Nugget Point remote weather beaten coastline

From Roaring Bay, I ventured upwards reaching the narrow and jagged peninsula known as Nugget Point. The cliff face here dramatically protrudes 133 metres above the sea level. Nugget Point like so much of this coastline is suitably weather beaten from both time and tide and a well-formed pathway took me on a breath-taking walk (both in terms of the blustery conditions and the steep drops below –scared of heights as I am I must admit to some moments of jelly legs). At the tip of the point the pathway ends in a platform overlooking the ‘Nuggets’ themselves. These wave-eroded rocks have been aptly named due to their resemblance to gold nuggets. The lighthouse here towers over the back of the platform and was built in 1869. It’s continuous flashing light has undoubtedly prevented many a ship wreck on this hazardous coastline. The view is spectacular out across the endless Pacific Ocean and beyond.  Nugget Point also happens to be home to a colony of New Zealand Fur Seal. In one way or another these guys always seem to choose the wildest least hospitable places to make their homes. They weren’t hard to spot and even less hard to hear as their barks blare in the wind. The babies were playfighting in the sheltered rock pools whilst the juveniles like all good teenagers, splashed around, charged about and generally showed off in the swell.

Swimming with the fur seals, in Kaikoura

Seal Swim Kaikoura afforded me the fantastic opportunity of mixing it up with the playful New Zealand fur seals. First though I needed to get dressed and geared-up for such an occasion, so I headed into the changing rooms at the back of their office in Kaikoura’s main street.  Decked out in a snug fitting buoyant wet suit complete with snorkel and mask I was all set to trickily wade my way over to the distinctive yellow Seal Swim Bus. During our short journey our enthusiastic crew told us all about the seals and how the location chosen to swim in changed daily dependent on the clarity of the water and playfulness of the seals. I was reminded that any interaction was at their discretion and it was crucial to remember that this was a wild encounter. Luckily New Zealand fur seals are a naturally curious bunch and as we approached in the Seal Swim yellow zodiac boat – yes there is a lot of yellow going on - the younger pups were soon inquisitive, peering down at us eager to discover what these odd things were! Impatient to get in the water I donned my face mask, set up my snorkel and gently guided myself over the edge of the boat. The sea water instantly felt on the cold side – it was the Pacific Ocean after all – and the waves a little choppy, but this soon mattered not one iota as I began to see movement around me in the water. Clambering about on solid ground they were a clumsy bunch, but in the water, it was a different matter entirely as they twisted, turned, spun and weaved, gliding through the water uninhibited. All the time I got the impression though that they were still being mischievously inquisitive.  I kicked against the tide putting my head down just in time to see a seal swim right up to my mask and peer direct at me. For a few precious seconds I literally was nose to nose with a fur seal! I struggled to think of an adequate word to help describe this amazing close-up encounter – perhaps honoured.