From Kaikoura to Picton

Well we did enjoy some lovely seafood for dinner in Kaikoura, John had a half crayfish and I had fresh monkfish, really beautifully cooked. We got up early the next morning for some sunrise shots, the only trouble is the sun rises later here, about 7.50am. I just walked and left John to it!

Reluctantly we left the gorgeous Kaikoura, and had one of the best drives ever up the coast to Picton. We saw another seal colony just north of Kaikoura, and this time had fun watching the baby seals playing in their own little pool. Arriving in Picton we couldn't get over the lovely hills and coastline here too, its almost like a fjord and massive, much bigger than we had imagined. We spent the afternoon settling in and finding our way around, which isn't hard because it's not too big! We explored the bay and some lookout spots and got organised for a day sea kayak trip the next day.

The sea kayak trip left around 9 and there were 8 in the group. Once again we have been blessed with great weather, fine and mild, about 21 degrees, with winds increasing. The paddle was fantastic, we didn't go very far by John's standards, only about 15km all up, but the pace was leisurely so we could really enjoy the scenery. We came across a seal and lots of birdlife, and even saw a small shark. The tour was well organised with a great morning tea and lunch provided. Our group included a family from England, a German backpacker and an English couple who are living in Hong Kong. Coming back into Picton was a little harder as by then it was a lot windier and there were a few more waves, but the paddling wasn't too hard for us. Check out the photos, we have another water day planned for tomorrow, but this time in a water taxi and a 5hr walk planned for Sunday if the weather holds!