Currently in Christcurch which although very wet is also very nice. We
are about to embark on a few walking tours through the city so
hopefully we will catch all the main sights.

The photo below is the best we could take of what we managed to get on
our proper camera when we went whale watching in Kaikoura yesterday
morning. We saw 4 sperm whales, a large school of dusky dolphins and
some massive albatroses (think that’s the plural!). All this with a
backdrop of snowy mountains and beautiful blue sky.

It really was well worth it and was a great relief after having our
previous night’s star gazing cancelled after a big storm came through.
A few people on the boat got seasick but Ben’s new pills seemed to do
the trick for him.

The weather outlook is slightly better though now we are getting
further south the temperature is quickly dropping away. Thank god for
our thermals and fan heater (and of course the numerous bottles of
wine we have bought along the way!!)

We couldn’t resist heading down an unpaved track to see this beach.
The water colour was just amazing and the beach was made up of the
best skimming stones in the world.

Behind us were some magnificent mountains with snowcapped tops. It was
a great spot to break up the journey.

Our blog posts are probably going to come in groups as and when we
find wifi. Hopefully they will still make chronological sense.

The photo below was taken during out wine tour of Malborough where we
tried some very nice vinos and even found some white wines we like. We
washed it all down at the end of the day with a beer and Sunday roast.
Yummy!

We have found a bit of wifi so here is a selection of photos from our first week in NZ.

First is from the Agrodome show which was really good fun.

Second is Jen by the Huka Falls.

And finally is our camper looking out from Te Mata Peak

So far we are absolutely loving it here. The autumn colours are great and we have had a break in the weather which really helps. Tomorrow is our crossing to South island so the scenery should only get better!