Fire, Flood, Pestilence

Return from Milford 

Our Milford Sound Fiordland cruise had been beyond extraordinary. 

We had been told by the few people we knew who had experienced it before we did that it would be truly wonderful; we had read 5 star review after 5 star review of it including one written by one of the travellers caught up in the dreadful storm a few weeks before.

But nothing can truly prepare you for this totally dazzling, uniquely New Zealand experience.

Once we had recovered from the sheer awe and wonder of where we actually were, yet another marvel astonished us

We went below deck about an hour after boarding hoping for a cup of tea and a sandwich only to find a huge buffet selection of hot and cold dishes which all appeared to be included in our package.

There was almost as much choice on that catamaran as the buffet meal we had the previous evening at the Stratosphere.

I opted for a New Zealand fresh seafood platter which appeared to have been locally sourced, plus stir fried vegetables and a mixed salad.

Others selected lasagne, spaghetti, meat and seafood pies, vegan curry, sweet and sour chicken and a ramen bowl, much of which we ended up sharing.

Tea, coffee and a dessert selection were also offered though we left that until just before disembarking back at the port at the end of the tour.

Our journey back to Queenstown was as spectacular as it had been earlier except on this occasion we did not revisit the mirror lakes.

Our driver did not speak as much about the scenery on the return journey but he told us more about the storm damage from earlier that month, where he explained that five times the normal volume of rain fell in less than 24 hours.

It appears that there had never been such extensive storm damage in that area since records started to be kept. 

2020 was certainly a year of firsts, though at that point we hadn't yet experienced the worst of it.

The return journey took just over 4 hours so we reached Queenstown just after 8:30 pm.

It had been a very, very long day. They do warn you about that.

We were given the option to return back to Queenstown by helicopter for an extra payment of around $150 each I think. 

Our party decided against it but we were amazed at how many in our coach opted for it.

The coach was therefore even more empty on the way back than it had been for our outward journey in the morning.

On arrival at the drop-off point, we walked to our car, returned to the hotel to freshen up then walked to the Speights pub a short distance from our hotel.

The two young people ordered bar snacks for dinner with their drinks but we were still replete from our abundant buffet lunch on the catamaran.

As it was my husband's birthday the following day, we intended to stay up and have a birthday drink with him all together at midnight but after just one drink in that pub our early start caught up with us and we all decided on a comparatively early night in readiness for the following very full day ahead of us.

Monday 24 February 2020

Birthday Breakfast in beautiful Queenstown 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Gilbert_Rees

It could not have been a more beautiful morning when we woke up that day on my husband's birthday in beautiful Queenstown.

We all agreed that as far as birthday locations went, this was as good as it got.

After clearing our rooms and packing our luggage into our car, we decided to walk from the hotel to the magical waterfront area at centre of town and enjoy a very special birthday breakfast.

Our walk through Queenstown in the bright morning sunshine was absolutely delightful.

Queenstown could not be more perfect: glorious mountain and lake views all around it, clean, full of bijou designer boutiques for window shopping (real shopping in those boutiques would certainly have been beyond our budget) and so many cafés, restaurants, breakfast venues, bakeries. 

We truly wished at the time that we had a month there not just a few days.

Now, after 9 months in and out of lockdown, I wish we had stayed forever.

If any part of our magical trip feels like a dream, Queenstown is right up there at the top of the list.

I had booked the Prime Waterfront Restaurant and Bar for an 'All you Can Eat' buffet breakfast for just 20 NZ$ a head (approx £10 per person).

We would usually just have a coffee and a croissant or toast for breakfast; this was just our second cooked buffet breakfast on the entire trip and the first since our Holiday Inn Hotel stay in Sydney after we discovered that our Airbnb accommodation had been double booked.

The Prime Waterfront Restaurant and Bar was on the first floor; to access it we had to walk up a flight of stairs through the most tempting of Chocolateries anywhere. 

It may have been earlier than we would usually eat chocolate but those free samples of macadamia nut turtles were to die for.

I wish I had given into temptation on that one occasion and bought several kilos of them.

Breakfast was as abundant and delicious as any buffet breakfast we had eaten in 5 star hotels anywhere.

