Kaikoura

Kaikoura is famous for it's wildlife. Lots and lots of tourists go there to swim with dolphins and go whale watching.

We went along to Kaikoura and it's another pretty little town nestled in amazing scenery. We went down to the beach and just watched the Pacific waves crashing into the rocks. So beautiful.

Spent the night before in a rest stop right by the sea and there was a bit of a storm at night and we could hear the waves - it was a bit scary and quite exhilarating! Force of nature and all that... amazing...

We decided not to go on these tours, some of you may think that this was a missed opportunity, but to be honest, a lot of the time you don't get to see the animals and then they might not want to interact with you. I'm also not entirely comfortable with the thought that every day lots of tourist boats swim about chasing down some dolphins or whales for the entertainment value. It feels really artificial.

Maybe I got spoiled by our sea lion experience in the Catlins. But truly, this was amazing, because they were completely natural and there was no one around. It was like you get to glimpse a tiny slice of their lives and it was an honour. I don't think I'd want it any other way.