Kaikoura

Arrived in a seaside village called Kaikoura at about 4:30 this afternoon. It was beautiful and sunny for about 15 minutes. Then the clouds moved in and a bit of rain. The lady at the motel said it had been 27 earlier in the day. What a surprise!. Anyway, this is one of those places that would look beautiful in any kind of weather. Right across the street from us is the most beautiful, turquoise ocean you could imagine. Kaikoura is popular for whale and dolphin watching. The beaches are quite rocky so I don't imagine they swim a lot here, but I know that there is some surfing and diving. They also have a pool right beside the beach. Quite a nice lifestyle.

 We have done a lot of driving the last two days. We left Gore Tuesday morning and drove pretty much all day. We spent the night in a little place called Omarama, which is well known for it's gliders. Apparently the thermals there are great. The scenery as well was spectacular. Beautiful mountains with lots of wildflowers,( more lupens and wild broom than I have ever seen in my life) and then huge open ranges with sheep or deer. New Zealand is a beautiful country that really does remind us of B.C. but without the traffic and people.

Tomorrow we are heading for Blenheim, which is wine country on the northeast coast of the south island. We will then decide whether to stay in Blenheim, Nelson or Picton. Picton is where we catch the ferry to go to the north island on the 26th and we are really looking forward to staying in one place for maybe three days or so. Also, I wouldn't mind a little poking around in the shops time.

So, G'day til later.

Linda