We were seated at a huge picture window where we enjoyed glorious views of the waterfront below and the Remarkables in the background whilst enjoying Birthday Bucks Fizz and sparkling wine with as much bacon, egg, sausage, tomatoes, beans, mushrooms, hash browns, toast, pancakes, croissants, even fried bread as we could eat in the time we were there.

We all ate abundantly as the food was delicious and unlike many buffet breakfasts it did not cool down due to electric hot plates being placed under the serving dishes. 

There was just one other family there so we had most of the food to ourselves which meant that we went back to replenish our plates far more than we should have 

It was just as well really as this did end up being our main meal of the day due to a variety of events beyond our control that afternoon so I am glad that I booked this rather abundant option rather than coffee, croissants and birthday cake at the Bakery which was the other birthday breakfast I had considered for that day.

After our massive breakfast we walked back to our hotel through a different part of town.

Our daughter and her fiancé wanted to do a little shopping (they went in search of birthday cards for my husband I think so it was a good idea to split up for a while).

We continued admiring the beautiful scenery everywhere and even stumbled on the statue of William Gilbert Rees, the person credited with the founding of beautiful Queenstown.

According to Wikipedia, "William Gilbert Rees, was an explorer, surveyor, and early settler in Central Otago, New Zealand.

"He and fellow explorer Nicholas von Tunzelmann were the first Europeans to settle the Wakatipu basin".

"Rees is regarded as the founder of Queenstown" for that reason.

"Rees was born in Haroldston St. Issell's, Pembrokeshire, Wales in 1827".

"His father was a commander with the British Royal Navy so Rees himself was educated at the Royal Naval School in his father's footsteps".

"Rees emigrated to New South Wales, Australia in 1852, where he became a sheep farmer".

"He returned to England in 1858 to marry his childhood sweetheart and cousin Frances Rebecca Gilbert (more commonplace then among the upper classes I believe)".

"Soon after he and his wife emigrated to New Zealand and established a high country farm in 1860 close to the current location of Queenstown's town centre".

"His homestead was located near the mouth of the Kawarau River, at the site of the present day Hilton Hotel".

"Some historic buildings have been preserved to this day".

"The Queenstown suburb of Frankton was named after his wife Frances".

"Cecil Peak and Walter Peak were named after the first given names of his son".

"Gold was discovered not far to the northeast two years later, at which point Rees converted his wool shed into a hotel named the Queen's Arms, now known as Eichardt's".

"Today, Rees is considered the founding father of Queenstown".

"Rees was an early New Zealand exponent of the sport of cricket, having been born into a family with prominent links to the sport".

"He was a member of the Grace family, and related as a cousin to W. G. Grace, an early star of the game".

"He appeared in one first-class match for New South Wales in 1857; his cousin William Lee Rees played for Victoria in the same match."

"Rees was a devout Anglican and helped with the building of St Peter's Church in central Queenstown, which was completed in 1863."

The Rees River in Central Otago is named after Rees, and his statue stands on Rees Street, Queenstown, near the town pier".

"There is a hotel called "The Rees" on Frankton Road in Queenstown which bears his name and a bridge on State Highway 6 named in his honour."

"He died in the Blenheim area of New Zealand, on 31 October 1898, and was buried at Omaka Cemetery also in Blenheim".

Māori settlement and presence

When reading about the early British colonisers and settlers in both Australia and New Zealand, it is also important to consider the role played by indigenous communities who had inhabited these locations often centuries before.

This area of New Zealand had actually been "discovered and first settled by Māori long before any non-Māori arrived and staked their claim".

"The first non-Māori to see Lake Wakatipu was European Nathanael Chalmers who was guided by Reko, the chief of the Tuturau, over the Waimea Plains and up the Mataura River in September 1853".

"Evidence of stake nets, baskets for catching eels, spears and ashes indicated the Glenorchy area was also inhabited by Māori".

"It is likely Ngāi Tahu Māori visited Queenstown en route to collect Pounamu (greenstone)".

"A settlement called Te Kirikiri Pa was occupied by the tribe of Kāti Māmoe which was situated where the Queenstown Gardens are today, but, research claims that by the time European migrants arrived in the 1860s this settlement was no longer being used."

We are grateful that men like William Gilbert Rees paved the way for travellers such as ourselves to visit these beautiful and unique corners of the earth but we are also grateful to the unsung heroes who have no statues erected in their honour but who inhabited and preserved these lands long before westerners even knew they existed and thanks to whom, we are slowly beginning to realise, that our migration to them would have been less smooth without their experience and intervention.

