New Zealand 2014

In the morning we continued our exploration of Stewart Island. Enroute we saw many birds.

Oban on Halfmoon Bay	We took a path from Oban that went over a ridge to another bay.
There was no development of any kind here, but lots of birds.	Bellbird
Tui	Kaka
Silvereye	New Zealand Pigeon
Bellbird	Rifleman, New Zealand's smallest bird
Midday we flew back over Oban to Invercargill.	We stayed at the Tower Lodge Motel which was adjacent to the Invercargill Waterworks.
We visited the Southland Museum and Art Gallery. Here there were exhibits of art and Maori culture. However, the Museum is best known for its successful tuatara breeding program, which is a key contributor to the survival of New Zealand's unique 'living fossil'. Tuatara are reptiles endemic to New Zealand and which, although resembling most lizards, are part of a distinct lineage, the order Rhynchocephalia. The two species of tuatara are the only surviving members of their order, which flourished around 200 million years ago.
	In this sunny abode lives Henry who is one of Southland's most popular residents. He's grumpy, about 117 years old, and tends to look down his nose at everyone. Until recently, a tendency to bite the tails off his girlfriends meant Henry provided star rather than paternal qualities. However, following surgery on a health issue, Henry is now behaving much more admirably and is respectful of his female counter parts. Henry became a proud father for the first time in 2008 at the tender age of 111 years. The name "tuatara" derives from the Maori language and means "peaks on the back".
Henry
A younger Tuatara who might be 5-10 years old.
Then we explored the adjacent Queens Park.

In the Park was an aviary with a Yellow-Crowned Parakeet and	a Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo.
Late in the afternoon we wandered about downtown Invercargill.

The next day was very long as we flew from Invercargill to Christ Church, to Auckland, to Los Angeles and back to New Jersey. The flights took some 22 hours but as we crossed the International Date Line we landed in Newark at 10:00pm on the same day and the End of our Great Adventure.