Point Kean Seal Sanctuary, Kaikoura

Drive or walk along the coastline from Kaikoura township to the very end of the headland. There you will come across a small car park with a few unusual visitors of the ‘New Zealand Fur Seal’ kind. The rocky outcrop at Point Kean expanded much further out to sea following the recent earthquake and the seals are now spread out over a significant distance. However there are still some inquisitive ones that come in closer and will happily lounge about on the raised boardwalk or grassy banks. In the last couple of years I’ve usually only seen sleepy young males around these parts but very occasionally a young pup will join it’s mum and delight it’s audience.

If the tide is right take a walk further around the headland, being careful not to trip on the rocks and slippery seaweed. There are a lot more seals around these parts, hidden from sight. Be warned several will happily flop across the pathway and don’t much care if it was meant for our feet not theirs. I’ve regularly had to clamber up and around some grumpy seal who has been all to happy to bark and snarl at me. It’s still a treat to spend time visiting them though and as long as you are careful and don’t block their route to the sea, the only aggression you’ll experience is their bark. All bark and no bite……but never risk this!

Mountain bike the Little River Rail Trail - epic mountain to lake views

The section of the Rail Trail between Birdlings Flat and Little River township is roughly about 20km return and is, for me, one of the most enjoyable parts of the track. Park up on the road leading down to the small settlement of Birdlings Flat - which is worthy of a trip out on it’s own accord and I will mention it shortly in a future post - and follow the well sign-posted gravel track. The Little River Rail Trail is about 49km in length, starting from Hornby, a suburb of southern Christchurch, out across to the small township of Little River on the Banks Peninsula. It is split into 6 handy sections and, as the name suggests, follows the route of an old railway embankment. The trail is pretty diverse and this part of the track from Birdlings Flat follows the shoreline of Lake Forsyth - or Te Roto O Wairewa to give it the much more interesting Maori name. The lake is home to an abundance of bird life that is easily spottable as you cycle along. On my recent ride I spotted all types of duck, geese, black swans and teals. There were even a few herons nesting.

Top Tip: take some binoculars if you enjoy bird watching as you won’t be disappointed. There are dozens of different types here.

Surrounded by mountains on all sides, the trail traverses through some patches of forest and wetland before ending at Little River itself - a welcome spot to enjoy a well earnt break and perhaps a refreshment of two - the town has some great spots which I’ll talk about in a future blog.

Soak away your cares at Tekapo Springs

Offering magnificent views across Lake Tekapo and the Two Thumb Mountain range beyond, Tekapo Springs are the perfect alpine hot pools. Relaxation is made easy here. There are three pools in a tiered formation with native alpine plants dividing them. It is recommended to start at the bottom pool, which also happens to be the coolest, and work your way up. The hottest pool is also adults only and offers the most spectacular lake views. On a freezing, icy cold winters morning, with snowflakes fluttering in the air, there is probably no better place.

A day spa is also on site offering lots of indulgent treatments. I haven’t yet tried it but I did notice it offered a 60 minutes, hot stone massage. I will most certainly be back to treat myself as it seems too good a way to spend an hour!

There is also a café on site for much needed refreshments after your dip. It also has great views - just for a change…….

Lake Tekapo Village

As much a tourist resort these days as a village, Lake Tekapo has grown significantly over the last few years and yet still possesses much of its previous charm. Ideally situated about half way between Christchurch and Queenstown, Tekapo seems to be the stopping off point of choice. The village is positioned on the banks of the sparkling lake that bears it’s name, surrounded by the Two Thumb Mountain Ranges. The lake water itself needs to be seen to be believed being an incredible blue that shines gloriously in the sunlight.

Tekapo, as mentioned, is undergoing something of a transformation. New accommodation is being built, including a perfectly positioned YHA for the budget conscious traveller. New infrastructure is appearing in the form of a purpose built supermarket and a new ‘Dark Sky’ complex - which I will come to in a later blog. (Tekapo is home to a UNESCO Dark Sky Reserve).

Nothing in my opinion can beat a walk along the lake front wrapped up on a cold winters day, or even a sweltering summers day for that matter! Of course no visit to Tekapo would be complete without checking out the picture perfect Church of the Good Shepherd. This small, stone built church is probably positioned in the most iconic of locations with a glass window to take in the absorbing views across the lake to the mountain ranges. It’s also worth taking a short walk around to the Makenzie Sheep Dog Statue just nearby. A tribute to all the dogs that made settlement and farming in this area possible.

Spotting whales in Kaikoura

Which is better is a tough question. Spotting Kaikoura’s resident sperm whales from the water or air?

