New Zealand – Day 22 – Wednesday, March 15th, 2017

  • Kaikuora
    Sea side views
  • Sea side views
  • Sea side views
  • Looking for hand-outs
  • Sea side views
  • Sea side views
  • Sea side views
  • Small maori defensive post one of many seen around the island
  • Sea side views
  • Sea side views
  • Sea side views
  • Sea side views
  • Sea side views
  • Sea side views
  • Posing while out hiking
  • Sea side views
  • Sea side views
  • Sea side views
  • His lazy friends
  • The performing sea-lion
  • The performing sea-lion
  • Sea side views
  • Sea side views
  • Sea side views
  • Sea side views
  • Instructions if an earthquake or tsunami were to occur
  • A view of village centre
  • Closed
  • A view of village centre
  • The museum now closed
  • The Pier Restaurant one of few that remain open after the quake
  • The Land of the Long White Cloud

+16, Windy on the bluffs above the water, but warm otherwise.

Kaikoura is our destination today. It is a small village on the east coast about 200 km north of Christchurch. 

The challenge is getting to the village as the area where the village is was subject to a massive subsea earthquake in November 2016. From news reports, the roads leading to Kaikoura were badly damaged. Highway 1 south (we discovered the south route opened the morning we left for Christchurch) and north remain closed. Our route was badly damaged but was open with many construction zones along the way. Once past these areas, the way was clear and we arrived in Kaikoura and checked into our motel.

It is a popular spot for dolphin and whale watching. There are several signs for companies offering boat and plane sight-seeing tours. But news stories report that because the seafloor rose during to earthquake, whale watching boats are limited as to when they can come and go from the harbour.

We decided on a self-guided hike along the bluffs above the north peninsula, returning along the shoreline of the azure blue waters, where among other things was a sea-lion colony where I got up close and personal with a performing sea-lion. Once asleep they are almost oblivious of the simple humans around them.

The views are amazing. I know that I have written this before but these views top all before seen before.

In town, you see the effects of the earthquake everywhere and signs advising what to do should another earthquake or tsunami occur.

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