Dusky encounter at Kaikoura

Kaikoura on the east coast of South Island is one of the most beautiful places we've seen in New Zealand, and the sunny drive down here from Blenheim was pretty spectacular too. It nestles between a dramatic range of snow-capped mountains and the blue seas of the Pacific shoreline, spilling with surf. Because it's at the point where two currents meet - a sub-tropical and an Antarctic tide - it supports plenty of interesting marine life - many seabirds, including the albatross, fur seals, dolphins and whales. The brown kelp also wafts along the shoreline, looking intriguingly like a sea monster. There are tons of activities and a thriving backpacker industry as well as peaceful settings for those who prefer tranquillity.

We're staying at a little B & B called the Water's Edge and quite literally our back garden meets the shoreline, with a wonderful view of the mountains too. Yesterday we walked along the coast road to the fur seal colony and then climbed up the cliffs to a long and spectacular walkway on the tops around the peninsula, returning eventually to Kaikoura, tired but happy. Then in the evening we enjoyed some live music in a cafe bar.

Today we set off early for a treat on a boat, a dolphin encounter. We decided to spectate rather than swim, as the water is quite cold even with good wetsuits and we remembered our experience in the Bay of Islands. But it was quite wonderful though, with blue skies and well-behaved seas and some albatross sightings. We found hundreds of wild dusky dolphins in shoals, putting on a fantastic display of acrobatics for us. The waters here include the Kaikoura canyon - around 800 metres deep where we were - apparently the deepest underwater canyon so near a coastline in the world. Hopefully we'll be able to put a video clip of the dolphins on the blog as it's so difficult to capture in a still shot.

Tomorrow we're planning to drive south west across the central spine of South Island to Arthur's Pass.