July 12, 2014 Market to Match by Moonlight (and a lot in between)

We started our day sampling some of the delicious treats at the Riccarton Bush Market in Christchurch.  Some of us stuck with pastries, while others went for more exotic chicken satay and sausages at just 10am.  Good thing it is cold and we are just keeping fueled up.

Riccarton Bush Market!

Freeze Dried Food at Katmandu

Speaking of food, we then stopped to get our freeze-dried food for the West Coast hike we will take this coming week on the Croesus Track before heading out to Sumner to check out the Cave Rock on the beach.  While there we were sized up by a seal enjoying his resting spot on the rocks.

On rocks just near Cave Rock at Sumner Beach

Of course, then we had to eat again and had fish and chips before an unplanned adventure - looking to see if endangered White-Flippered Penguins were in the nesting boxes near Taylors Mistake.  On the way there, we made a mistake of our own and ended up on the Summit Road of the Port Hills so we decided to eat our lunch in the vans and take in the view of Lyttelton Harbour while the cold wind blew about outside.

Entertaining card tricks as we wait for lunch at the fish and chips store.

Lunch view to Lyttelton Harbor from the van

After working our way over to the right location at Taylors Mistake we hiked out on Godly Head Track to a predator fenced area (built in 2010) and down a long, steep ladder to the rocky coastline at the water's edge.  There to our amazement where two penguins in one of the nest boxes that had been constructed along a 200 meter stretch of the coastline to help facilitate both nesting and scientific observation/study.  Because this particular species of penguin only nests in this one spot and off a small island off the coast of this area, the Center for Biological Diversity (based in California) who petitioned to have several species of penguins listed as endangered because of global warming issues included the White-Flippered Penguin on the list.

Hiking on Godly Head Track.

Ladder down to nest boxes, and checking them for penguins.

White-Flippered Penguin in next box.

We stopped to visit with Dean Anderson and his wife, Susanne, after this rare opportunity with the penguins and enjoyed a cuppa tea and some NZ/Australian cookies (Tim Tams and Ginger Nuts) before heading for the uni.  After dinner, we took in the Christchurch Crusader's rugby match against the Dunedin Highlanders under an almost full moon.

Tea with Susanne and Dean.

Cheering on the Crusaders!