Day 18 – Kaikoura II

Although we booked a tour to see some albatross colonies and other sea life (e.g., dolphins, sperm whales, & other sea birdies), a storm swept in so the tour company cancelled the boat trip.  Drat it, I even took some Dramamine as a precautionary measure.

Albatross / Dolphin Encounters, adjacent to our hotel, has a café and gift shop, so we ordered some cappuccinos and savory tarts for breakfast and watched the pouring rain.

The shop has an extensive sportwear and gift shop with Xmas tree decorations already on display.  Down under, Xmas is celebrated during the hottest time of the year. (December is the height of its summer.)  Some Kiwis told us that on Xmas day they like to invite people over for a big barbeque.  Pete and I can’t get used to the idea of singing renown Xmas carols–such as “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose . . .”– in the summer heat.

These 2 pictures are for Kate, who favors Icebreaker merino wool clothing.  The shop has a full line of it on sale no less.

A stormy sea (with rain drops on the lens)

Some other tourists braved the storm to take in the sight of a lone seal guarding his beach.

The Kaikoura greeting committee

NZ does not have billboards, but Kiwis like to advertise their products in a unique way.

This one is dedicated to Ros.

More Kiwi kitsch.  Guess what this place serves?  We have seen giant mussels on top of restaurants, colossal  M & M’s on top of markets, and antique dryers on top of laundromats.

We went to a local pub, Whaler’s Inn, for dinner.  This town is loaded with whale bones (like the one on the right).

We ate a big hearty dinner of porterhouse steak in mushroom sauce, mash and salad for dinner.  Yes, bad for us, but we felt like some comfort food after a stormy day.  The weather is supposed to be beautiful tomorrow.  Let’s hope.