New Zealand, Part VI

Heading south from Marlborough, we had planned an overnight stop at Kaikoura before heading across the South Island towards Queenstown.  We'd read in guidebooks that Kaikoura was a neat town, very surfer-beachy, with amazing seal-watching.  And it was...all of those things.  It also reminded us a lot of Bar Harbor in the off-season. Not a lot going on.  We got some tips from our hosts at Stonehaven and walked up a 'secret' path in the woods to a waterfall and pool where baby seals go to play.  It was awe-inspiring and quite magical.  We got some sushi from a take-out in town and washed it down with a half-bottle of sparkling wine in our hotel room, watching cricket on Sky Sports.  Not very exciting, but we made the best of it!  If we had it to do over?  Skip Kaikoura.  See Christchurch, or head straight over the amazingly beautiful Lewis Pass for the west coast. 

all photos, ours