- Starting the trip, the Bay of Islands, and the Muriwai Gannet Colony
- The Coromandel Peninsula
- The road to Wellington
- Northeastern South Island — Wine Tasting, Abel Tasman, Nelson, and Havelock
- Kaikoura — marine life everywhere!
- Christchurch, a stay on the farm, and the TranzAlpine Train
- Starting down the West Coast — things are starting to get real!
- A glacier’ing we will go!
- Queenstown
- Milford Sound and Fjordland National Park
As we headed south, we spent a few days in the seaside town of Kaikoura, New Zealand’s marine life center. It is nestled between the Kaikoura Ranges and the ocean. In fact, it is notable for how narrow the coastal plain actually is. One of the reasons this area is so dense in marine life is a deep trench that is off the coast where two underwater currents converge that brings a significant upwelling of nutrients for the significant resident sea life. In fact, Kaikoura got its start as a whaling town. There are more than 200 species of marine life off the coast and it is one of the best places in the world to see fur seals, sperm whales, and dolphins since they feed so close to shore. And then there’s the lobster — Kaikoura is Maori for “to eat crayfish (lobster).” And yes, we did! Because all the marine life, there are also all manner of sea birds including shearwaters, petrels, albatross, and even four different species of penguin.
The first day involved looking at things from the air and the land. We took a flight that brought us out over the feeding grounds where we say a number of sperm whales and giant schools of common dolphins. We also saw people who took the opportunity to swim with the dolphins. It looked really amazing to be in the midst of all those creatures as they fed. We also got to see some of the peninsula.
We then went on a hike out on the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway — up into the hills and all the way down to the beach. Lots of beautiful views and even some wildlife along the way!
The next day we took to the water. Our friend Lauren took a bird watching cruise and was inundated by a wide range of seabird species. This was probably the biggest concentration she had ever seen. Deb and I went to swim with the seals. Unfortunately, the boat goes quite close in by the rocks which is where the seals tend to feed. There was a lot of surge and only a few of us actually went in the water. There was a lot of hurling on the boat — it was a long 2.5 hours. Having said that, it was an amazing experience. At the beginning the seals were just buzzing by at pretty close range. But as time went by, they would pace you and try to play with you. A truly unique experience!
From here, it was time to head to Christchurch.
This entry was posted in New Zealand, Travel
I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.