Having been fortunate enough to experience both I can categorically say that the answer isn’t easy.

Nothing beats a sighting of a whale close up by boat. Bobbing alongside such a magnificent mammal is truly awe inspiring and even more so when the whale sucks in that last bit of air and arches its back upwards rising to the sky to sink deep into the depths below. The first time you witness this it simply blows you away.

The great thing about being on the water of course is that you also have the opportunity to spot other sea creatures and birds close up. Seals are often seen bobbing in the water and dolphins love nothing more than to frolic on the brow of the boat. There are heaps of rare seabirds in these parts including the largest of them all, the mighty albatross, which are often spotted on the horizon.

From a plane the view is very different as you’d expect and you have the benefit of being able to appreciate the full size and scale of the whale. The flight itself is quite an adventure - taking off from a grass runway in such a small plane whilst watching the pilot at the controls right in front of you.

The views of the Kaikoura Headland are quite spellbinding as are those of the mighty Kaikoura Mountain Range. The great thing about the plane trip is that it’s quick. Once a whale is spotted they can approach it much faster than any boat can which can really benefit a viewing. The whales only breach the surface of the water for a few minutes, taking in deep breathes of air before plunging down again. I was lucky on my trip and we actually saw a whale surface so spent several precious minutes circling just above.

So which is better, the plane or the boat? Hmmmmmmmm

Miro Cafe, Christchurch, a foodies delight

One of my favourite spots for breakfast this place rocks great food and coffee. So far I’ve sampled their Portobello Mushrooms with panko crumbed eggs - intriguingly delicious. The Beef Cheeks - yes beef cheeks for breakfast - is also heavenly and very rich. There are also healthier options too with a range of nutritious smoothies and Acai Bowls and unusual concepts such as Buffalo Panna Cotta with citrus granola and seasonal fruit. You can even wash these down with a Cereal Killer cocktail or Breakfast Martini, personally I prefer to stick to the awesome coffee. The service is top notch and the atmosphere welcoming. Two huge open fires make for a cosy ambience and it’s only a short walk from Hagley Park, making it a great spot after an energetic circuit or two.

Miro is now open for Tapas on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening.

McLeans Falls, the highest waterfall in The Catlins

In an area seemingly blessed with picturesque water falls McLeans Falls is another that easily catches the eye. It takes a forty-minute return walk through Rimu and Fuchsia forest to reach the 22-metre-high waterfall, the highest in The Catlins. I timed my visit at sunset when it is especially rewarding as the sun glistens through the tree canopy providing a surreal background to an already breath-taking location.

Cathedral Caves one of the worlds longest sea caves

Cathedral Caves are only accessible two hours either side of low tide. I struck lucky and arrived an hour into the restricted four-hour window when the tide was agreeable for exploration. A stroll down through native bushland brought me out onto the wide expanse of glorious Waipati Beach.  The caves are situated on the Western edge and as I crossed the golden sand I encountered not only a slumbering New Zealand Sea Lion but an inquisitive and playful seal. Cathedral Cave itself is one of the thirty longest sea caves in the world and it can be walked through from one side to the other although you must be prepared to get wet!  I removed my trainers and rolled up my trousers and began my wade through the icy cold sea water which had formed a deep well in the entranceway. Further into the darkness of the cave it soon became apparent why it had been named as such with its high sides and raised ceiling reminiscent of European Cathedrals. The acoustics were somewhat nifty too as waves soared across the beach and through into the caves creating booming soundwaves. At the very back of the cave I spotted a Little Blue Penguin having a well earnt rest in between the tides.

Cannibal Bay a beautiful spot with an unfortunate name

Further south down the coastline is Cannibal Bay which was named by an early explorer who mistakenly uncovered human bones here without realising at the time that they were from a local Maori burial site. The name does little justice to this gorgeous spot which is the local hang out of the New Zealand Sea Lion. These chaps, whilst scarce in number like nothing more than to loll around on the beach especially in summertime.

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.

Roaring Bay home of the world's rarest penguins

I arrived at Roaring Bay a few hours before sunset when a certain exclusive resident starts to arrive home.  The Yellow Eyed Penguin is one of the rarest types found and its future is seriously threatened with numbers rapidly declining. They are only found on New Zealand’s South Island and a couple of other remote sub-antarctic islands. In The Catlins a few hundred now remain. I grabbed my binoculars and headed down to the viewing hide set up to enable easy scanning of the rock-strewn beach so as not to not cause the penguins any disturbance. The Yellow Eyed Penguins living at Roaring Bay are undoubtedly exceptional little guys surviving such inhospitable habitat. As they arrive home on the tide they almost look like ducks on the water until they clumsily belly flop onto the shore. Exhausted after a long day at sea fishing they then begin their slow trundle up the challenging terrain to their nest in the coastal vegetation. I was fortunate to spot three arrive on the beach whilst two were cautiously shuffling their way homewards. Their name comes from their distinctive markings described to me as yellow painted eye liner – such an appropriate description.

