Today we had a short drive south down the rugged east coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Their Highway 1 is remarkably like going through the Carmel Valley, then south onto our California Highway 1 through Big Sur. Dramatic mountains climb steep into the sky with an azure ocean and lots of rocks.
The drive took three hours from Marlborough to Kaikoura, bringing us almost half way toward Christchurch. For lunch we enjoyed chowder and pan-fried whitefish at the local restaurant, the Pier Hotel, followed by seal-watching at a nearby rocky point. Our innkeeper recommended the same place for dinner, and we got the last two spots for a late seating at 8:30 pm. A lot of locals made people watching extra fun.
Sue should have been a travel agent. Our hotel room in Kaikoura is 50’ from the beach and ocean waves, with our own patio chairs outside our room to enjoy the warm evening in the shade and cooler mornings in the sun. Ted has never met a body of water he didn’t like, and of course went swimming in the South Pacific. Then it was just time to hang out in the patio and watch people, and see/hear the waves pounding the beach. In many ways, it feels like we’re in Hawaii. We are so very grateful for these travel opportunities! For extra credit find Ted in this pic.