Kaikoura is a sleepy coastal village. We went there because it is one of the best places to swim with dolphins.
When we got there the weather was balmy - great for dolphin encounters. Or so we thought. Half an hour before we were due to set off, I got a call cancelling the trip because of poor weather conditions. We didn't realise that though the weather was OK where we were, the dolphin encounters take place on the other side of the peninsula, where the weather can and was very different.
This was our only real disappointment in the whole trip. So, next time?
The Peninsula walk was wild and blustery with some close up encounters with a herd of seals.
The Mount Fyffe Conservation Area was an ornithologists dream. Unfortunately Ann & I are not good at recognising all the different types of birds.
We next crossed the South Island to get to Fiordland. There was some stunning scenery at Arthur's Pass in the Southern Alps.
We almost got blasé about the rugged mountains and valleys.
Like Kaikoura, Hokitika is a sleepy coastal town. We, and I suspect most others only use it as the overnight stop-off for Fiordland.
