Kaikoura: dusky dolphin mania!

Left very early this morning for Kaikoura. The drive was pretty treacherous in parts - narrow, windy roads and a bit of rain - and it was the part of the trip where I learned that sitting in the passenger seat was bound to give me an ulcer. Driving the other day was fine, but every passenger seat foray left my stomach in knots regardless of who was driving or how straight the roads were. From then out I planned to stick to driving or sitting oblivious in the back seat.

In Kaikoura we had a short wait before our dolphin adventure so we wandered around and had some lunch.

my lunch spot

I found a stuffed owl in the gift shop called a morepork, so named because that's the sound it makes. New Zealand's only surviving native owl is super cute!

Finally we got wetsuited up and briefed on safety, and headed out to the ocean in a small catamaran. We saw several pods of dusky dolphins porpoising along the way to our first swim spot... and then it was time to jump in.

SO. AMAZING.

oh hai! let's play!

oh, hai, mom!

For a minute I would see nothing but water, and then a dolphin (or six) would race past and circle me. Making noise through your snorkel was encouraged, as dolphins respond to sound, so if I ever get the video from my waterproof camera figured out you'll hear a lot of "MMMM! MMMM!" which is me saying "hey dolphins where are you?" with a snorkel tube in my mouth.

Spinning in circles in flippers and a snorkel mask is no easy feat, but I managed to follow along with them most of the time. They maintained eye contact, like they were saying "play with me!" It was amazing.

At least that's what I hope they were saying. The conservationist in me had a slight moral dilemma with this activity, especially after seeing some of the dolphins so close up with their scrapes and scars (some of which were likely from boat run-ins). The guide assured us that it was all harmless and that we were there on their terms, not vice versa. No "bait" was thrown to lure them to us - we went to them. And when they were bored with us they went away. At least that's what I was told and what I've told myself.

After that adventure we enjoyed happy hour beverages and snacks at a local pub...

the whaler

... then we headed to Christchurch. In what could not be described as anything other than "the actual middle of nowhere," the gas light came on, and after a momentary freakout, we spotted an oasis:

they closed at 7pm, we got there at 6:53pm

while my companions and the gas station attendant
tried to figure out how to open the gas tank,
i took sheepie pictures

Arrived in Christchurch hot on the heels of some kind of motorway competition. The streets were pumping with souped-up cars, and kids were standing on the sidewalks throwing beer cans over fences.

We passed it all by in favor of laundry at the motel and sleep in prep for the next week's adventure. But, cheers to youth!