Whales and Dolphins (and Seals)

Thought i'd elaborate this post as it was a bit rubbish before.

Anyway after waiting around in Christchurch to say goodbye to Pete and Gemma I travelled up the east coast to Kaikoura and went swimming with seals! Never heard of anyone swimming with seals until I came to New Zealand but it is really good, you get close and can see them darting around under the water.

The main reason for being in Kaikoura is Whale watching, I saw Humpback Whales, Sperm Whales and hundreds of Dusky Dolphins on a boat trip.


Kaikoura


Dusky Dolphin


Humpback Whale


Sperm Whale

bit of a (huge) update (added more 10-02-07)

I think I have written the following to sound a bit dull (but it was actually all really good fun) but I wanted to keep a note of everything - you don't have to read it!

23rd Wellington
Not much, visited sites in Wellington, Botanical Gardens, Museum.

24th
Travelled (north) to Picton on South Island and then on to Abal Tasman National Park. Looked at the stars and comet in the evening.

25th
Hired Kayaks with Peter, Wouter and Joost (Jan). Went to 2 deserted islands and played cards on the beach.


Only the best accomodation for me (Abal Tasman)

26th Abel Tasman - Barrytown (Nothingville, population 40)
Nice sunset, nice party.


Sunset over Barrytown

27th Barrytown - Franz Josef
Not much, played some bad pool at the Rainforest Retreat (should have noticed the name before booking full day on the glacier)

28th Franz Josef Glacier
Full day on the Glacier with Marloes. Very spectacular but heavy rain in the afternoon made it very tiring.


Franz Josef Glacier

29th
Franz Josef - Makarora
Planned to do another 3 day walk on the 'Gillespie Pass' but everyone was very tired and we could see fresh snow on the mountains. Stayed inside and ate most of my 3 days worth of food.

30th Makarora - Wanaka
Decided to spend a couple of days on Wanaka with Pete and Marloes to do a few shorts walks whilst others moved on the Queenstown. Won at Poker and pool, wahooo.

31st Wanaka
Weather was good so combined a number of short walks around lake Wanaka (Ealy Point, Beacon Point, and some of the Outlet Track). Started to rain in the afternoon whilst in the middle of nowhere by a dirt track, thankfully an old couple with a 4x4 gave us a lift back into Wanaka.


Lake Wanaka (trying to be arty here, could do better I think)

1st Feb Wanaka - Queenstown
Not much, met up with others.

2nd Queenstown -Te Anu - Milford Sound - Tautapere
Busy day with a really early start. Stopped at many locations for photos. Milford Sound was spectacular though I was a little disapionted with the weather (the place does have 10m of rain a year so I should not have been surprised)


Milford Sound boat trip


Milford Sound


Kea Parrot on the drive back from Milford Sound

3rd Tauatpere - Invercargill - Bluff - Oban, Stewart Island
Early start to visit a sheep farm, all the dutch seemed really excited about this. Tour included free bacon sandwich so I was happy too.

The ferry crossing to Stewart Island is supposed to be one of the worst in the world and I can imagine why, the sea at first looked like a mill pond on a clear sunny day but after we were out into the open sea lots of people (not me) turned a funny colour whilst the boat bounced all over the place. In the afternoon decided to go on a trip called 'yak about', I am not sure why it is called this but it was a trip on a boat, kayak, then a snorkle and then fishing. Trip was really good with only Simon, Marloes, Gemma and me on the boat. Had to wear a 7mm full wet suit due to the water being really really cold. Kayaked from the boat up an estuary and had lots of water fights and at some point everyone got pushed in. Then moved up the coast and snorkled, it was cold on your face at first but I soon got used to it. Never snorkled in this kind of water before but it was clear and the guide showed us lots of things including sea urchins, huge pregnant male sea horse, pava, sheriff star fish, bandidge fish and lots more. Had a hot shower and coffee on the boat before starting to fish for blue cod. Caught one imediatly after dropping the line in the sea and cought 4 in total but one was thrown back. They were then filleted on the boat and we had about a kilo between the 4 of us. Whilst fishing huge Mollymawks (albatros) gathered and wated for scraps. Once back at the hostel Gemma cooked the best meal I had eaten in New Zealand. Went to the local (only) pub and played really bad slooooow pool and reallllly bad giant chess. GREAT DAY.