The most Southern point on the Southern Island at the bottom of the world

My destination was Slope Point the most Southern point of the South Island and officially actually further south than Bluff itself. A bracing 20-minute walk across exposed farmland brought me to the edge of the headland. Here a well photographed yellow sign indicated the next place south in 4803km was Antarctica and the South Pole. As I took in the picturesque views across the horizon I realised I was standing very nearly at the bottom of the earth. It was a bit of a struggle truth be told to stay standing upright at times as the wind battered the headland. This to me though was all part of the fun, The Catlins wouldn’t be so appealing without the blustery southerlies shaping its striking landscape. Testament to this power of nature is the row of trees just by Slope Point that have developed an oddly horizontal lean!

Blue cod, New Zealand's South Islands favourite battered fish

Hungry after my morning excitement I headed back to the nearby settlement of Waikawa. I couldn’t let myself get too carried away as Waikawa is a very small fishing village offering a limited array of amenities. On my drive through though I spotted an interesting spot called Blue Cod Blues which caught my attention. An old converted caravan parked up at the side of the road is the local fish and chip joint. Blue Cod is a popular fish in these parts and is regularly dished up in take away outlets and restaurants throughout the country. I couldn’t resist dropping in for a freshly fried fillet of my own.  Now sufficiently sustained I resumed my journey along the unsealed gravel roads, a common feature in The Catlins area, where there is never a traffic overload.

Curio Bay, a forest 180 million years old

A short climb up along and across the headland from Porpoise Bay is the area known as Curio Bay. It is itself a stunning place but a total contrast when compared to its elegant neighbour. Checking tide times here is crucial as for two hours either side of low tide an ancient geological site becomes accessible.  A Petrified Forest dating back an estimated 180 million years is revealed as the tide washes away. Buried over the centuries under volcanic mud and ash this place is quite simply amazing. A viewing platform looks out over the site and enabled me to take in the whole mind-boggling landscape from above. Steps lead down from here to the wave washed peninsula where I very delicately and tentatively literally stepped over history. The fossilized tree stumps and logs remain clearly visible to the naked eye. Some are bruised and battered by time, others are in much better shape and are almost intact, you can even see the ring markings in a few. It is remarkable at times what nature miraculously manages to preserve.

Porpoise Bay the place to spot Hector's Dolphins surfing the waves

I began my exploration at the furthest end of The Catlins Coastal Rainforest Park. Here a small scattering of dwellings and holiday rentals border a lovely, secluded bay. On the morning of my visit the weather was calm and the beach enticing. It is known as Porpoise Bay, a broad golden crescent of sand which is so inviting you cannot help but stay and linger. As I strolled the scarcely populated beach I kept my eyes peeled across the horizon and out to sea. Usually Surfers ride the waves here but I had also been told that in summertime the very shy Hector’s Dolphin venture close to the shoreline. Hector’s are not only the world’s smallest dolphin they are also one of its rarest. They are only found in New Zealand waters and their numbers are limited. A resident pod love to frequent Porpoise Bay and have a fondness for splashing around and frolicking in the surf here. I began my search for them by scanning with my binoculars seeking their distinctive black and white markings and rounded dorsal fins. I soon realised though that I could ditch the binoculars altogether as just a few metres away from me not far from the beach were a couple of Hector’s dolphins playing in the sea. I am certain that they were pretty much unaware of their captivated audience as they rode the waves together. There is no need for boat trips out to sea in The Catlins, the dolphins happily meet you at the beach!

Quite simply Kaikoura

‘Where the mountains meet the sea’ is the phrase often cited to describe the majesty of Kaikoura. An area of such outstanding beauty it cannot help but spellbind and captivate the visitor. Leading the way in eco-tourism and with so much going on in the area it has become an appealing year-round destination. A place where encounters with whales, seals and dolphins don’t remain just dreams on a ‘one day to be completed bucket list’ but become actual ‘pinch-me it is real’ moments.

Dusky Dolphins everywhere - don't miss this.....

