Walk to The Neck on Saunders Island, Tuesday 25th October

Fran and I had left our cabin by 8am for the 11kms walk along the coast towards The Neck. It may not be far in distance terms but there are no paths. The coast is steep cliffs with only the occasional sheep track to follow. 

At times the track was non existent and should you slip, it was just a short steep slope to the each of the abyss beyond the cliff. It is a tenuous walk, not to be undertaken in foggy or wet conditions or by yourself. There are also steep gullies where you have to descend to the bottom, walk up and down to find somewhere to cross safely and then walk up the other side. It may be 11kms on the map but in reality it was a lot further. 

However the wildlife made it all worthwhile.

A view along the coast and of some of the terrain that we would be crossing.

There were frequent gulleys  to cross making the walk harder and bogs or stream to cross and sometimes you might follow a sheep track nd find that the sheep didn't make it across.

A Meadow Lark…one of the same breed that woke me up that morning at 5.30am by pecking on the window.

Another view of the near non existent path to The Neck. There was a faint sheep track but put one foot wrong and you would fall off the edge of the cliff.

 A view of the beach and The Neck that we had walked so far to see.

 A Magellanic Penguin outside its burrow. These are more timid than the Rockhoppers and will dive into their burrow before you can get close.

After a four and a half hour walk we got to The Neck and the first colony was a Rockhopper penguin colony with a few cormorants or shags nesting amounts them but amongst on a lucky glance, we found a pair of Macaroni Penguins. Their tuffs are gold and start at the centre of the forehead whereas the Rockhoppers’ tuffs are white and start around the ears. It was pure luck to see these two Macaroni's as they are at the furthest northern extent of their normal range and might be lost in a colony of 1,600 pairs of nesting Rockhopper penguins.

Down on the beach we came across a South Georgian Fur Seal, asleep on the beach. It was a long way from home but after a rest and feeding, it would find its way home.

 What we really anted was to take some photos of Gentoo penguins as they made the trek between their colony and the sea.

After the Gentoos there were a few King Penguins on the beach with a few chicks which look rather like UncleFester in the Addams Family.This is just a small colony of less than ten breeding pairs.

Then we started the long trek back. However this time we choose to maintain our height well back from the edge. There was little wildlife to see but fewer gullies to cross and should you slip there was a greater chance that you might stop before sliding over the edge. Although we did get a close up of a juvenile Caracara that wanted to share an afternoon break sandwich.

 And lastly sunset above the Neck, looking back towards it from near the cabin at The Rookery.