We then drove back through Dunedin and onto the Peninsula to check out some hikes, like this one at Sandfly Bay.  If you stay here at night, you can see the penguins come in, and the sea lions like to lounge around (no, they're not dead) and shift like big old bowls of jelly.  Due to their razor sharp killer teeth, they were slightly less hug-able than the Kaikoura seals.  Still tempting...

View of the harbor from the center of the peninsula

Start of the Sandfly Bay hike

Did I mention it's lambing season?  Eeeee!

Snoozing sea lion family

It doesn't get much lazier than this...

Stretch it out, girl!

Our last stop was to Penguin Place, a conservation for these little cuties.  They have yellow-eyed penguins, which are about 2 feet tall, and blue/fairy penguins, the smallest breed.  It's nesting season, so the little tuxedo-ed birds are building their nests and settling down to make some penguinettes. 

Penguin nesting sanctuary

Shelter for nest building

Beach where the penguins come in

Blue/fairy penguin

So noble

So sweet, the doting husband

Howie

Yes, it's true: I have illegitimate penguin babies out there.  Also from 2000-01 I was loafing.

Psychedelic penguin tunnel!!!!

Building his nest to impress the ladies...

Who wouldn't want to join this gentleman in his nest?

The end of the peninsula

Pied cormorants nesting