Napier, the Art-Deco city of New Zealand. It's on Hawke Bay, on the west coast. My first idea was to go to Gisborne, more north, but it was a lot of driving and I wasn't feeling like going that far. And at the end I'm happy I stopped there, Napier is a nice city, I liked it.
Half an hour drive south, there is Cape Kidnappers, and the gannets colonies. Since I haven't seen any birds since I got here, I went there to take a look ;)
To get to the colonies, you have to go at low tide and it's a 5hours walk return. I wasn't feeling too confidant with this tide thing and a bit lazy, I went with a guide and he brought us there with tractor and trailer.
Unfortunately, we haven't been able to go to the tip of the cap, the tide not being low enough to allow us to go that far. But we still got to see the Gannets!!
Their life style is very similar to the albatross. They are sea birds, mating for life, when the youngs, leave the nest they live at sea around Australia for 4 years before returning where they are born to mate. During winter time, the couple live separately, each doing their own thing. They'll meet for breeding season, always at the same spot. When they have their chick, there'll never be both parents with it. One be at the nest and the other at sea, switching every now and then.
The cap is interesting too. There is a golf course on top, own by an American guy, and if you're interested to go for a game, it'll only cost you 400$. But it apparently is the course with the best view in the world.
But what is really interesting are the cliffs. They are made of different layers from different periods of time. Those cliff keep coming up due to the two tectonics plates coming on top of each other underneath New Zealand.
You'll notice that the lines are going down. They used to be horizontal, but the plates always moving made them drop down to released the pressure.
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| The white layer are volcanic ashes |
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| Beds rocks layers |
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| The biggest break, 9m difference |
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| Small break |
Geology!
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