So we have been meaning to go to lighthouse at Cape Palliser for weeks, but for various reasons we only got around to do it today. By which I mean, every time we planned to drive over, we'd wake up, stare blearily out the window at the grey clouds and light drizzle, decide not to go and then fall back asleep. Today, for whatever reason, we decided that today would be the day and resolutely got up.
To be quite honest, it turned out to be one of the best life decisions ever.
Route of Death with most terrifying chicken wire fence.
It started off a little bit dismal. It was rainy and grey, and our driver's side windshield wiper is occasionally not what I would call the most effectual. Also, I didn't realize that our route to Palliser also included a jaunt through my favorite 13 kilometer stretch through the Rimutakas, this time on the perilous outside of the road. Happily, Claire is not a driving wimp and took the reins on this one.
On the plus side, I think the Rimutakas have some sort of mystical power (perhaps geological) and once we paid our tithe in terror, the skies cleared and we entered the realm of Gorgeous Weather All The Time. Eventually, the road turned and the insane blue of Palliser Bay crept up on the horizon, and each curve of the road towards the lighthouse brought a new incredible view. (I just want to say now that I have done nothing to these photos; they are precisely as the camera took them and almost as beautiful as it was in person.)
In which we leave the clouds behind.
Palliser Bay
Wildflowers!
Finally, we got to the lighthouse, climbed up the (terrifying) 250 steps, and marveled at this fantasy world of lapis lazuli seas and gently lapping waves.
There's a sign just to the left that says,
"WARNING: USE THESE STEPS AT YOUR OWN RISK"
View from the top of the lighthouse.
After we had our fill drinking in the scenery with our eyeballs, we went down those 250 steps. I actually had a moderately freaked out moment about a third of the way down. Those are the most rickety and with the most space between steps, so you can see the drop to the slope between each footstep. For those of us with morbid imaginations, the ferns peeking out from between the stairs did not help. I had to clutch onto the single side rail for a bit before getting myself under control and staring only at the step in front of me. But I did get down eventually, and life was good!
We walked to the water to have ourselves a picnic and ended up at this craggy outcrop. There was an incongruous bunch of sheep huddling in the shadows, and we watched them scoot around the rocks to avoid us.
Requisite sheep. Baaa.
But onwards we went, until we found a nice flat perch by the water. As Claire bounded across the terrain like a mountain goat (and I, like an arthritic bear) I spotted what I thought was a shadow of a rock roll over and scratch itself with a hind flipper.
We had come across some members of Cape Palliser's seal colony.
So, to top off our crazy gorgeous day, we picnicked on the rocks in the company of seals.
This seal stared us down the entire time.
The seal up top was such a bro.
In addition, we saw all sorts of interesting birds at various points of our journey. Claire and I would take turns going, "Ooh! Ooh! Look!" and pointing to a distant graceful flight. At one point, we were driving along and one swooped down onto the road then fanned out its wings, floating above us. My brand of ornithology pretty much extends to "Look! A bird!" but I think it was a kahu, or harrier hawk. Later, I'm saw what I'm pretty sure was a spotted shag hanging out at the side of the road.
By the time we drove back into the mass of clouds that is Wellington, we were sun warm and full of joy.
View from Cape Palliser
sooooooooooooo beautiful!!!!!!!!!!
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