Blogs from Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 17

Kaikoura, Nov 6 - 11 Swimming with dolphins is something I have wanted to do ever since I can remember and today we did it. What an experience... Our day started at 4.45am as we had to be at the Dolphin Encounter office at 5.30am. We are not used to getting up so early but soon woke up when it was time to wiggle into our wetsuits - another great fashion moment. During our briefing we were told to sing to the dolphins (underwater and through the snorkel obviously) to attract their interest. We were soon out on the water looking for the telltale signs of splashing and within 30 mins we had located a huge pod of at least 300 dusky dolphins. It was time to get in the water! We were both a bit ... read more

Got all packed up and relaxed around the hostel until it was time for Carolin to drive me to the train station. Checked my bag and found my seat. The train isn’t very big and has an open air car at the back of the train where you can stand and watch the scenery. We stopped in a few smaller towns along the way. The train takes you right along the coast down to Christchurch. Great scenery, which is why they call it the Tranzscenic train. Saw lots of NZ fur seals playing in the water and laying on the rocks. Once we arrived in Christchurch I got my bag and hopped into a $5 shuttle which brought me right to my hostel. I’m staying at Vagabond’s backpackers which is an older house turned into a ... read more

Saturday, August 22nd We slept late (again!) and after a shower Clive and Lize prepared a huge farewell breakfast. They were very kind and friendly and helpful during our stay, and it was great to see a different take on life in New Zealand. Also, Lize kept giving us chocolates and biscuits and stuff! We'll definitely stop by again on our way back north. We said farewell and drove to the Blue Bridge Ferry terminal where we joined the queue waiting to embark. There were also two other elaborately painted Escape vans. Very cool! While we waited we organized and repacked our van. It had become a little cluttered inside. At noon we drove onto the ferry, got our cameras and snacks, and headed to the observation deck. Here we sat soaking up the lovely mid-day ... read more

4th June 2009 We started the day with a long walk to find a fur seal colony that live around the Kaikoura Peninsula. Unlucky timing meant that we arrived at the same time as a tour group. This group contained some "special" people who seemed to think that they were looking at animals in a zoo who would perform tricks for them rather than looking at wild animals in their natural environment. As we waited around for this tour group to leave, we started our walk around the rest of the peninsula a little late. The walk took us over limestone cliffs with great views of the mountains to one side of us and a clear look to the ocean on the other side. As we neared the bottom of the cliffs the sun was about ... read more

WOW, the drive into Kaikoura was stunning! This really is a great place. Sadly, due to the bad weather, all whale watching was cancelled, still, i had the scenery. Found a great hostel and went for a wander, cut short by the hailstorm! Everyone was hostel bound, not a bad thing tho, as i plumped myself infront of a wood burner, fed it plenty of logs, and warmed up in an armchair! Later on i braved the weather, but was again beaten by the hail! Worth it tho, the mountains around there are something else, and managed to get a few decent pics! Back to the woodburner then! We actually pass back through Kaikoura on the way back up to the North Island, so hopefully the whale watching will be back up & running by then! ... read more