Last of the Falklands

This is Mt Tumbledown, about 400 metres above sea level! (The highest "mountain" is only 700m).  It was a fairly short hike, so we did it one very, very windy day.  It has good views of Stanley, and was one of the battle sites in the "conflict" of 1982.  There is an abandoned Argentine army field kitchen up there, and a memorial on the summit to the British soldiers who died there.  Everywhere you go on the Islands, there are memorials to soldiers (British) who died.  About 250 British died, and 800-900 Argentines.  The Argentines were very poorly prepared, young boys off the streets from up in the north of the country where it's very hot, taken down to that cold climate in April-May, and were not properly fed or clothed by their own country.  They acknowledge today that the British took better care of them than their own authorities.  The people tell of the Argentine soldiers coming into town begging for food!

           The field kitchen all rusty, but with stainless steel cooking pots

Lunch stop out of the wind

Looking back to Stanley

This is what the peat looks like

Peat embankments.  On the East Island peat is no longer used for heating (they use kerosene to fuel their radiators), but it was used in times past, and is still used on more remote parts.

View of Stanley and the harbour

The surrounding countryside, we had to battle the wind to not get blown over the cliff!

Going up the path toward the field kitchen

Wendy held up by the wind

View from the top of Mt Tumbledown.  War memorial cross

Another memorial on same mountain in different spot to different men.

We went to Cindy's house for lunch one day.  She lives on another part of the East Island, called Fitzroy.  It is actually a sheep station, which has sold off some of the houses and plots of land.

Silverlocks, Wendy, Dave and Alana, me, Cindy

View from her kitchen window

View from other side of house

On our second to last day we decided to attempt the Gypsy Cove walk again to see the Magellanic penguins, that live in burrows.  The day started out really calm but did the wind get up and it was COLD!! Beautiful though...here are some pics of the cloudy skies on the way...

We couldn't get right down onto the beach due to the landmines

This grass is native to the Falklands but has been decimated due to sheep farming.  They are replanting trying to get it back.  Called Tussac grass.

There were burrows all along the walkway, here's a little fella waiting for his parents

He got back in with his brother when an idiot tourist came yahooing along and scared him.

Saw this in a supermarket!

The last hurrah...coffee and carrot cake complete with marzipan carrot at Malvina House day before we left.

A Date with the Penguins!

One of the main industries of the Falklands is tourism.  There is so much wildlife that makes it's home there undisturbed...Several different breeds of penguins, seals and sea lions, albatrosses, dolphins and whales.  The most accessible King penguin colony in the world is found not far from Stanley on a place called Volunteer Point.  (Named after a shipwreck off that coast).  To get there requires one and a half hours of bouncing over peat soil in a 4x4.  Dave Morris kindly took us one day, and it was breath-taking.  I never imagine the beaches to be so white nor the water so turquoise on the Falklands!  The penguins are fascinating.... they are so tame, you can get up really close to them.  There are three different breeds found at "Volunteers" as the Islanders call it.  The King, the Gentoo, and the Magellanic.  I couldn't decide which photos to publish, they are all just so neat, so here goes all of them!  I wish I knew how to embed videos, because to see them walking is so amazing... but have never had a successful attempt to post a video!

The scenery driving out to Volunteer Point

These buildings belong to one of the many sheep stations along the way.  There was a sign that said "Caution, Free Range Kids!"  Here's one of them!

                                                           At the sheep station

                              Inside the honesty box - Anzac biscuits, cherry chews, muffins....

We went down this slope easy!

                                              The King colony from a distance

                       There is a chick there with brown feathers which he will lose eventually.

Walking down to the sea

A chick nearly changed his suit!

Sign says "penguins only beyond this point"

The beautiful beach

Coming down from the rookery to take a dip

The Kings and a Gentoo

Going...going...gone!

This is called the "creche" of the gentoos.  All the chicks stay here, while the parents are out feeding.  It's incredible to see when the parent comes back, it stands on the outer edge and calls.  One chick out of that multitude will go running to it's parent!  How does it know?? Then the parent instead of feeding it then and there, turns around and runs away!  And makes the chick run after it flat tack.  Once it's a long distance away from the creche, and the chick tires out, it will finally turn and feed it's baby! Apparently this is to strengthen the chick, and start leading it toward the beach.  Chicks whose parents never come back because they've died at sea, will just starve to death in the creche.

This day was hot for the penguins (around 25oC), and many were just flopped on the ground panting.

Gentoo adults