Stewart Island 'yak about' with Simon, Marloes and Gemma.


Mollymawk


Mollymawk


end of the yak about

4th Oban, Stewart Island - Dunedin
Early start, stopped a couple of nice beaches and saw petrified trees.

5th Dunedin - Queenstown
Went to Cadburys World in the morning, stocked up for the long journey ahead. Booked 'The Nevis' a 135m bungee jump (highest in NZ, 3rd highest in the world) for the following day and went for Sushi meal in the evening (was more nervous about the Sushi than the bungee).

6th & 7th Queenstown
Did 'The Nevis' (with a cold, do'h) bungee jump in the morning. Only scared when standing on the 'meat tray' (edge) but once jumped its was all good. Pete also jumped but Gemma waited on the 'meat tray' for about 5 minutes then changed her mind, unfortunatly the meant she had a $200 credit voucher for the bungee shop, eeek!? Went to a free part/concert/dj thingy in the park in the evening to celebrate Waitangi day (the treaty thingy, national holiday). Nothing much on 7th, got my hair cut, did some washing.


Bungeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, 135m above the river

8th Queenstown - Rangitata
Long time on the coach but stopped at Lake Pukaki looking over Mt Cook, the lake was a most spectacular colour due to the water containing 'glacial powder' (ground up rocks). Rangitata is supposed to have the best white water rafting in New Zealand. Stayed in a really nice hostel in the hills and sleapt on top of a 3 storey bunk bed (extreme nz). Rafting trip included 3 meals, hostel and obviously the rafting for $160 which I thought was really good value. Lost at poker in the evening.


Lake Pukaki

9th Rangitata White Water Rafting - Christchurch
Went rafting with Scott, Aran, Cara, Matt and Pete. Scott (big mouth) was the first to fall in on flat water so that was quite funny. Next was pete but this was on a grade 5 section of the river, looked like fun to fall in, but unfortunatly I stayed on the boat until we all got off and jumped from an ledge to float/swim downstream. Aran belly flopped into the water for the second time this week, looked like it hurt (again). Really good fun day again, want to go again.

Marloes and Simon where leaving the next day so spent the evening with them playing cards, will miss them!


Probably should have been rowing

10th Christchurch
today, not done much but seems like a nice place. trying to decide where/what to do next. Still have most of the east coast to visit (and other bits i want to go back to) but thinking of fiji or the cook islands at the moment.

Added more photos, see link on the right.

More stuff

Still having fun. Might be a while before my next proper post but I have added a few more photos.

Currently in Wanaka near Queenstown on the south island. Spent the last week in a variety of places down the west coast. Done some more kayaking with the dutchies and did a full day (in the freezing cold rain) on Franz Josef Glacier which was very spectacular.

Weather has been good most of the time. Been trying to learn a bit of Dutch on the coach, after the glacier I know how to say 'I am cold' and 'bloody rain' in dutch, not sure how to write them though.

Bit of a mental week

writing all this really quick so hopefully it make sense.

15th
Joined a 'hop on hop off' bus tour and went to Coramandal just east of Auckland. Decided to go Kayaking before seeing the sea, turned out to be quite rough but great fun getting the kayak over the waves! Stopped at Cathederal Cove for a Cappuccino and cookies which was a nice surprise. Stayed right on the beach at what was I think a typical NZ holiday camp site, seemed a bit like old holidays to wales in the 80's.

