Cape Palliser, New Zealand

Sun, sea lions, a lighthouse, and eroded earth pillars that Peter Jackson used as background in the Lord of the Rings - that sums up my day trip to Cape Palliser.

Here's a view looking back on the bay we traveled along for a little bit:

Here's the Cape Palliser lighthouse and its 250+ stairs:

A close up of the lighthouse:

We made a detour to the Putangirua Pinnacles.  The return trip to the viewing point was 1 1/2 hours - just long enough to shake the legs out before getting in the car for another two hours. :)

If you really squint, you can see a small red dot at the bottom of this picture, in the middle:

That's my other half - Will.  He's there to give you an idea of how tall the pillars are.

Just before heading back to Masterton, we had a look for the colony of sea lions.  We saw dozens of them laying in the sun.  Here's one lounging in the water:

Cape Palliser was the last day trip in the Wairarapa before heading back to Dunedin.

It was relaxing and rejuvenating to be away.  Now, I'm ready to finish up my PhD - just a few months until I submit my thesis for examination!