Wet Jacket Winery Otago 

http://www.wetjacket.nz/about-wet-jacket/why-wet-jacket/

My husband couldn't have received a greater gift for his birthday than that of being in this most beautiful area of New Zealand's South Island, but I still decided on an additional extra special birthday treat for him before we left that area later that day.

I had volunteered to be the main driver for most of our journey to Dunedin that afternoon so my husband could fully enjoy his birthday wine tastings at two of the most renowned Otago Wineries.

The first of the two wineries we had selected was the Wet Jacket Winery on Bendemeer Lane off state Highway 6. 

One of the reasons we were drawn to this particular winery was its rather unusual name. 

I read later that "Wet Jacket is a stunning marine reserve located between Dusky and Breaksea Sounds in the southwest corner of Fiordland National Park".

"It was named Wet Jacket Arm by Captain Cook and his crew on their second trip to New Zealand in 1773 when they moored in Pickersgill Harbour for 6 weeks".

"The name Wet Jacket was actually chosen for the area due to the sodden nature of the crew's jackets after spending many days in torrential Fiordland storms".

"Wet Jacket has a special place in the heart of the owner of that winery, Greg Hay besides it's historical significance to New Zealand".

"Having spent more than 20 years exploring Fiordland, predominantly in Dusky and Breaksea Sounds and Wet Jacket Arm, Greg Hay feels utterly at home there".

"He spends his time hunting and gathering using the local delicacies for indulging his passion for cooking and creating wild food dishes".

"Greg is also passionate about wildlife conservation and is a Trustee for the Fiordland Conservation Trust, which is actively involved in projects to ensure the survival of some New Zealand's endangered native and endemic birds".

As keen conservationists ourselves we were very happy to have read that about a winery we had visited during our time in Otago.

Our favourite Wet Jacket tastings on that day included an excellent Pinot Noir and a very crisp, fresh Sauvignon Blanc.

My husband wanted to try their signature Pinot Noir Reserve but at $180 a bottle it wasn't included in the $10 tasting package. 

We ended up buying a couple of bottles of both the Pinot and the Sauvignon as well as an excellent sparkling wine. 

The tasting room in this winery is also interesting as it actually in a wool shed. 

They explained on the day that "the Wet Jacket brand is a unique concept reverencing the history of farming in Central Otago and celebrating the modern wine industry of 21st Century New Zealand".

"The Woolshed at Bendemeer is very much a representation of the Wet Jacket brand".

"With the Woolshed's historical significance to the Wakitipu Basin and the region's farming history, the result is a perfect fit of old and new".....At least that's what is written on their information board.

This was a very different experience from all the other wineries we visited in both Australia and New Zealand.

Definitely one I would recommend and a perfect birthday treat if you happen to have a birthday whilst in Otago.

Gibbston Valley Winery, Otago

https://www.gibbstonvalley.com/nz/our-wine-story/

Our next vineyard tour was at the Gibbeston Valley Winery on 1820 State Highway 6.

There are quite a few wineries to choose from in this area so deciding on just two was not easy.

What clinched it for this one in the end was the fact that its founder, Alan Brady was an Irish man. 

Ireland is not at all renowned for its viticulture so as my husband has Irish roots, we thought that an Irish Vineyard would be a perfect birthday surprise for him.

Mr Brady is described on the Gibbston Valley website as having  "the unbridled passion of a wild Irishman with a zeal for risk taking"

It is that zeal that led to "the region’s founding winery".

"No one thought grapes could flourish at 45 degrees south of the equator, but wine pioneer, Alan Brady, took a chance on the unknown and planted the region’s first vines in 1983".

"The rest, as they say, is history".

"Today, his original Home Block Vineyard continues to create award-winning vintages and is now certified organic".

"Alan planted Gibbston Valley's first commercial vineyard, Home Block, in 1983 and released Central Otago’s first commercial vintage in 1987".

"The wine gained considerable recognition, creating Central Otago's first footprint in the world of winemaking".

"Soon others followed".

"Today, Central Otago is regarded as one of the top three regions in the world for Pinot Noir along with Burgundy in France and Oregon in the USA".

"Central Otago is also known for producing outstanding world-class wines from other cold-climate varieties including Pinot Gris, Riesling and Chardonnay".

