(Up) To the Lighthouse

As our final stop on the North Island, before taking the ferry to the South Island, we spent an enjoyable couple of days at Cape Palliser, the southeast point of the North Island. It was obligatory to climb to the lighthouse, I think there were, "puff-puff", 250 steps, more or less.

The weather has been alternating between absolutely miserable one day and glorious the next. Today, it was a glorious day. The sea, the fresh wind, the flowers, the blue sky, the clear view right across Cook Strait to the South Island and the seals are a lasting memory.

Evidence of not so glorious weather could be seen in this unfortunate cliffhanger.

We spent a long time watching the seals. They were all over the rocks, sunning themselves.

This family seemed to be having a domestic.

These are known as New Zealand fur seals, but, technically, I think they're sea lions. I found this definition of the difference, the ear flaps and walking on their front flippers both say 'sea lion'.

"Seals and sea lions are marine mammals called 'pinnipeds' that differ in physical characteristics and adaptations. Sea lions are brown, bark loudly, "walk" on land using their large flippers and have visible ear flaps. Seals have small flippers, wriggle on their bellies on land, and lack visible ear flaps."