Nelson, Queen Charlotte Drive, Picton, Kaikoura, Blenheim

So, we have a lot to catch up on. First, we spent 2 days in the city, and then headed to Nelson. Since I’m not a big fan of cities, I immediately went to the botanical garden and up to Botanic Hill. What I was thinking after the strenuous hike the day before, I have no idea. It was steep, but the view over all of Nelson was beautiful, with the sea and the sun shining. Then I went back down and looked at the Cathedral and did a bit of souvenir shopping. I stayed nearby since I was going back to Nelson the next day to charge some things at the library. I really love supermarkets, and they’re open 7 days a week, sometimes until 10 PM, which is such a game changer. That evening, I already drove further and stayed there overnight because the next day we were driving along the Queen Charlotte Drive. Unfortunately, it rained endlessly, but the views were still very nice. I stopped at Momorangi Bay, Ngakuta Bay, Shakespeare Bay Lookout, Queen Victoria Lookout, and a few more, and after that, I was soaked from head to toe. I skipped Picton for now because I was taking the ferry on the 29th, so I headed briefly to Blenheim, which is also a small town, everything you need. I actually wanted to spend the night there, but then I drove straight to Kaikoura instead. Good decision since the dolphin tour started at 8:15, and I had parked pretty close by. So, I didn't have to drive another 1.5 hours in the morning, which was nice. At the campsite, I was “checked” for the first time. I was just relaxedly crocheting when someone came and shined a light through my windshield, and I thought what was going on. He immediately apologized and said he is the ranger and checks if I’m self-contained. He saw the sticker on my car and that was fine. The toilet was next door with a sink and everything, a dream. In the morning, I drove the few meters to the Dolphin Encounter and checked in. I saw such a beautiful sunrise. Soon after, we received our equipment: wetsuit (a bit like overalls), then a jacket on top, neoprene gloves and shoes, a neoprene hood, dive mask, snorkel, fins, the full package. I unfortunately don’t have a picture, but I probably looked funny. We also watched a safety video, and then we went first by bus and then by boat. A super nice and friendly crew; it was really nice. We drove for about 20-25 minutes and already saw a few dolphins, and I thought where are they going, there are some here. No guys, there were a few, but where we were there were hundreds. I would have never thought that there would be so many; it was insane. Oh, and I have to say, it was totally different from Indonesia (thank God). We were the only boat for miles, with 16 people. We didn't chase the dolphins; they kinda chased us. They were really curious, always swimming behind us and the boat. We then sat at the back of the boat and were supposed to slip quietly into the water and move dolphin-like. And wow, there were so many all around us all the time. I could have stretched out my hand and touched them, they were that close. We were told that since they communicate with sounds, we should make noises through the snorkel. As for how the dolphins felt about one dude humming “Old McDonald Had a Farm” and another trying to imitate dolphin sounds, I don’t know, but it didn’t scare them away at all. So, anyone who knows me knows I get cold easily, and I really respected the cold water today. There were a total of 4 swimming rounds, but I only managed 2. On the first one, I thought, oh crap, this is cold, but I wanted to push through. On the second, I was so frozen that I barely felt my body; I was just floating because the wetsuit doesn’t let you sink. So I can say I managed to stay in as long as I could. But that’s okay; I saw so many in the water and so up close. It took me forever to change back and feel something again. Oh, and we also saw a seal while snorkeling. Then I could watch the dolphins from the boat, which was also super cool. They are known for jumping around; the dusky dolphins, but they didn’t just jump; they spun in the air, did flips, and splashed with their fins as if they were putting on a show for us. Apparently, dolphins never really sleep; they can put one half of their brain to sleep and keep the other half awake, and then switch. Pretty crazy, I think. We also saw albatrosses and then even a whale, albeit from a distance, but you could see the spray of water and the surface when it surfaced briefly, which was really great.

Oh, absolutely great was also when we got back; we could take hot showers. And finally, the shower was actually hot, not just lukewarm. My feet, guys, for a moment I thought I really had a problem; the soles and individual toes were so white, no hint of blood. After 5 minutes under what felt like boiling water, they first turned blue and then, thank God, pink; oh, the pain was unbearable, I tell you.

With a few snacks and view stops, we headed back to Blenheim, but no out of the city and up to the mountains. I started questioning everything again, right before sunrise, climbing 400 meters up a mountain. After I sweated my life away up there without any water, I had an incredible view. On the left, the mountains, mountains upon mountains, in front of me a sunset, and the city next to the fields, on the right the sea and next to me sheep, I mean what? It was so beautiful. I jogged down and actually arrived while it was still light out; then I got something to eat and drove to the spot to sleep for the night. Tomorrow is a chill and library day, and on the 29th we’re going to the North Island. It has been perfect days, especially today.