Kaikoura

Kai means 'food in Maori' and koura 'crayfish' - we arrived at the land rich in crayfish and Maori history.  It was pretty cold down there for a summers day and after checking into our quaint but small cottage in the local camping ground and finding we should have bought bedding and cooking equipment we took off to find a restaurant. Tinned spaghetti and creamed corn could wait for another day. We had a long walk around the beach front and settled on a pub near the sea shore. 

Kaikoura is another whaling town and while visiting Fyffe house we learnt about the particularly difficult occupation back in the 1800's.  I did think that if the only way to catch whales was to row out to the ocean to find them we would still have plenty of whales about.  Perhaps that is what those trying to protect the whales should be advocating for. Anyway, Fyffe house was built by some of the first settlers in 1940's (whalers by profession), with its piles built from whale bones.  Its pink - from the local colours used to colour the paint, and has had a few additions over time. 

We lunched with some llamas (you can walk them around Kaikoura for a smallish fee), we ate our food from the local bakery while they munched on fennel and long grass.  Then we went to see the seal colony (the best ones are where the young were playing just north of the town).  We found the seals not only on the rocks (great rock pools), but also flattening the flax bushes in the carpark!!  Always neat to see animals in their natural habitat.

 

It was then off to Hanmer Springs - the thermal wonderland of the South Island.  We drove along the back roads up to Mt Lyford and drove to the top where the skifields are busy in winter.  Had a little look around and enjoyed the scenery and peacefulness that the birds enjoy every day.  We stopped for some more photos and you can see why...