Kaikoura, Hamner Springs

Hoping to swim with dolphins and do some whale-watching in Kaikoura, the weather spoiled our plans one more time and we couldn't do either. It was pouring when we reached Kaikoura so we didn't do much except look in the visitor centre, and watch an audio-visual presentation on the whales - not quite the same as the real thing! Anyway, we did an actual winery tour (because we didn't get enough the day before) of Kaikoura Winery, which was really interesting and saw how the wines were made, where they were stored and for how long etc. Of course there were more tastings, and another nice lunch platter.

We drove on to Hamner Springs, for a soak in the hot pools. Just slightly expanded and more commercialised than mum and dad remembered from 25 years ago, it was nice and relaxing to get into the hot pools, especially after a run in the rain! We got a carry-in to the motel and spent the last night trying to make a dent in some of the wine we'd purchased in the last few days (after all, it seemed a bit silly to carry it home again!) It's been a brilliant 3 weeks, but its passed by far too quickly!