Kaikoura - 27th November, 2020

2nd day at Kaikoura and as we have an extra night to fit in we have decided to have three nights here at Kaikoura. Just to rest and slow down then down to Christchurch on Sunday for a night to tidy up and get the van ready to return on Monday, then our return flight to Auckland. Today started off brilliant but they said it would change  later today with rain tonight. You will see by today’s photos how it went. We didn’t rush out exploring, we had our morning coffee then went for a walk through the town talking to a couple of locals re the earthquake. Their stories were very interesting. Came back to camp for lunch, then off again taking the van to explore a little further afield. Then without any warning at all the clouds came down around the mountains sea fog came in then it got quite dark but no rain yet. We were lucky we saw everything we wanted too before the winds got up as well. Now snug in the van doing my blog. Our German boy left at 6.30am this morning to climb a track up the hills behind us. He said that he wouldn’t be back until around 5.30pm.  A long high hike up 1604m.  We have heard from him a couple of times to say he is OK that it had started to rain and very windy. He was sheltering in a hut. Don’t think that will help as the rain will difinately come. We can’t even see the hills from camp and it is turning colder after a beautiful hot sunny day. We were expecting this so all good. It’s meant to be another sunny day tomorrow. It is now 3.00pm and the rain has come and it’s very gusty. The poor boy still has at least two hours to get down off the mountain. I might start worrying now as it will be very cold up there. And I’m not sure if he would have met anyone for company.. 🤭😧🤞

We went for a walk through the town this morning and this is a peep round the back of the shops. Note the snow on the mountains tops. At this stage I hadn’t found the walkway to the beach. There is a high bank between the beach and shops

Same shot zoomed in

Now found my way onto the beach looking along to the mountains. As you can see lots of pebbles. 

Same shot zoomed in.

Got back to camp for lunch. Looking up from the campsite.

After lunch we went for a drive out to the peninsular and  the Kaikoura lookout.  The above photo is taken from the lookout. What a magic viewing area on a clear day. This is looking over the back of the peninsula to Gooch Bay. You can follow our drive on the above map.

Now looking Kaikoura side ove the residential area and town.

Zoomed in the above.

Looking down more into town

We have now gone down the hill and driven further out to the end of the peninsula to see the seals. On the map above out to the white area at the end of the road.

I could get really close to this one so I took five photos as he or she was rolling over backwards and forwards right in front of me. I would call it showing off. Starting from one side.

Just about on its back

Right on its back having a little rest.

Now rolling back again

Finally that  was it, exhausted and now time for a sleep. Can’t believe how close I could get to this performing seal. He did these movements continuously.

We walk out over these rocks, boulders to get to the seals. PT in the distance. 

We could  now start feeling the massive quick change of weather coming in.  Wind getting very strong. Quite eerie. 

The next photos show how quick the weather changed this afternoon. This is when we arrived at the seals area. 

Now the windy clouds are coming in fast.

Only turned my back for a couple of minutes and this

Back at camp at 3.00pm. The mountains are behind the clouds right down to the deck now. The change of weather all happened within 20 to 30 minutes. 

Just had a text from the boy he is safely back in camp and it is bucketing down. Mother duck can now relax.