Easter 2012, South Island

We have been to God's country!  Some of you have seen photos and made the same comment.  It is so true.  There were parts of the country that were untangled, undamaged, unchanged by man's often harsh hand.  You will see pictures, do not worry.  But let me not get ahead of myself.

We have just sent off our first visitors, sadly.  We had a wonderful visit with Cress and Gigi Whitfield and come to find out Adrian's youngest son coaches their son in soccer - what a small world!  We had a really nice time and the house is terribly quiet this morning with kids in school, Adrian at work, and only the sound of the washing machine.  So I will happily relive our latest adventure.   I was a bit overwhelmed at getting this post out so I am going to break it up into chapters.  The visit through Kaikoura being the first.

ferry ride to Picton

We left Palmy on Good Friday for Wellington - great weather and an easy drive down.

Ferry to the South Island trip was smooth and gorgeous as we entered the Picton area.  We met and visited with a Maori woman, Maata, she had flax reeds and weaved those reeds into a Maori bag during our visit.  Just before we docked she gifted us with the basket.  Through tears we exchanged hugs and the traditional Maori hug which is placing forehead and nose to the other persons forehead and nose.  It was a real highlight to meet and visit with Maata.  She spoke Maori with her grandchildren and had the traditional tattooing around her mouth and chin. The Maori call it carving and as I have learned from Grace (she learns the culture, legends, customs at school) each carving tells a story.  She certainly is a wonderful story teller and a deeply feeling and passionate woman.  A very special beginning to a very special trip, indeed!

dusky dolphins

 We drove off the ferry and on to Kaikoura on the east coast of the south island.  Kaikoura is a small touristy town that is on the migration path of whales and is home to an endangered species of very playful dolphin - the Dusky dolphin.  We went out on a beautiful Easter morning on a boat to see the dolphins - there was a pod of about 200 just off shore.  Some of the people wore wet suits and swam with them while we watched from the boat.  We also saw a seal swimming with them and a very big albatross flew by.

dancing dusky

baby seal at waterfall pool

The other wonderful thing in Kaikoura are the fur seals.  There is a great spot to pull off the road and look at the seals on the rocks.  There were so many of them.  These seals take their babies to a feeder creek so that they can safely learn to be adolescent seals.  We hiked up this path next to the creek that feeds into the Tasman Sea.  There were so many little black baby seals - hard to see against the rocks really.  At the end of the trail there was a waterfall and a pool where the babies were swimming and twirling and trying to fight like seals do - so special and something that enthralled all of us.  

On to Christchurch...