My final trip in Kaikoura enabled me to encounter what could well be the biggest draw card in the area, the huge pods of wild Dusky Dolphins that are resident here. The friendly folk at ‘Dolphin Encounter’ run several well-organized and eco-friendly trips each day to view and swim with these enchanting little fellows. They make it very clear from the outset that the dolphins are the number one priority and the ‘encounter’ you have is strictly on their terms. Kaikoura is universally recognized as one of the best places on the planet to witness these playful, gregarious and highly sociable little dolphins. As I maneuvered myself about the boats deck my first reaction was sheer amazement, where on earth should I look? There seemed to be hundreds of them and they appeared to be absolutely everywhere – soaring through the water at a rate of knots beneath and around our boat sometimes even spurting water up over me from the sides. The noise they made was incredible too with squeaks and dolphin chatter filling the air. It was almost as though the dolphins were as excited to see us as we were them. It felt as though there was so much charged energy all about and I couldn’t help but feel emotional and enlivened by their presence - and then they only went and put on a real show. I’m not sure if they were just showing off but it was remarkably humbling to witness close up their breathtaking jumps and acrobatic twists and turns. The imagery I had seen from watching episodes of ‘Blue Planet’ was happening live in front of me!

Cheese, cheese and more cheese, Kaikoura Cheese Company - a dream

The Kaikoura Cheese Company operates a retail outlet on Kaikoura’s main street. Here tastings and purchases can be made of the artisan award winning cheeses that have left New Zealand’s top chefs and restaurants lauding. Believing myself to be a cheese connoisseur – for the simple reason that I eat an awful lot of it – I dropped by the store and sampled their signature ‘Tenara’ - an ash coated goats cheese which apparently takes fifteen days to mature and quite honestly left me drooling for more.

Seabirds galore on an Albatross Encounter Tour

A morning Albatross Encounter tour awaited and I eagerly met up with skipper Gary to head out on the hunt for the mightiest sea bird of them all. Our boat was small and open-sided which meant a perfect view was to be had on this gloriously sunny day. Gary explained that one of the best starting points was to seek out the local fishing boats as sea birds naturally pursue these chaps hoping for some of their scraps. It didn’t take very long to spot some activity up ahead and our little boat surfed and jumped the pacific waves rapidly to reach it. Almost immediately we began being circled by some rare and exciting sea birds – Mollymawks, Westland Petrels (who I personally thought had handsome faces), and boisterous Northern Giant Petrels who happily scrapped with each other right by our boat as they fought over the chunk of ham Gary had tossed into the ocean. After a short while and a lot of happy photo snaps later we headed off again. This time Gary told us we were going further out to sea all the way to the edge of the Kaikoura Canyon. As the engine stopped and we bobbed and swayed about it was mentioned that the sea floor beneath us was at least 1km deep! Our eyes were thankfully more focused on what was happening overhead. We all silently waited as more and more birds began to appear. Gary pointed several specific ones out for our attention – the Hutton’s Shearwater and Buller’s Shearwater, a Wandering Gibson’s Albatross and a New Zealand White-Capped Albatross. An awesome spectacle was on display but the show stopper and the bird we all instantly recognized with a collective gasp was the Southern Royal Albatross. It soared across in front of the boat, a very close distance above our heads! For a bird with such a large wingspan (about three metres) it was wondrously graceful. It felt awfully surreal drifting about out on the ocean with the only noise being a raucous squeal or flap of oversized wings. Gary informed us that many of the Albatross we were seeing nest down in the Campbell Islands, 700km south of New Zealand’s South Island. Several of these Albatross have been tracked using satellite transmitters which have showed them capable of travelling up to 1,000km per day!!  Despite observing all these astounding over-sized seabirds my own personal favourite was the little Fluttering Shearwater – a tiny guy by comparison. They fly just above the water with a series of rapid wing beats – hence their endearing name.

Spend the night on a lavender farm complete with outdoor bathroom

Just north of Kaikoura is Lavendyl Farm dreamily situated beneath the lofty peaks of the Kaikoura Mountain Range. A stroll around the farms gardens introduced me to so many different variations of lavender that personally I had no idea existed. My accommodation for the night was at one of their two on-site petite cottages. This allowed me to wander the lavender gardens on my own after all other visitors had departed which was a real pleasure. A delight also was the private outdoor bath and shower I had at my cottage. My very considerate host had kindly left me a bottle of lavender oil and it was a delicious luxury to soak in the peaceful outdoor tub surrounded only by birdsong and bush. The following morning, I woke to find some freshly made bread wrapped up and left by the cottage door, gratefully received as I had another early start.