Tag 83 to 85 Kaikoura

Today Basti reports:

Our stay on the South Island is coming to an end, and as one should, we saved the best for last. Arriving in Kaikoura, we explored the town, its cliffs, and rocky beaches where seabirds and seals frolicked. Right by the water, we spent the night under a breathtaking starry sky, with many shooting stars. Early the next morning, we set sail on a whale-watching catamaran owned by the local Maori tribe. After a curious school of Dusky Dolphins visited us and playfully surrounded our boat, and we saw some albatrosses fishing over the water, it finally happened. Aoraki, a sperm whale named after New Zealand's highest mountain, had been spotted! The ocean giant graced us with its presence and impressive water spouts for a good 10 minutes, before diving back into the depths of the underwater canyon off Kaikoura. On the way back along the coast, we encountered a multitude of dolphins - Common Dolphins and Dusky Dolphins - and some seals, before reluctantly returning to land. But the day held more highlights for us. Shortly afterwards, I donned a wetsuit and set out to swim alongside the seals of Kaikoura. The curious and playful animals didn't keep us waiting long, and so I was able to get up close and personal with the marine mammals (captured, of course, on Jojo's underwater camera). After about an hour in the water, we had to head back, but as we sat in the boat, we received word over the radio that a school of orcas had been spotted nearby. And indeed, on our way home, we encountered 8-9 mature individuals and 2 young stragglers, who even dived underneath our small boat. Reunited with Pauline, for whom prayers had been fervently offered (because she had once again attracted the crazies), and who was infinitely jealous, we returned to the campsite, where the day bid farewell with a magnificent sunset. What an impressive day it was! The next morning, we treated ourselves to a freshly caught half lobster from a Maori family business before embarking on our journey, passing through Blenheim and our old vineyard towards Picton with its ferry port.