Port Chalmers/Dunedin.

I had two very different experiences today. The first was a trip to The Royal Albatross Center. These birds are close to extinction but this area provides them care and gives researchers an ability to study them. Several interesting points- At the age of 8 months, they are left by their parents to learn to fly on their own. Once they can fly, they will fly over the Pacific to South America and return in a year. The parents only breed with the same mate. Each year they fly their own way but return within a year to the same place to try to make a new little chick.

A ranger weighing a baby as Mom looks on.

We followed this stop with a visit to the Larnach Castle. This house was built by William Larnach in the early 1900s. He was the first executive for the New Zealand National Bank. Due to a number of lucky circumstances and a gold rush he became a very wealthy businessman. The grounds were beautiful and the house had the best accommodations at that time.