16th
Learned to surf at Raglan, great fun but quite windy and a strong current so probably was not the best day to learn. best thing about Raglan though is that the sea is really shallow so when it got too tiring I just walked out of the sea. Managed to stand up but it is really tricky. Will go surfing again when I get a chance. Also bumped into some people I met at Paiha so that was nice.

17th
Went to the Waitamo caves, went underground to about 80 metres and abseiled down waterfalls and in the afternoon I did my first zorb! The paricular zorb I chose to do involved rolling down a zig zig hill in a large plastic ball with a bucket of water (wash cycle).


post zorb 'wash cycle'

Arrived in Rotorua in the evening to a smell of sulphur, I was told you get used to it after 15 minutes (but I did not).


smelly

18th
Went to a funny Mouri Thermal village theme park thing at Rotorua, seemed kind of odd to me but saw mud pools, geysers and had a thermally heated Hot Dog and sweetcorn?!

Jumped out a plane (sorry mum) at Taopo. It was kind of a impulse decision to go sky diving but it was the clearest day ever with not a cloud in the sky and it seemed like a good thing to do at the time. To me jumping out of a plane used to sound monumentally stupid, but it is really quite amazing. Got photos and dvd (looking a twerp) of the dive.

19th
The Dutch, the Danish and the Bloody English.
Went on a 3 day tramp (nz for bloomin long walk) with 7 others in the Tongariro national park on the 'Great Walk Northern Circuit'. Climbed Tongariro Mountain and had views over Mount Ngauruhoe (mt doon from lord of the rings). Was planning to climb Mount Ngauruhoe on the final day but decided against it as it was really windy (will go back I think). Due to diversions and photo stops walked for 10 hours the first day, 8 the second and just 3 on the final day. Interesting place as due to the volcanic landscape you see lots of different scenery, craters, lakes, steam etc. Apparently most of the water in the area is quite dangerous as is either boiling hot, contains acid or toxic heavy metals, bit nasty really but makes for an interesting place to do a hike. Stayed two nights in little huts that were well equipped with clean water, mattresses and toilets.

Had great fun and met lots of great people during the first couple of weeks in New Zealand.


View from Mount Tongariro of Ngauruhoe


Marloes, Jen, Wouter, Peter and me on top of Tongariro Mountain


Peters birthday at the hut


crater lake on the 3 day northern circuit tramp

22nd
Wellington, not done much yet!

Northland

Following might sound a bit dull but is wasn't, bit rubbish at this blog thingy.

Kiwi with a Kiwi


Blue Penguin

10th
Travelled to Paiha (Bay of Islands) from Auckland. Visited Native Bird Sanctuary and saw Kiwi and Blue Penguins. Quite surprised how big the Kiwi was, I imagined it to be small but its really big with huge claws.

Beach at Russell

11th
Took a ferry from Paiha to Russell on the other side of the Bay of Islands. The sea is really calm in the bay so had a swim. Also visited the location of the 'The Treaty of Waitangi', This is the place where I was told the English managed to con the Maori into signing away the rights to the land, eek.

90 mile beach

Sand dunes and sand boarding

4x4 Dune Rider bus

12th
Took a great trip to 90 mile beach (which is 64 miles long!) in a weird 4x4 mini bus thingy and drove all the way up it and also went even further off road driving over the dunes. Stopped by the bigest dunes to go sand boarding, only managed 3 goes at it as the dunes are so huge and it takes so long to walk up them, really really good fun though!! Then carried onto Cape Reinga where you can see where the pacific ocean meets the Tasman sea with the two currents creating waves. Stopped on the way back to have the 'best fish and chips in new zealand'. On my free tour near Auckland I also had the 'best fish and chips in new zealand' (according to the driver)

Oh and before 90 mile beach we stopped off at a rain forest (it rained).

13th
Travelled back to Auckland (in heeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaavy rain)

14th (today)
Weather good again today. Not done much, just mooched around Auckland. Going to a place called Hahei tomorrow just east of here.