'It Looks Like W(h)ales Here!'

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Another huge drive ... four and a half hours across the country to the pacific coast ... I am often seriously confused about N,S,E,W here ... such as why is the E coast(facing the Pacific) the colder one?
Back-tracking from the Abel Tasman NP towards Nelson and then crossing the Marlborough wine plantations before heading into the grassy hills on the way down towards Kaikoura. Passed many beautiful wineries but decided not to stop given the mileage to be covered (oh … and the driving rain and gale-force winds probably swayed our decision). The Montana vineyard was especially impressive, stretching as far as the eye could see up into the foothills of the Kaikoura mountain range – well, as far as the cloud-bank at any rate. Perhaps it was the sheep, the rolling pasture over hills and valleys … or, more likely, the speed of the windscreen wipers that led Diana to comment on how much the Kaikoura coast resembled Wales!
Stunning, breaking waves smashing onto black sandy beaches, huge driftwood trees and branches and an almost purple colour to the sea meant that the weather didn’t detract from the beauty of this place (We really are working hard at keeping positive!) As the rain and wind started to abate, and the beach became visible, we suddenly started to see shapes shuffling along the rocks and emerging from the waves … SEALS … hundreds of them! We pulled off the road at Oahu Point to watch the new born pups falling around unsupervised, the mating couples biting (!) each other and the males strutting around with their hairy, fat-filled chests puffed out … it really is like Wales here!
The whole purpose of our drive here is to go out tomorrow at 10.00 am on a whale-watching trip to try and see Killer Whales and Sperm Whales (this is the peak season for sighting both) – I booked this months ago! Unfortunately the sea-state led to all the trips today being cancelled – aaaaagh! I have lost track of how many different sources of weather forecast I have sought and they are all different. Fingers, toes, legs crossed …

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Photos

'Rainbathing'
Emily first coined this phrase yesterday ... opposite of sunbathing!

Comments

[Rob & Sarah Childs]

Jumping Pillows !!
Dear Cosmonauts I think the jumping pillow is another species that is native only to New Zealand. I remember one in a campsite just behind the whaleway station in Kaikoura. Many happy hours of jumping whilst waiting for the weather to clear....... I hope you get onto the water. Keep writing your blog, it brings back many memories for us. LoL Rob & Sarah

[Giles and Kate]

Looks like you too have stayed at the Top 10 Kaikoura campsite! PS Giles suggested go fishing instead - they had an amazing trip with "Tommo" coming home with all sorts of edibles. PPS Giles also offering to lend you our pics of K in the sun, and us swimming in the Top 10 pool in the sunshine. PPPS Bloody cold and grey here too. Keep smiling. This is character forming stuff...