Kaikōura
Kaikōura was our first scenic stop on the south island with close encounters with wildlife.
NEW ZEALAND
Excited to see marine wildlife we made our way down to the South Island by catching the ferry at Wellington. The day we were set to sail had high winds and rain. There was the possibility of the sailing being cancelled but at the last minute the authorities decided to keep the sailing.
We got to experience large rolling waves on the ferry as we made our way to Picton. In order to avoid getting sick from the rocking of the boat the majority of passengers stayed near the large windows to be able to keep an eye on the horizon. Once we completed the crossing and arrived in Picton we made our way up to the Tirohanga Track hike where you could view the bay. As we made our way up the hike, the weather cleared, the wind died down and the sun came out to provide us with an amazing view of the surrounding area.
It only took about 3.5 hours to cross, but we were amazed by how fast the weather changed. It was still windy and rainy when we arrived in Picton. But after about a 5 minute drive and a 30 minute hike up to the viewpoint on the Tirohanga Track, the weather cleared and we were left with spectacular views of the surrounding ocean and inlet.
It was a bit of a journey to get to Kaikōura, but seeing the vast number of seals and small pups made it all worthwhile. Happy exploring!
Two videos below showing the rainy loading up on the boat and how the crossing was with crashing waves, rain and high winds.
We stayed the night in Blenheim and then made our way to see the seal colonies in Kaikōura. The main viewing point was at Point Kean where you had to actively avoid all of the seals sleeping on the trails.
