Kaikoura

I have just arrived in Kaikoura and I have to admit I am starting to be very thankful for my inability to NOT plan ahead. My weakness turns out to be an advantage after all. It seems I organised it all very well in terms of season, accomodation, activity and duration of stay in each place. The sun's out to play, just as I had hoped, and the hostel is right on the beach. I only have to open my window and cross the sand to be able to stick my feet into the Pacific.







I'm relieved I decided against booking a whale-watch trip, because it turns out that for the last three weeks a mother whale with her "teen" and newborn baby have taken up residence in the ocean inlet right in front of my hostel. I sat out on the beach for a while before unpacking and there she was... flipping around in the water. While I've yet to see her totally surface, I could see her spew air and water, and saw her flippers flop on the surface.

I've booked a dolpin-swim in the pacific for tomorrow, which will hopefully go ahead as planned. But if not, I will be quite happy to use the free hostel bikes and cycle around the bays or to simply sit out on the beach and watch the whales. It's three days of relaxing, doing laundry (finally!!), reading, writing and catching up with e-mails.