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Sandfly Bay
Yes, finally an update. To be honest, up
until two weeks ago there wasn't much to show. A string of bad
weather kept us inside for a couple weekends and made Buffalo,
NY look like paradise. Supposedly, it was the coldest November
in 35 years. The sun did however finally break through and
right in time for our 1 year wedding anniversary. I celebrated
by receiving a fever of 102. It seemed that even with nice
weather, I couldn't find a way to get out of the house.
Finally, Jeannine worked me up to head out into the sunshine
and we drove over to Sandfly Bay off the peninsula near
Dunedin.
Sandfly bay is not as nasty as the name might imply. Rolling
deserted beaches, beautiful coastline, and towering sand dunes
make this place a fantastic destination to relax and take in
the beauty of the area. Some of the dunes are so high that
kids were actually "sledding" down the hills. Boogie boards,
apparently, are the apparatus of choice.
The other not-so-obvious draw to Sandfly bay is the copious
amounts of Sea Lions that inhabit the area. These giant grey
slabs of fat will pull themselves out of the ocean and simply
collapse on the shore. They're quite tolerant of humans--to a
point--I wouldn't go hugging one. As Jeannine and I found,
they also do not like being surprised. We took a detour around
the cliffs near the water and wound up walking into a colony.
Sea Lions, unfortunately, are not brightly colored objects and
blend in well with the rocks. Several times we would smell
something terrible, take a few steps, and all of a sudden have
this 400 pound animal rear up in front of us. It's funny only
after you've nearly killed yourself backtracking in fear over
the rocks. It was a great day though and an even better way to
celebrate our anniversary. Who would have thought our first
year would be here?
SANDFLY BAY
Information:
Dunedin Tourist Map
Weather: As with any Dunedin location, prepare
for rain. There are some sand dunes to climb to walk back up
to car park. Sunscreen and hats are also a good idea. Sand
gets everywhere.
Accommodation: If you want, go ahead and camp in the
dunes. There doesn't appear to be any signs saying otherwise.
Location Rating: Easy
Personal Rating: Recommended for wildlife and scenery
viewing. There is also a penguin hideaway available for
viewing in the morning and evening.
More Photos:
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Sandfly Bay off the Otago Peninsula
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A view of Sandfly Bay from the cliffs looking in....
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Jeannine in front of Sandfly Bay.
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Enjoying the good life...at least, until a Great White Shark eats it.
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A lone cliff off the coast..
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Work for the camera baby...
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Can you find the seal that's about to attack us?
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Sand surfing...and then falling 15 feet.
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One year anniversary
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