Penguins rule in Timaru
In the heart ofSouth Canterbury, BrookSabin bumpsintosomedelightfully cuteandfriendly locals.
Iturn around in shock. I’ve spent the last half an hour photographing a penguin chickwhen I’m suddenly disturbed. Walking down the road making a considerable racket are a couple of locals having a boisterous conversation.
Their eyes are darting in every direction, their heads craned forward.
No, I don’t mean people, this part of Timaru belongs to the penguins.
And a couple of tiny penguins have just snuck up on me, waddling down the footpath as if it were built for them.
Timaru is one of New Zealand’s most underrated seaside cities, built around the golden sands of Caroline Bay. The beach and adjoining park are fringed by busy cafes and gardens, and are also home to a very rare resident – the little blue penguin.
These penguins have a permanent colony on the beach, and every night curious locals and tourists head down to the waterfront to witness a little blue miracle – the smallest penguins in the world surfing ashore and waddling to their nests.
The penguins live around Marine Parade, next to the port. We arrive well before sunset, not really knowing what to do. We park our car next to the waterfront rocks and pace up and down the beach for more than an hour, seeing nothing. Then, locals start gathering in the distance, around our car.
It turns out the penguins’ nesting area is about a metre away from where we parked.
Under the industrial glow of the port’s lights, as night falls a series of chicks begin to emerge from the rocks and tussock.
They are hungry. They’ve been waiting all day for their parents to come home.
The adult penguins swim up to 25 kilometres off the coast in search of small fish, krill and squid.
Theyweigh only a kilogram, but can double their bodyweight eating and storing food at sea, before returning home to regurgitate it for their young.
The only place to view the penguins is on a footpath, behind ropes. This still allows you to get remarkably close. Spectators first congregate where the surf and beach meet. This is where the penguins ride the waves ashore, then in an uncoordinated symphony of cuteness, try to go from swimming to standing with all the elegance of someonewho has had a few too many wines.
Once on the beach, the mission to the nest begins. By this time, the chick has normally picked up the squawking of the parent, and is starting to run around with uncontrolled excitement. Some dart out on to the footpath, while others run circles around tussock. When a parent finally reaches the nest, the food exchange begins.
There are an estimated 300,000-600,000 little blue penguins left in the world, found in Australia and New Zealand.
The species is considered threatened in many onshore areas.
However, a yearly census by Forest and Bird in the Timaru region has shown a 5 per cent annual increase in the population. This has been put down to awarming sea and an increased food supply.
A regular PenguinWatch team is also on patrol to make sure people keep a safe distance.
Given their proximity to the city, the penguins’ biggest threat is dogs. So, if you do take your four-legged friend to the beach make sure it’s on a leash.
The rest of us can do our bit by being respectful. That means no flash photography, and always staying behind the ropes.
Timaru is, however, much more than a penguin-spotting paradise – it’s a picturesque seaside city with lots to do during the day.
A feast for the senses
While there’s no shortage of great places to eat around town, a standout favourite is Street Food Kitchen.
Start with fried chicken or pork belly bao buns and move on to Korean beef short ribs, salt and pepper squid, or crispy fried chickenwith charred pineapple and capsicum. The desserts are called ‘‘happy endings’’ and you can’t get much happier thanwith a Thai fried banana with salted caramel, cashew crunch and coconut icecream.
Also highly recommended is a 20-minute drive outside town to Strawberry Divine, which serves the best fresh fruit icecream I’ve come across.
It sources awide selection of local fruit to transform into an edible piece of art right in front of you.
The writer’s trip was supported by Venture Timaru.
Brook Sabin and Radha Engling are travelling the length of New Zealand on a Stuff Travel nationwide road trip in a new Hyundai Kona Electric. The vehicle has 449km of real-world range on a single charge. For more information, see hyundai.co.nz/ kona-electric. This story was produced as a part of an editorial partnership with Tourism New Zealand.
A taniwha drawing, which is around 500 years old, is found in a hidden cave.
Timaru’s centre is full of beautiful buildings.
If you love fresh fruit icecream, Strawberry Divine is not to be missed.