So last I left off here we were dance partying in the car on the way to Kaikoura. Kaikoura is a beach bumming town on the East coast of the South island where the surf breaks viciously and the seals bark constantly. We drove in along low cliffs where the easternly waves were breaking on jagged rocks. In a few rockless spots, we saw surfers waiting for the perfect wave.
Our hostel was managed by a seriously bumming beach bum who was about sixty years old, tall, and drunk. He gave us a grand tour which included pointing out the secret shortcut to the beach and then left us to return to his drink.
We grabbed dinner fast and cut through the hidden gate to eat on the beach. The sun had already set and twilight was melting into night as we finished our sandwhiches. The tide was rolling in, and the waves were at least twice as tall as me. Sometimes two would pile up and crash at the same time leaving the spray to reach at least twenty feet in the air. The gray gravel of the beach looked blue, marking this beach as one of the most unique I've ever sat upon.
The next morning, we drove a few minutes into Town Center to join our kayaking group! We set out on the South Bay in a tandem kayak (oh, Lord), Slou in the stern and me in the bow, and paddled out to the end of the peninsula to see fur seals! They are so cute! Like puppies of the sea! They lie around the rocks during the day and some even came over to play. New Zealand law dictates that humans have to stay twenty meters away from the seals on land, and five meters away from them in the water. However, they are more than welcome to come close if they so choose. And so they did! I didn't get great pics beacuse those sucks are rather quick swimmers.
After playing with the seals for a bit, we paddled further out to ride the swells. The waves were tall but soft, so the swells gently rolled us back and forth, side to side. We paddled around the bay a bit more before returning to shore.
After kayaking, Slou and I found a quiet little spot on the blue beach just outside Town Center to eat our lunch. The water was another perfect teal blue, as I'm learning most water in New Zealand is. We walked around town a bit and then hopped in the car to head out. It was a quick trip over to this side of the country, but well worth it! I had hoped to swim with dolphins, but they were already booked by the time we arrived; nevertheless, the seal kayaking was still great! I'll just have to come back again soon!
If you can't bring me back a koala, I'll take a seal-dog
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