New Zealand, 9-5-2017--Slope Point to Waihola

Continuing east along the south coast, we stopped at Curio Bay Petrified Forest.  We were not only interested in seeing the petrified logs, but had been told that it's also known to be a nesting area for yellow eyed penguins.   

Walking along the beach beside Curio Bay we found these tracks and realized that we'd just missed seeing a penguin.  Fortunately, we had better luck later in the day at Nugget Point.  

This petrified log at Curio Bay was a living tree 180 million years ago.  

Typical scenery along the south coast of the South Island.

Nugget Point Lighthouse on the southeastern coast of the South Island.

Surf pounded coast at Nugget Point

This photo is taken at a penguin viewing blind at Roaring Bay near Nugget Point.  Believe it or not, there's a yellow eyed penguin on the cobble beach.  It's too small to see in this photo except when the photo is zoomed in and at that point the image is quite fuzzy. 

With binoculars it was crystal clear. Pearl spotted it first as it tumbled out of the surf onto the cobble beach.  It waddled along slowly, obviously out of its element and stopping frequently to see if it was still safe.  Coming to the embankment, it made short hops up to the nest and its waiting companion.  

Yellow eyed penguins are the world's rarest.  It's estimated that they will become extinct in the next 20-40 years, primarily due to warming ocean temperatures, pollution and over fishing by humans.