Spring Sunshine, Seals & A Super Moon

Wednesday 8 October

Our onward destination was not bookable so we got our arses in gear and packed up Banjo in good time, said farewell to Yamille (Luke was already at work) then hit the highway out to the coast and down to Kaikoura.

Obligatory stop at Kekerengu (where we plan to stay one day) then on along the stunning coastline to Waipapa Point for the seals then onwards to Kaikōura and the Pier Hotel.

Kekerengu Store is always a perfect pit stop - the cabinet is laden with goodies, there are gorgeous tables and seating areas in the lovely gardens, and the stony beach stretches on for miles and is sometimes visited by seals (but not on this day)!

Never a shortage of seals and their pups at Waipapa Point though - maybe fewer than when we came up the coast in late July, but still heaps of them basking on rocks and flopping in and out of rock pools. Tui the springer spaniel found them fascinating - probably lured in by their pungent aroma! This is also a great spot to watch the cormorants as there are hundreds of them on the rocks between the two sections of the Bay, and we also got a visit from a cheeky chaffinch who had tried to sneak a bite of mandarin from someone's lunchbox!

The most exciting thing was watching three seals out hunting in the bay just beyond the rocks... porpoising in and out of the waters in hot pursuit of something delicious!

Fortunately, despite the detours, we arrived in good time at the Pier Hotel and got an easy spot near the front and right by the hotel. We had a lovely welcome from the resident campsite pupster who came and flopped in the shade of our Banjo.

Quick lunch in the glorious sunshine, then off we went to find more seals. Kaikōura never disappoints and there were heaps of pups and adults siestaing on the uplifted rocky plateau. All these white rocks stretching out into the sea which the seals love are quite "new" as they came up in the quake of 2016. We walked up along the cliffs, the path affording fabulous views of the shoreline below, then wound our way down to the shoreline to walk back past the seals, cormorants, red billed gulls and other wildlife.

There was a family of Asian tourists way out beyond the rope barrier, all within about 5m of the seals so we did our bit for the environment and called them back... took a while to get them to understand! On a happier note, we also spotted a wedding couple having their official photos taken against the backdrop of the Kaikōura Bay - too adorable!

Back at Banjo we dressed up for dinner at The Pier then emerged to a stunning lilac sunset. As I was on my Deborah keto diet, we shared a seafood platter and I had veggies while Louis had fries - no chance of us over ordering and adding a main course this time!!! A lovely lady came over on her way out of the restaurant, gave me a big hug and told me I looked wonderful in my Hospice pink frock... such lovely gestures are so life affirming in these negative days politically.

An hour or so later we popped out to the nearest wee bay and watched the still rather super moon rise over the horizon - absolutely stunning! What a wonderful day!