Wildlife NZ
 

Down here in the deep south we run into quite a bit of wildlife. This morning saw me cautiously manoeuvring around 7 Hooker's Sea Lions, one a HUGE bull, (Cannibal Bay), plus we saw a solitary yellow-eyed penguin making his way out to sea across the sand (Nugget Point). Last week we saw loads more yellow-eyed penguins, little blue penguins, 5 more sea lions, countless fur seals (good job there are loads because the sea lions eat them) and naturally all the usual stuff like cormorants etc. Royal Albatrosses await February as we need to pay for that trip and it's the best time to see them.)

We're a bit isolated in Dunedin but life has its compensations!

Awh, penguins! Why am I living somewhere so warm! Wanna see penguins!!!:)

You can see little blue penguins in Australia (AKA fairy penguins by the Aussies).
http://home.mira.net/~areadman/peng.htm

Yeah, I've seen several colonies in Tassie and Melbourne - think my favourites are the ones on Bruny Island. Trouble is, Brisbane is too warm for the little things!:cool:

Why oh Why, when I was using this site before coming to NZ, did nobody mention the Wetas?

Harmless, but they sure send a shiver down my spine. I swear when I see one it tries to stare me out.

Robert

But at least wetas move sloooowly!! Now cockroaches are a different matter. Here in Napier I don't think I know anyone who doesn't spray their house for roaches, if there's one thing that I hate about living here it's them. But wetas I can cope with, we spent 8 years living in the bush and we had all the bush creatures (including wetas in your gumboots, moths the size of your hands and blowflies by the thousand) but NOT ONE cockroach!!!

Don, we must take a trip down there, I'd love to see all those things. Is it hot down there yet?

Wetas!:scared:

I had a horrible experience wuth these things when three of them landed on my head when I opened an external door with the light still on once ( that'll learn me!)

Everyone else had gone to bed and, despite my horror movie style screaming, didn't bother to get up.

My sister said the next day that she had heard me but figured I could deal with practically anything and so turned over and went back to sleep!

What are wetas???:confused:

Really horrible prehistoric looking gigantic bugs with wings and HUGE antennae.

I will try and find a piccie for you because they are really loathsome.

Be afraid, be very afraid...

Apparently, their maori name, Wetapunga, translates roughly to "God of ugly things."

You can see why!

I dont know... it's only like a grasshopper....anyone would think it bites....now Australia..there's some nasty bugs.

Rich.

They do bite!! It is like a crab nipping you!

Yup...I meant a real bite.....think of it as a Weta love nip...

Rich.

I thought exactly the same that it looks like a big grasshopper and Im not bothered by them ... dont like the sound of them biting though :scared:

dunno, I don't mind grasshopper falling on my head.... but I would mind a Weta.....

check these out....

http://home.t-online.de/home/0220380296/g_weta.jpg

http://home.t-online.de/home/0220380296/wetak.jpg

http://masseynews.massey.ac.nz/magaz...%20hand%20.jpg

http://masseynews.massey.ac.nz/magaz..._creatures.htm

:eek: :scared: :eek: :scared: :eek: :scared:

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jandjuk
dunno, I don't mind grasshopper falling on my head.... but I would mind a Weta.....

check these out....

The Weta on the computor desk has what looks like a stinging tail, I looked this up on the Internet and in fact these are the females and the tail is where they lay thier eggs from.

I came face to face with a Weta and it lifted its barbed rear legs in the air, as if to scare me off. It worked!

Robert

My hubby, who thinks he is really funny, says never mind the wetas you should watch out for the driers

Apparently there are three varieties, the spin, the tumble, and the hair :rolleyes:

Yep, and I chose to live with him so the joke is definitely on me.

Don't get me started on the weather!!! On Saturday we took a spin out to Alexandra and I now understand why Central Otago, NZ is doing so well in the international pinot noir stakes. Temperatures swung steadily up from 16 degrees to 33 degrees in Alexandra (and the landscape got more and more parched, ie this was not a one off). Then it swung steadily back to 16 degrees as we headed back to my Dunedin sanctuary.

Enough to say Dunedin is green and pleasant right now - and you don't get green without a bit of rain. But sunbathing weather is upon us and I have a good tan developing. The Otago Peninsula is definitely worth a visit to do the 'big 5' - fur seals, se lions, little blue and yellow-eyed penguins, royal albatrosses.

Don,

Have a couple of more places to visit for you.

Long Beach (way past Port Chalmers on the back way through to Waitati) is supposed to be pretty amazing, and i would think has some YEPs.

Also, Curio Bay down south Catlins is known for having very friendly Hectors dolphins, that have been known to swim with kids.

Pollster

I am sitting here laughing my head off at your hubby's jokes. Definately my kinda humour. Will have to give you a shout when we get to NZ. Not be for a while yet though.

Keep those jokes coming.

Jo

You have made his week!!

Where are you headed and possibly when?

Cheers, S. Given them both a try already but keep the suggestions flowing!

Do you and Mrs S fancy a YEP spotting trip? We could go with the kids, there's a great place near where we live that we could go to in tandem but your clan could jump in the badass 4WD to go down a track that would be inadvisable in your mean machine. We'd be looking at 17.45-21.00, better make it soon as they start moulting soon so you don't see as many. :)

A what spotting trip?

Yellow Eyed Penguin. Second largest of the penguins but one of the rarest. They live in small colonies near where I live (and at Banks Peninsula).

We know some 'secret' places to see loads of them every time! ;)

Hey - a trip down to your neck of the woods is a definate when we get there - you are close to the Otage Pennisula aren't you - all that wildlife!!

Love to get close to the Hector's dolphins again - swam with them in Akaroa but the seas was a bit mountainous and bloody freezing so I didn't actually get to see much of the dolphins!

Pollster,

We are looking probably at Tauranga or Auckland. Tauranaga because my husbands brother and his family live there and it's always better for settling etc to have family around.

Auckland for the job situation. Although I really like the look of Christchurch and would love to give that a go.

We will only be applying at the end of this year and Ian has got some exams which will make him High Voltage authorised, so he can organise work for engineers in large sub stations etc etc blah blah. all very boring. But if it increases his pay packet then I am not complaining.

I am not sure whether I will want to work straight away as I have 2 young kids. But then again I am dangerous when I am bored so may look for something part time. I am currently a sales manager with BT.

I won't have the grandparent network to help out with kids so dashing across the country will be out as is what I do know.

How about you? You've now had my life story...

Cheers Joanne