We drove across the northeastern tip of the South Island from Nelson, cutting through the Marlborough wine-producing region. It was the beginning of fall and many of the vineyards had recently been harvested. This area didn’t look anything like the picturesque vineyards we are used to in France. Here it was pretty flat and agricultural. No château on hilltops or ancient stone houses in the fields. However, they produce very good wine – particularly the aromatic Sauvignon Blanc which we kept stocked in the camper. We also crossed some very bare hills, which was a big contrast compared to the tropical forest hills of the west coast.
Once we hit the east coast we knew it, rocky cliffs tumbling into a tumultuous surf! We had to stop to admire the many blue colors of the Pacific Ocean.
At some of the viewpoints, we found rocky tide pools that were full of seals. At first, we didn’t notice them as most were sleeping on the rocks and not moving. But, pretty soon we realized they were all around us – including right alongside some of the paths we were walking on. It was mostly moms and their pups on shore. The females can spend up to three weeks in the ocean at a time when hunting, then come on land for some well-deserved rest. It was fun watching the little pups scamper across the rocks and frolic in the tide pools.
Our next stop was the city of Kaikōura, which suffered a pretty big earthquake in 2016, but has well recovered since. We stayed two nights in Kaikōura in a campground with snow-covered mountains in the background. We were surprised to see snowy mountain tops so close to the ocean. On our first morning after most of the other campers had gone, we enjoyed the campground outdoor pool and hot tubs. Then we had an epic fish and chips platter at a counter-service place next door. Our seafood platter consisted of two large fillets of blue cod, paua shellfish pattie, mussels, prawns and scallops – plus lots of crispy fries served New Zealand style wrapped in paper.
We spent the afternoon walking on the peninsula just past the town center where we saw many more New Zealand fur seals, Kekeno. The geology was different there with white sandstone and limestone that made unusual rock formations on the coast. It was odd because as you got closer to town, the rocks changed to large, smooth basalt rocks – making a beautiful large black beach.
The next morning, we stopped by the beach on our way out of town and watched dolphins leaping out of the water in the distance. At first we thought it might be a whale tail, but we finally realized we were seeing pairs of dolphins jumping at the same time. The Kaikōura undersea canyon plunges to depths of over 1200m (3937 feet) very close to shore and attracts a wide range of wildlife, including the Sperm whale and Dusky dolphins. Humpback whales and orca can also be spotted there throughout the year.
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