New Zealand

Sunday, May 17, 2009

#28 West Coast

After leaving Hanmer it was time for a road trip. We started off down the west coast.

Another traffic incident involving farm animals.

We stopped to pet this beautiful horse.

We were near a helipad where scenic flights took off into the mountains and over a glacier. Someone from the company approached us and offered us a deal to join the next tour. We kept saying no, but the guy must have thought we were trying to bargain because he kept dropping the price. It ended being an offer I couldn't pass up so we hopped in the chopper.

Stunning views

#27 Hanmer Springs

After Kaikoura I stayed in Hanmer Springs for six weeks. It's a small alpine village about one and a half hours northwest of Christchurch.

The town is surrounded by mountains which are great for hiking.

We went up into the mountains every time it snowed.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

#26 Kaikoura (Dolphins)

Good morning, Kaikoura

I swam with dusky dolphins in Kaikoura. This particular breed are known for their acrobatics. We found a large pod and hopped in. Looking down into the water I could see them swimming beneath me 4 layers deep. They dart by super fast and come really close. We weren't allowed to touch them because they are completely wild, but they were so close they were within reach. Then they would take off and everyone would climb back on the boat and we'd go find some more and jump in again. We did this 5 or 6 times. When you're in the water, they are more likely to come check you out if you dive under the water and make sounds into your snorkel. We were pretty much supposed to act like dolphins. After swimming we watched them for a while from the bow. It may have been the most pictures I've ever taken in one sitting. There were hundreds of them all around the boat. They were going wild, jumping around like wild banshees and doing somersaults. Sometimes a group would jump together in perfect unison. It was like a dolphin circus. Swimming with them and watching them was absolutely magical. I can't get the videos to upload but I will try later.

Faster than a speeding dolphin

Synchronized swimming

#25 Kaikoura (Mt Fyffe)

I worked a few nights at the best restaurant in town, The Green Dolphin. The first night I worked I met Christina. She's from CA, imagine that. The second night I went to work after doing the peninsula walk and told Christina I wanted to go up to the top of Mt Fyffe. She said she had been wanting to go, so we decided to go the next morning. The walk was gruelling. It was relentlessly steep and took us nearly five hours to get to the top (1600m). Eight hours round trip.