A change is as good as a holiday!

And there have been three changes:

1.     Solo Senior has had company

2.     The weather has been consistently wonderful

3.     I am now in the South Island

The company has been Brad and Barbara Fenner and Thomas, and also Lester (all pictured in Cromwell). It has been nice having some drinking, eating, walking and hot tub buddies.

Sunshine and warmth make this camping life a whole lot easier and more enjoyable.

In the South Island, we first visited Hamner Springs (where we avoided the hot thermal pools, deeming them too commercial, but loved the walking, particularly the Waterfall walk. It was a lot of up, but worth the effort.

Then we went on up the East Coast to Kaikoura. For many people Kaikoura is either a place to pass through or a place to take whale watching trips. We did neither and found it absolutely delightful. We completed the Peninsula walk - a three plus hour trip with huge coastal and rural vistas, a back-drop of snow capped mountains, colonies of seals, interesting rock formations and a picturesque beach for lunch.



The hills are alive with the sound of mooosic



We decided on an extra day because Seafest, Kaikoura’s big annual event was on. We were somewhat concerned the day before when we discovered the camp ground gradually filling up with tenting twenty-somethings who proceeded to trash themselves from 8:30am. The lot next to us knocked off at least 30 beers, a bottle of Jack Daniels, something blue and several joints) but we went out at 5:00pm for our own drinks and seafood dinner and when we returned they had all gone into town so things were quiet. We also enjoyed the food, wine and music at Seafest and were fascinated by the many people who dress up for the event.  

Our recommendations for eating in Kaikoura include Donegal’s Irish pub (discovered on a forest walk) and the historic Pier Hotel.