Last night we knew we’d be getting up quite early to catch a bus to a boat to a bus to a boat but there was still time for a few late evening photos.
This morning, the bus stopped at our motel and picked up the two of us, hats, bug spray, wind-proof and warm gear in tow. The bus driver was jolly despite the foggy conditions and pointed out a few things we might have seen if there had been a view. We boarded a boat that indeed did take us to another bus that went up and up and up (at one point the driver said it was up 5 ft elevation for every 1 ft – steepest road used by commercial buses) and finally another boat.
We saw an amazing array of the fiords and islands and clouds as well as bottle-nose dolphins, a penguin (it was a choice of being a stick or a penguin but sticks don’t dive and come up somewhere else) and shearwaters. I was quite proud that I spotted an albatross and watched him land and take off again. Turned out to be a Buller’s Mollymawk. Woot! Life bird!
On the bus back, we were given opportunities to get out of the bus to look around and stopped at Wilmot Pass and a moss garden along with some other vistas.
I encourage you to enjoy the view over on the flickr feed because there are too many wonderful sights to have here.
PS: no doubt I will be pining for the fiords, soon enough… (sorry, I had to do that)