Thanks for all the bird advice! I am going to make note of the several places that have been mentioned and we'll do what we can to work in multiple stops! We are definitely going to check out Cape Kidnappers for the gannet colony and the Otago Peninsula for the albatrosses and penguins. We are hoping to see fairy (blue) penguins while on the Otago Peninsula instead of having to go up to Oamaru (for convenience sake). Does anyone have advice on where to hang out at sundown somewhere to see the blue penguins come back to shore? We're thinking also that we'll go to Penguin Place to see the yellow-eyed penguins.
I'm also in the market for a good NZ bird guide, if anyone has favorites, let me know!

On a different note - we are planning on flying from Nelson to Queensland, which requires a layover in Wellington or Christchurch. I have read a little bit about how the wind in Wellington makes those flights a little, uhm, frightening. Does anyone have any first hand experience on flying in and out of Wellington that could inform which flight we book?

Thanks!!

It does blow a bit in Wellington on occasions (that could qualify as the understatement of the year!) and, if you are flying in from Nelson or Blenheim, this may be in a smallish plane, which can add to the excitement.

I have never had a white-knuckle experience in or out of Wellington and, generally, there are no significant problems. In my opinion, the really hairy conditions do not occur frequently enough to be a determining factor in deciding which port to fly out of. I think that you should be guided by flight times and your personal preferences as to the route that you want to take, not by the Wellington wind.

Rob.

You mean, Nelson to Queenstown, right? If you are nervous about the flight from Nelson to Wellington, and you say you have a choice of connecting through Christchurch, do that instead. That way, you don't have to double back by returning to the North Island before flying down south again. Unless, of course, I misunderstood and you actually are going to Queensland (maybe that is where you live).

If you change your mind on going to Oamaru, here is the link to the blue, or fairy, penguin colony:
http://www.penguins.co.nz/
Their numbers graph is interesting:
http://www.penguins.co.nz/?arrival

I thought this page from Tourism New Zealand was useful with respect to Dunedin:
http://www.newzealand.com/travel/tra...-and-otago.cfm

If you are stopping in at the Albatross Center on the Otago Peninsula, ask them about looking for the little blue penguins.

I had a fun time at the Penguin Place..you can get really really close (like inches) if you are lucky.

There is a gannet colony at Muriwai that is really easy to see, you could consider a trip out the west coast on November 23 just in case you have issues that might cause a problem with going to Cape Kidnappers. http://www.arc.govt.nz/parks/our-par...egion/muriwai/

You probably don't need a bird guide for the native terrestrial birds, they're all pretty distinctive! The only time I've ever wanted a guide was on the boat out of Kaikoura with all of the seabirds.

Here is a good website for reference
http://www.nzbirds.com/