Kaikoura!

Last weekend we drove up to Kaikoura, about 2.5 hours North of here.
According to wikipedia:
"The Kaikoura Peninsula extends into the sea south of the town, and the resulting upwelling currents bring an abundance of marine life from the depths of the nearby Hikurangi Trench. The town owes its origin to this effect, since it developed as a centre for the whaling industry. The name 'Kaikoura' translates to 'meal of crayfish' ('kai'- food/meal, 'koura' - crayfish) and the crayfish industry still plays a role in the economy of the region. However Kaikoura has now become a popular tourist destination, mainly for whale watching (the Sperm Whale watching is perhaps the best and most developed in the world) and swimming with or near dolphins. There is also a large and readily observed colony of Southern Fur Seals at the eastern edge of the town. At low tide, better viewing of the seals can be had as the ocean gives way to a rocky base which is easily navigable by foot for quite some distance.

It is also one of the best reasonably accessible places in the world to see open ocean seabirds such as albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, including the Hutton's shearwater which nests high in Kaikoura's mountains."

We didn't pay to go on a whale watching or dolphin swimming tour - They cost a pretty penny, and Aya gets very sea sick. Since we had already cleaned up after poor Rowan on the way up (windy roads and a motion sick child do not mix!) we opted to just go see the seals along the shore. As you can see you can get very close and watch them laze about. Very Cool! Apparently the seals were over-hunted at one point. Then they built the parking lot for the viewing area. As the seal population recovered, they took over the parking lot as their resting spot! We didn't eat crayfish. We wanted to, but at $50 each, it seemed a bit much! But we did enjoy the amazing views and everyone had a great day!