"In 1990, Alan established Gibbston Valley Wines as a new boutique winery that featured a tasting room and gourmet lunch restaurant".

"Today, the restaurant is recognised as one of the top places to eat in Queenstown".

"By 1995, storage space for the numerous oak barrels used to mature wine was becoming a problem".

"The barrels require a very controlled environment with constant temperature and humidity".

"The obvious choice was to build a barrel storage facility, but Alan had something different in mind".

"He decided to blast a 1400 cubic metre cave into the schist mountain which provides the backdrop for the winery".

This was the first in the region and continues to be the largest Wine Cave in New Zealand".

This really was a very special wine tour experience. 

The $10 tastings the others shared were extremely generous and top ups were available if desired.

As designated driver I stuck to coffee and the very occasional sip but the little I did taste was truly wonderful.

Their 2015 School House Pinot Noir was out of this world, so much so, that our daughter's fiancé bought several bottles of it for his parents who would have loved to have joined us in New Zealand but sadly personal circumstances rendered it impossible.

I think that very special Otago wine was much appreciated and enjoyed especially as it was received half way through the UK's first very long lockdown.

We spent much longer in that winery than originally intended.

The tasting garden with the Remarkables in the background and vineyards all around us, could not have been more perfectly located. 

We could easily have stayed there in that glorious sunshine, sipping some of the best wines in the world, for that entire day.

One day we will go back to that magical area of New Zealand and we'll do just that.

But on that day at that time we had to leave the Queenstown area.

We had a long drive ahead of us to Dunedin, which we would now need to do in one afternoon with few if any stops at all.

But if any location anywhere in world deserved a little extra effort then this was it.

Our stay in Queenstown was one of the best experiences of our lives.

A dreamlike moment of sheer perfection and a beacon of light in the darkness of how 2020 will be remembered by everyone all over the world. 

From Queenstown to Dunedin

https://www.dehek.com/itineraries/south-island-itineraries/5-day-itinerary-route-3-south-island/queenstown-dunedin/

The various changes in our itinerary due to the dreadful storm which hit much of central Otago in early February and which had totally devastated the beautiful Otago Fiordland, meant that the next day and a half would be the most arduous travel days of our entire three month voyage.

The first schedule change was imposed upon us when we received the email informing us that our Milford Sound trip across Fiordland had to be cancelled due to flood debris in the sounds and serious damage to the one highway from Queenstown to Milford.

This also compelled us to cancel our accommodation in Te Anau due to our not being able to access it.

Our flight from Christchurch to Queenstown had been booked and paid for several months earlier when we first booked our original Milford Sound trip online.

Cancelling that flight was not an option we as we had selected a lower cost non-refundable deal with Last Minute.Com.(internal flights in New Zealand are not cheap).

However, when we eventually managed to get through to customer services at Last Minute we were told that for a small admin fee we could change our departure date and stay an extra night in Christchurch, that meant that we would be able to book an Akaroa Harbour tour.

At that time we believed that a Milford Sound trip would be totally out of the question so the Akaroa Harbour tour was much appreciated and we all really enjoyed it.

The new plan after that was to fly to Queenstown, spend one night and one day there, collect our road trip hire car and then set off on a leisurely 6 day road trip to Picton before boarding the ferry to Wellington.

Of course once in Queenstown and once we discovered that the Milford Sound tours would be reinstated that very weekend, everything changed and we ended up staying three nights instead of one.

We did not regret that in the least, not even a little.

Our time in Queenstown with our wonderful Fiordland and Milford Sounds tour plus our magical birthday meal at the Stratosphere was one of the best experiences of our entire trip.

But it did mean that we now had just three nights to get to Picton. 

It goes without saying that had we just been travelling straight form Queenstown to Picton, we would have easily managed it in just two days but we were travelling further south to Dunedin first then we planned to spend a day wine tasting in Blenheim before boarding our ferry to Wellington in time for the Wellington Fringe Festival where our daughter and her fiancé would be working for the following week, so timings in between would be tight.

But if there is anywhere in the world where one has to spend long periods driving, there could be nowhere more beautiful to do that in than New Zealand.

Our drive from Gibbston Valley to Dunedin was truly spectacular.

As designated driver that day I had to keep my wits about me at all times so as to keep my eyes on the road as the spectacular scenery I was driving through was totally overwhelming.  

