We’re moving on again today after four nights in Blenheim, which we’ve both thoroughly enjoyed. It’s been a great place to be based at and the Airbnb we’ve stayed in has been wonderful. So much so that Dawn decided to leave them a little message on the bed!

In truth, we’re both a little sad to be leaving but there’s a heck of a lot more to see and do.

Weatherwise, it’s another stunning day, so we’re looking forward to exploring the coastline from here. It’s only an hour and a half drive to Kaikoura, which means we’ll be taking our time and stopping several times on the way and hoping to do some seal watching and dolphin/whale spotting.

One thing we’re both enjoying here is the fish and seafood. As we’re on the move we’ve been clearing out our fridge and eating what’s left, so this is hardly traditional. That said, it’s delicious – the mussels out here are amazing…

17:56.

What a fab day. The trip along highway 1 was brilliant and Dawn was a star for doing all the driving. We’ve had some excellent weather and  seen some amazing sights. I’ve not done this trip for 20 years. Doing it by car rather than train gave us the flexibility to stop off where we wanted. Oh, that and the fact no trains run on a Sunday, which was a bit of a bugger as the photo opportunities would have been wonderful – as you can see from this picture.

For much of the way the railway and road play ‘tig’ as both hug the coast due to the mountainous nature of the terrain. Unlike the UK, there’s no ugly fencing separating the two. Near Kaikoura is a place called Ohau. It’s famous for the fact seals and their pups bask on the rocks right next to the road. What’s changed is the area was devastated by the 2016 earthquake

When I say devastated, I mean it. Both the road and the railway were out of action for a long time, in the case of the railway that was two years. Here’s a Guardian report on the reopening. The line may be back in service but there’s still a huge amount of work going on to protect both road and rail from landslips – as these pictures from today illustrate.

A little bit closer to Kaikoura we couldn’t resist stopping at an old institution. Nins Bin has been serving seafood from a lay-by since 1977. Despite the cost (thank you Brexit fans, you’ve trashed the value of the pound & made life sooo much more expensive for us Brits who venture outside of the UK) these locally caught crayfish have got to be tried…

It’s actually rather strange being back in Kaikoura after 20 years (for reasons I may go into in another blog), but we didn’t stay long as we’re actually staying some 50km away up in the hills at a fabulous Airbnb at Mt Lydford. That said – we’ll be back in Kaikoura in the hope to go swimming with dolphins in the morning. The only problem is that the weather forecast isn’t looking great…

We’ve had a slow start to the day due to the fact it’s been raining in Wellington this morning, so we’ve used it as an excuse to catch up on some chores and take advantage of access to a washing machine, enabling us to get all our dirty washing done before hitting the South Island. A leisurely morning’s also allowed me to get some more New Zealand pictures onto my Zenfolio website. You can find them here.

Chores done, we’re about to walk into town and explore. I’ve not been here for 20 years, so I’m looking forward to rediscovering the place…

19:15

Well, we’ve kept up the slow theme to today! We’re staying in the Aro valley, a lovely little area that nestles in the hills to the South-East of the city. It’s one of the oldest settlements and possesses a quirky mix of wooden homes spread out across the narrow valley sides. There’s a small centre which has a mix of bohemian cafe’s and eccentric shops. The only downside is the cost of property here (a problem across much of New Zealand apparently). Here’s the view from our friend’s house, looking down the valley.

Here’s some typical properties from the area. Although, admittedly, not all are this well kept!

It took us the best part of half an hour to walk down to the harbour and CBD (Central Business District). We were full of good intentions for all the things we were going to do, but most of our time was spent watching the world go by. The weather remained overcast so we flagged getting the cable car up to the Botanic Gardens and relaxed instead. It was very much a ‘sitting on the dock of the bay’ afternoon.

Meanwhile, seen from the dock of the bay, an Interisland ferry pulls out of Wellington harbour…

Not that it’s all ships nowadays, the world’s moved on. Once upon a time this area would have been teeming with steamships, now part of it is a base for helicopter tours at $120 pp per pop.

Helen managed to get out of work early to meet us and acted as our guide through parts of the city we’d have otherwise missed, such as Cuba St, another laid-back area full of cafe’s and restaurants that we’ll be visiting again tomorrow. On our way back we called at this little gem in the Aro valley. It’s a former garage which is now a brewery (link).

Once upon a time this would have been full of cars up on jacks

Try before you buy – then purchase a takeaway or pop over to their bar across the road.