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22nd - 25th May - Christchurch - Kaikoura - Nelson - Westport

On arrival in Christchurch I had been up for 48 hours straight, so I went to bed! The next morning our Kiwi Experience began and the first destination was Kaikoura, further North up the coast. Leaving a drizzly Christchurch we set off on the spectacular scenic drive up the East coast to Kaikoura. Evertime I looked out of the window I was met with a scene straight from a postcard. It was amazing! Whereas in Australia we had passed the time on buses by putting on movie, our driver didn't bother because of the spectacular scenery straight out of the window. This has been the case throughout New Zealand and I have never seen a more beautiful country.

Kaikoura

We arrived in Kaikoura mid afternoon when we checked into a very cosy hostel with views overlooking the bay. Kaikoura is a seaside town and much of its industry focuses on this and tourism. We had opted to go for a trip out to sea where we would hopefully be able to swim with wild dolphins. However, the weather wasn't great so we were keeping our fingers crossed! Despite a large swell and fairly miserable weather we got the all clear! Having donned some rather stylish, thick wetsuits (necessary when the sea temp is only 15C) we caught the bus round the headland to the other bay and boarded the boat ready to swim with dolphins! It was a rough ride out as we rolled over some HUGE walls of water (the prefect storm movie was at the back of my mind!) On the way out we saw several Albatros which had an unbelievably big wingspan (capable of reaching 3 metres). Then, after 20 minutes spotting, the pod of Dusky dolphins was sighted. I have never seen anything like it before! The pod was around 300 in number and they were jumping out of the water everywhere! We all perched on the edge of the boat and entered the water with snorkels and mask. It was amazing! As soon as we were in they surrounded us within touching distance. Just like puppys they all wanted to play and we had been given a few tips in order to keep them entertained. The dolphins loved us to dive down and meet their eyes swimming in circles as quickly as possible. We were also advised that making strange noises down the snorkel helped, however, I'm sure it was just for the entertainment of those on the boat! It was one of the best things I have ever done and definitely something I will remember.

Nelson

The next day we set for Nelson. We had a short stop at Picton, the gateway to the North Island, in order to pick up a few more passengers and meet our driver for the West Coast - Pam, before continuing through the Malborough wine region. We stopped for a spot of wine tasting at one of the smaller Vineyards and had time to soak up some of the spectacular views, as well as filling up on the homemade dressings and bread. We arrived in Nelson late afternoon and checked into the Paradiso Hostel which had come as a recommendation for its free soup, suana and party bus in the back yard. After a quick turn a round we were off up the hill to the official centrepoint of New Zealand, just in time to catch the last of daylight.

Westport

From Nelson it was then onto Westport, the first stop on the West Coast. Being in Nelson we stopped off at the scenic Nelson Lakes National Park and Lake Rotoiti. Again, the scenery was breathtaking and after a quick walk round part of the lake while some of the bus took a dip in the freezing waters, we were back on the road.The next stop was Murchison to sample some amazing ice cream before continuing to Buller Gorge. The view from the bus window just kept getting better and better and before we knew it we were in the shadow of some dramatic cliff faces. We drove alongside the Buller River which has the largest through flow of water of any river in New Zealand with the river line capable of rising dramatically. Then it was time for our first high adrenaline sport...JETBOATING! Stopping off at Buller Adventure Tours on the river we geared up and set off for the jetty. Having seen the previous group return...this boat was fast! We set off with both chevy engines and 850 horse power behind us. I couldn't even hear myself think! Being the high adrenaline junkies that we are, James, Jonathon and I sat at the back to feel the ultimate G Force and get very very wet! After a quick tour down the river, coming very close to the rock faces on either side, we began the aquaplaning! The 360 spins were awesome and due to the boat not having a propeller engine it was capable of driving over very shallow waters and had ultimate manoueverability. A great laugh (and 100% SAFE!!I promise!)

Having finished up in Westport we then began the great journey down the West Coast...

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