Our journey that day started at the Gibbston Valley Winery.

As soon as we left that winery we immediately found ourselves surrounded by the most exquisitely beautiful scenery.

This really is like no other wine region anywhere.

"In Gibbston Valley, one doesn't see acres and acres of flat land as is typical of working vineyards everywhere else in the world, when you drive through the Gibbston Valley you spot vineyards squeezed precariously between deep, rocky gorges and jagged mountains of schist".

Not long after leaving the Gibbston Valley Winery, we found ourselves driving within view of the Kawarau Gorge; "this is a major river gorge, located about 30 kilometres from Queenstown".

"The Kawarau River flows through the gorge and part of the route of State Highway 6 also follows the gorge".

We couldn't have asked for a more spectacular start to our South Island road trip.

Less than an hour into our trip we found ourselves in Cromwell.

"Cromwell is located beside Lake Dunstan" and is where we had planned to stop for afternoon tea had we not spent that extra hour at the vineyard.

"Historic Old Cromwell Town, which is now home to local craftspeople", is also somewhere we would have visited had we not been on such a tight schedule.

Also on that route is "Clyde Dam, New Zealand’s third largest hydro power station".

We did not see the dam itself that day but we did appear "to follow the path of the Clutha, the river the dam is built on", for quite some time on our drive from the Gibbstone Valley.

The town of Alexandra was the next area we drove through; "this is located right in the heart of Central Otago".

"This town boasts a thriving community of fruit growers, viticulture and wine making".

"During summer, temperates can reach the high 30’s in this area of New Zealand" as was the case on the day we drove there.

We had intended to stop and buy some fresh fruit to eat in the car but as our arrival deadline was fast approaching we decided against it.

The town of Roxburgh alongside the Clutha River, is the final place we drove through before reaching Dunedin.

"Roxburgh is known as the 'stone fruit' area of the country and famous throughout the country for growing exquisite summer fruits such as Cherries, Plums, Apricots, Peaches, Pears, Nectarines, Apples and a variety of berries".

"These can easily be purchased from roadside orchard stalls" so on this occasion we did succumb to temptation and stopped to buy delicious plums and the biggest, juiciest cherries we had ever eaten. 

It was at this point that we came to a T junction.

A left turn would take us to Dunedin in just over 1.5 hours, a right turn would take us to Invercargill in a similar amount of time. 

We would have dearly loved to go to Invercargill and take a ferry to Stewart Island which is the southernmost point of New Zealand and the closest one could get to Antarctica from that continent.

But choices had to be made and ours was to book tickets at the Royal Albatross Centre in Dunedin for early evening that day so we turned left and set course for our final destination.

Royal Albatross Centre, Taiaroa Head, Otago 

https://albatross.org.nz/albatross-viewing/

http://www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/northern-royal-albatross

Our Royal Albatross tour started at 6:30 pm with a talk in the centre's new auditorium.

We spent about 50 minutes in this auditorium before being led to a modern, purpose-built indoor glassed viewing area where we could see albatross in flight delivering food to their nesting partners and where necessary newly hatched chicks.

These albatross tours take place throughout the entire day until the last one at 6:30pm which is the one we were on.

On the tour they tell you the story of the Northern Royal Albatross, followed by a short but extremely informative film by Natural History NZ.

The talk and the film are an essential prequel to the visit to the viewing observatory where you can see the nesting albatross.

This was an amazing tour.

"It is the only place in the world where one can enjoy the privilege of viewing these majestic seabirds in their natural environment".

The birds we saw in Taiaroa Head are the Northern Royals, the largest albatross in the world.

"The northern royal albatross has an all white body with black upperwings".

"It usually mates for life and breeds only in New Zealand".

"Monitored biennial breeding takes at the Albatross Centre in Taiaroa Head, but primarily the royals breed on The Sisters and The Forty-Fours which are Islands in Chatham Island group".

"The Chatham Islands, are part of New Zealand and they form an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about 800 kilometres east of South Island".

"The archipelago consists of about ten islands within an approximate 60-kilometre radius, the largest of which are Chatham Island and Pitt Island".

These are still the main breeding grounds for the Royals, though more are now breeding at Taiaroa Head thanks to the hard work and commitment of the many dedicated professionals employed or volunteering at the Royal albatross centre there.

