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Published: July 12th 2007
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We got up about 8.30 this morning (well I got up at 8 and Anna got up at 9 so we'll call it 8.30!) and were thrilled at the thought that we had bought bread,jam,marmite and coffee the night before so we could have breakfast in a nice clean kitchen!We were still a little bemused as to where our small pea-headed friend had gone,and had to keep remembering that we had departed at Aukland airport the day before as our flight to Christchurch was at 9am and she flew to Fiji that day at 6pm.It was a funny feeling flying on the plane without her as we were all so used to spending so much time in each others company,but she was there in spirit, and we drew a picture of her and put it in the middle of us.Anna questioned if we could order Pea's in-flight snack even though she wasn't there.No you can't.We hired a car as soon as we got to the airport and set off for Kaikoura,stopping at a delightful cafe in Calcairne where we had the tastiest wholemeal pizza with potatos,grilled chicken,meditteranean vegetables and rice with apples and sultanas,follwed by a huge chunk of carrot
cake (to share of course-we need to keep our stick-thin figures for Fiji) with cream and fruit.Fiji diet starts tomorrow.Tummies full,we hit the road again and found the Sleepy Whale hostel in Kaikoura which was very nice and popped to New World supermarket for a few bits.After a gripping evening of washing our pants and ourselves,we went to bed-yes a real bed!!!No squeezing next to each other in Colin!
We got ourselves ready the first morning and headed out to the information centre at a quick pace to see if we could book a whale watching trip!!!Very excited we enquired at the desk and were informed that the early morning trips had been cancelled due to choppy seas but we could go on the afternoon trip woo-hoo!I wasn't very pleased to hear that the sea was more than abit choppy, and there was a high level of sea-sickness-not another Airlie scene!I couldn't possibly be seen in public again throwing up over the side of the boat,so we wandered into town and I bought some sea sickness tablets.Anna bought a rather fetching wooley hat that dangles over her ears.She rammed it on as soon as we exited the shop and
asked why she couldn't see anything and that if she pulled it up,why did it perch on top of her head like a scampi-basket-it's back to front dear,I corrected.Cute.
I gulped my tablets and we went back to the hostel for lunch,maybe not a good idea before going on the boat but I was optimistic.Our bus depearted from the whale-watch depot and we headed for the wharf where our boat 'Tahora' was waiting for us.As we got further out to sea, the waves were enormous and we crashed around the boat and practically flew through the air!Felt a little dodgy but concentrated on the thought of seeing whales and dolphins.We saw a massive albatross fly by the window.Our guide, Jess was very nice and informative and put on a dvd about the various whales,dolphins, sea birds and other marine life that we might see.Captain Hummer kept stopping the boat and placing a microphone into the water to hear for Whales.Another boat radioed that they had found one and we zoomed off to track it.Very exciting!At last, we saw it.A sperm whale!She told us that the sperm whale is the largest toothed whale and various facts about it's nature and
how it's rib cage collapses when it dives deep into the sea.It was so special seeing a whale!We took so many photos but the boat wasn't allowed within 50meters of the whale so the pictures were abit small.The whale dived into the see and we got to see it's massive tail crash down.Jess also told us that a few months earlier,there had been sightings of a group of 4 blue whales playing near the shore!Abit gutted we hadn't seen a blue whale but at least we had seen one whale!The area also had resident whales, such as Dragon (jagged fins) and Manu (Maori for bird as his tale was the shape of a flying bird).New Zealand also has it's own 'Hector's' dolphins but unfortunatley we didn't see any today.
The captain suddenly ordered that the sea was getting too rough to continue with the trip and that we had to head back to the shore!By now the sea had started to get really rough and my stomach was not coping well with this.Anna had to keep feeding me mento sweets to try and take my mind off it.Glad to get back to land but a little disappointed at not
seeing more whales and dolphins, we receieved a 60% refund on our ticket wich was kind of them.We then headed off in our little car to the seal colony which was just up the road!On the way, we stopped to take a photo of the beautiful view, and right beside us on the rocks was a chubby little seal,just chilling out and enjoying the last of the evening sunshine!We also took a few arty photos of ourselves near a battered pink hut-posers.Carrying on to the colony, we found plenty more seals lying about which was fun to see.We took lots of photos (as usual) of the seals and a pretty rainbow over the beach and headed back for tea-which consisted of too many crackers with cheese and a side helping of chronic indegestion.
Worn out from the days adventures but still having plenty of energy for another trip out of the hostel,we dabbed on abit more deoderant,to make ourselves irresistable to the local talent hiding away somewhere and marched over to the local bar, the 'Strawberry Tree' for a little drinky.The pub was full of people and there was a big,open crackling fire.The pub looked like a French ski
lodge-logs and timbers and everyone wearing ear-warmers (including me) and red faced from the cold.Very qaint!A gentleman behind us, who introduced himself as 'Smooch' (here we go...) started chatting to us and told us he was the driver of the Kiwi Experience bus and all the people that were there were from the bus.We bought a glass of wine and tried to mingle with the group,trying not to look like 2 chapped lesbians on a couples skiing holiday.Randomly,Anna started talking to a guy from the bus and it turned out that he had been travelling with one of Anna's boyfriends' friends which was all abit spookey,while Smooch got even closer and kept telling me how special English girls were and that our men back home didn't treat us with enough respect!!!While Anna chatted to Pete,Smooch moved practically on top of me,saying he would like to take me out to dinner.Didn't he know my life partner was stainding right next to him???!!!I naively asked why he was called Smooch-he said he'd have to show me-....erm no it's ok thanks,I was only making conversation and I would not like to smooch you thankyou very much.He very kindly bought us drinks (we were
used to flirting for drinks-well!...we're poor ex student backpackers what can we do!!!!)We were all getting along swimmingly and having a nice evening,when from no-where, a foul human smell clouded around us like a green smog and we coughed and spluttered to escape the disgusting smell,while Smooch shouted 'ERRRGH who cut the cheese??!!" and left Anna and myself standing in the offending area with our new-found friends backing off in every direction but ours.Magic. Then,a 'band' came on-well,3 homeless men and a blind otter staggered in with guitars and a drum and the evening really went off with a bang as they howled 'brown-eyed girl' several times.Time to leave I think.Smooch was now asking me to feel his bald head-I obliged due to the free drinks and we made our excuses and left.Back at the hostel,we popped a couple of pieces of bread in the toaster and stumbled into bed.Anna was asleep before I'd had time to wipe the marmite from my eyebrow (don't know how that got there) and we oth had a very good nights sleep.
Beano x x x
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Sooty Sweep and Sue
Fee, Bean & Anna
Argh bean i cant believe thats your lover! i hope you got a double. the pea. x