Kaikoura

Nau Mai Haere Mai Ki Kaikoura

Welcome to Kaikoura!

Few places in the world can boast of such natural wonders as those offered by land and sea in Kaikoura ....

"The seaside settlement of Kaikoura, situated midway between Christchurch and Picton on the rugged east coast of New Zealand's South Island, is overlooked by majestic mountains, which are snow-capped for many months of the year.

This unique combination of ocean and mountains offers stunning coastal alpine scenery and a host of eco-tourism oriented activities, including Whale watching, Dolphin swimming, walks, and much more!"

Poor little sea lion

Our awesome visitors, Missy and Wolfgang! What troopers to put up with all 5 of us!

I'm thinking to myself, how in the world do they stand the cold, cold sea??? They love it!

Mangia Mangia at the Sonic on the Rocks. Great restaurant, great food, great company!

Missy's gorgeous seafood dish.

My whole flounder...eyeballs and all.

Ben was craving a steak and enjoyed every last bite of it!

Funny: There was one little piece of, what I thought was, a potato and I asked Ben if I could have his last potato wedge. He enthusiastically said, of course! So, I stuck my fork into it and much to my surprise it was a piece of fat from his steak. I swear it looked like a potato wedge! A gross piece of grissle! We all got a good laugh out of it.

Having a blast in a park beside the ocean, running through tunnels made from whale bones.

Waiting for the sunset.

3 little monkeys all tucked in the bed.

Ben took Calvin on Monday morning to go whale-watching! It was a great trip and they saw 3 sperm whales. It was even better because since the weather turned bad pretty quickly while they were out and they had to head back inland, Ben got a partial refund. Sweet as! They got to see whales AND it was cheaper than we expected.

"UNFORGETTABLE – Whale Watching

Off the Kaikoura coastline is a marine environment so rich in nutrients that it attracts some of the most magnificent creatures with which we share our planet. Among them are Giant Sperm Whales that can grow up to 20 metres and weigh over 50 tons. These whales can be seen all year round making Kaikoura one of the most popular whale watching locations in the world.

In addition to the sperm whale a number of different species of may also be seen, depending on the season, as they follow their migratory route. This unique marine experience also provides an opportunity to sight high-spirited Dusky Dolphins, the rare and endangered Hectors Dolphin, New Zealand Fur Seals and a wide variety of sea birds including the Royal Albatross.

We can take you on an unforgettable journey, in purpose built vessels that provide great viewing and photographic opportunities." Thanks, www.kaikoura.co.nz

Gorgeous sunrise

We ate some fabulous food while on holiday. You know when you are vacation, you eat every meal out. It was true on this trip and while we had some fab meals, my waistline isn't appreciating my enjoyment so much. :) Guess it's back to running while the kids are in school.

Calvin found some prize stones on the beach beside the train station. He's loved collecting them and has a nice little collection. Now, how in the world will we get them all home?!

Playing a little Uno to pass the time.

Doing a little climbing as well.

In the cafe prior to boarding the train to Christchurch. We got to the train station with plenty of time to spare so we relaxed with some drinks and some Uno. Boarding, again, was a cinch and we were off to Christchurch, a quick 3 hours down the tracks.