"Albatrosses feed on squid, fish, and krill that they acquire by scavenging, surface seizing, or diving"

"It takes pairs of males and females many years of courtship to form their bond, but once they have chosen their partner, they stay together for life".

"From laying to fledging, breeding can often last a year or more and is an exhausting process for these incredible birds".

"Only one egg is laid per breeding season and both parents incubate it during a 65 day period".

"The chick takes around 160 days to fledge, and is at first fed on a rich stomach oil by both its parents".

"Both parents are equally invested in the process".

"Gliding on wind currents, the albatross travels thousands of miles with little flapping of their wings".

"Some species of albatross, including the royals, can cover distances equal to flying around the world at the equator 3 times each year".

"The wandering albatross", which is how the royals are known when they take to the skies, "flies up to 6,250 miles to gather food for its chick and it is estimated that a 50 year old albatross has flown at least 3.7 million miles over its lifetime".

"Albatrosses can live for over 60 years; however, it is now rare that they survive that long".

"Northern royal albatross can be sighted throughout the Southern Ocean at any time of year".

"Non-breeding and immature birds, including newly fledged birds, undertake a downwind circumnavigation in the Southern Ocean for up to 46 days at a time per single flight".

"We saw films and were given talks on the social and family life of the breeding colony, devoted parents guarding their chicks, adolescents posturing and displaying, courtship proceedings, nest building and interplay".

Our visit to the viewing observatory to view the nesting albatross was totally captivating. 

We were told the names of all the albatross 'sitting' on eggs at that moment and how the centre monitors and supports the process throughout the lifespan of the breeding pair.

We were enchanted by all of it and we found the viewings of these beautiful creatures in flight incredibly moving but what was overwhelmingly distressing and deeply upsetting was the talk on Predators and Threats.

It goes without saying that human beings are the greatest threat to the survival of these beautiful animals.

"Longline fisheries currently pose one of the highest threats of all to a wandering albatross as birds are attracted to the bait and become hooked on the lines and drown".

"Approximately 100,000 albatrosses are killed this way every year, 1/3 of which are caused by illegal and unregulated fishing fleets".

One could argue that "an even more tragic cause for albatross mortality is consumption of marine debris, mainly plastic, that they mistake for food".

"Birds are found with bellies full of refuse, including cigarette lighters, toothbrushes, syringes, toys, clothespins and now even face-masks".

At Taiaroa Head last March we were given devastating statistics on the damage being done to this extraordinary species.

40 percent of albatross chicks die due to dehydration and starvation from refuse being fed to them which fills their bellies but inevitably provides no nutrition so they often end up starving to death.

One of the exhibits on view was a life-size model of a four month old chick which when opened showed that the content of its stomach was filled with plastic, polystyrene, string, bags, even two syringes. The poor thing didn't stand a chance.

"It has been estimated that albatross feed their chicks about 5 tons of plastic a year".

"The marine debris collects through a system of currents called the North Pacific subtropical gyre" which invariably spills out into the Southern Ocean and the flight path of these wonderful birds.

"Greenpeace refers to this region as the Trash Vortex, and it is also known as the Eastern Garbage Patch".

"Slack winds and low currents in the centre of the vortex enables refuse from all around the Pacific to collect causing high concentrations of plastic debris". 

"The Northern Royals and other albatross species are in real danger of extinction because they are unable to breed fast enough to keep up with population declines".

"We were told that without human support and intervention this species would be extinct within a few years".

"It takes a lot of time and effort for albatross chicks to be fully fledged, but it can only take a careless moment to destroy one".

If Coleridge was right and if albatross are the personification of the purity and innocence of nature then it is beyond any doubt at all that man is violating that purity and will eventually destroy it completely.

That destruction may not come in the form of a crossbow, and the arrow may not be fired by a maverick, isolated mariner but judging by the present rate of assault and destruction aimed at these majestically beautiful, innocent creatures, there may as well be 1000 crossbows a day aimed at them.

If this isn't going against nature then I don't know what is.

We were told at the end of our tour that our entry fees that day would go directly towards the fostering and protection of the Northern Royal Albatross.

For that reason alone I would visit the centre again and again and again if I were in a position to.

If you would like to find out how you can support the incredible work done by the Royal Albatross Centre then go to their website and click on ALBATROSS.

It may be one of the most valuable things you ever do.