It was a decent morning for a stroll along the Esplanade at St Clair and walkers were joined by a sea lion, which created quite a commotion for about 15 minutes yesterday.
The creature looked a little lost, but eventually made its way back to the beach.
It received a police escort for part of the trip and, by now, will have quite a social media presence judging by the amount of video and photographs taken of the interloper.
Before swaggering off, it bumped into "Mum" - the statue of the first sea lion to give birth on mainland New Zealand in 150 years.
November is generally understood to be the start of sea lion breeding season, when females head more inland and into human spaces - such as backyards, golf courses and roads.
People are reminded to keep their distance when they spot a sea lion.
