Last week Tony H and I had the pleasure of taking a stroll down island. The walk down took us two days.
The second day included a scenic bypass along the Tiobunga Track where we were treated to chocolate slice and a pasta lunch, made by Karen and Mike.
We arrived at the end of the Overland Track and, as it was a pretty nice day, we took time to enjoy the view from the top of the Scree Jump-up.
At the top of the Grassy Jump-up we also took time to take in the magnificent view, while psyching ourselves for the descent.
The following day was a rest day, it was also a perfect day weather wise. There was very little wind and lengthy periods of bright warm sunshine. We took the opportunity to view the enormous royal penguin rookery from the grassy tussock above the colony.
For over an hour we experienced the wildlife and scenery with all our senses. The sight, sounds and smell of the thousands upon thousands of penguins
There were also large elephant seal harems on the beach in front of the colony and along with the birds (skuas, giant petrels and albatross) which all added to the colourful sensory tapestry of sights and sounds.
On the way back to the hut we wandered through the rock stacks on the coast and with the sun shinning, it afforded us some great photo opportunities, highlighted by the amazing array of colour.
Later I wandered down the beach to the west of the hut to again experience the abundant wildlife and vibrant colours.
My time at Hurd Point is an experience I will never forget.
By Barend (Barry) Becker