After spending nearly a year in Auckland, where we had a fabulous time and made some fabulous new life-long friends, we ventured south to our new home in Lake Hawea, way down near the bottom of the south island.
Mrs. E, myself and The Spaniel were very excited about this trip as we had been to the South Isand previously and loved it. It truly felt like we were coming home when we landed off the ferry that time.
On our latest journey south, the trip from Auckland to Wellington was a long haul, being 9 hours in total, but the weather was good and we had a good break at Lake Taupo. We then hoofed it down to Wellington and again slept in the car and got the 2:30 am ferry crossing from Wellington to Picton on the top of the South Island. Our adventure began at Picton, where again, it true to form it felt like we were coming home.
The ferry landed at 5:30 am. Once we got off the ferry we slowly trickled down the east coast towards Kaikoura. As we drove the sun gradually rose in the east, and the Kaikoura coastline and all its beauty was slowly revealed to us. The whole coastline was different to the North Island with roaring seas, pebbled beachs, and a VERY undulating coastline.
We landed in Kaikoura two hours later, where we had a strong coffee and then we tootled over to our motel where the lovely lady owner let us into our room at 8am so that we could have a good rest.
After lunch, we venture out into Kaikoura which has a beautiful spirit about it. There is literally something in the air which made us feel very mellow and worry free.
I found a plaque of a Thomas Brent Smith who was tragically killed while saving a whale in 2003. I think that says a lot of who the Kaikoura people are are — people at one with the sea and all it beholds. We went for a walk to the seal colony on the eastern side of the town where Mrs. E had a close encounter with a BIG seal. I was too chicken and stayed well back taking photos.We saw a vast array of birds from shags to white-faced herons and numerous birds which I didn’t have a clue what they were!
We stopped by a caravan selling seafood platters, needlees to say it was delish, and included the Kaikoura crayfish (Kaikoura actually means crayfish).
We then rolled into bed on full bellies and our souls filled with the goodness of the creation around.
Two Hoomans And a Spaniel In NZ 