Kaikoura - Our Seal of Approval!

Went for drive up to Kaikoura today - the main whale/marine animal watching spot in NZ - took about 2.5 hrs each way and weather wasn't good but we just wanted a long drive out.... was worth it even in the crappy weather... THE SEALS THE SEALS! Wow, was literally standing amongst them... unreal and what an experience.. just love the fact that nature is so "raw" here.



Were watching a man and 2 kids picking things out of the pools so we went over to ask them what they were doing... to cut a long story short Warren has a small cash job (a one off)!!!!!!!!! Unreal huh - the guy asked us about ourselves etc etc and when Warren said he was in IT his eyes lit up - he's got a bit of kit he needs programming so we're off to see him and his wife (who makes candles and sells them in Chch Art Market!) next week! Jeez, just TALK to people folks.... you just never know...

On the way back from Kaikoura I noticed a black mass above the sea near Goose Bay stop-off so we pulled over... it was totally amazing - a "swarm" of millions of birds over the water for as far as the eye could see - as we watched they formed what I can only describe as a "tornado" and then sank down again along the sea's surface... we asked a guy on the beach (hmm we have a thing about talking to guys on beaches!?!?!) what it was and he said it was a "once a year" occurance... whitebait were massing in the sea waiting to swim upriver to spawn and these birds were "herding" them and eating them... totally unreal.. and to be there at the right time and right place too...

Right place, right time seems to be our motto !!

We'll be revisiting Kaikoura late Spring/early Summer to do some whale-watching... watch this space!