Tracey

We met Department of Conservation volunteer, Tracey, at Sandfly Bay. She is one of the people who patrol the beach to protect the rare yellow-eyed penguins who live and rear their chicks in the dunes and on the cliffs there.

At this time of year the adult penguins go out to sea at sunrise and return late in the afternoon with food for their chicks. The volunteers do their best to keep people away from those areas to which they know the adults will return.

The penguins are coming in from the sea from about 6pm onwards but don't all return at once, and then take their time making their way to the burrows. So the whole process can take many hours.

Tracey had travelled from her home at Macandrew Bay a few miles away, arriving at Sandfly at about 5.45 and stayed on the beach until 9.45pm. We know when she went home because we camped overlooking Sandfly Bay on Sunday night.

Sandfly Bay from the hide