Kaikoura (Whale Watching) and the journey to the North Island

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Kaikoura is a good stop for tourists. It's all about the sea - and what lives beneath it. We booked a whale watching tour the morning after we arrived, and managed to get last minute places.

The tour lasted 3 hours and, although very expensive, was well worth it as we got to see three sperm whales. The sperm whale is massive and can survive under water for around 2.5 hours before it has to come up for air. Once up on the surface it usually stays up for around 5 - 10 minutes spurting water from it's blow hole before taking an almighty plunge underwater back to where it came from deep below. The depth of the water in the area we were taken out to was around 3kms deep - staggering. And unerving to think what might be below us.

The tour guide on board made a big effort to keep us entertained and informed while we were waiting for the sighting. They submerged something that looks a bit like a metal detector overboard which listened for whale noises and activity, and then the captain would move the boat nearer to where they thought they were. Occasionally they have no luck and have to take a boat load of disappointed tourists back to shore and refund their money. We were the lucky ones, we got to see 3 and even managed to get the much desired 'tail shot' as a whale made it's plunge underwater.

After the tour we just had time to take a drive to the seal colony for an upclose viewing of the some fur seals basking on the rocks. So cute but keep you distance - they bite, as the signs warn you.

That afternoon we drove 2 hours up the coast to Picton for the night. Picton is a nice little town, mainly used as a stopping off point for people catching the ferry across to Wellington, but it's also a good base for tours out to Marlborough Sounds. We attempted to take a scenic drive out to Marlborough Sounds the next morning as our ferry to Wellington was not due to leave until 1.45pm, but the weather had changed again and we were having another rainy day. Usually the rain wouldn't stop us but with so much grey cloud in the sky and no chance to get out of the car without getting drenched we decided to call it off.

The rain also made our 3 hour crossing to Wellington a bit choppy but we survived it by watching the kid's entertainment show and a bit of the olympics in the tv lounge. I also had to resort to buying a girlie mag and caught up on some of the gossip in the celebrity world - tragic, I know.

So next to the North Island.

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