We chose to celebrate Christmas with everyone back in the US by having a small breakfast and then stealing wifi from the Hanmer Springs Library!
You should know that free wifi is extremely rare in New Zealand. Check your surroundings for mobs of tourists with their phones out, chances are they are on the perimeter of a facility with free wifi. You can expect to pay $3-$5 NZD for every GB if connecting to a city hotspot.
We didn't actually visit the Hanmer Springs pools... Maybe it's just because everyone is on holiday over here but the line-up looked like it was more for a family water park than a relaxing area of mineral pools and spas. I do think it would be a spectacular place to visit in the NZ winter months!
We spent some time wandering the shops and local market before driving to Kaikoura for lunch and grocery shopping. It's crazy how quickly the landscape and weather changes here! Left the sunny hill country and made it to the rocky, overcast ocean front in about an hour.
Had a quick stop at the Kaikoura Lookout point and made a new friend at one of the seal colonies!
Don't worry, she isn't sick (or drunk) apparently it is common for the seals to make their way up the walkways or into the parking lot.
After exploring a bit more, we enjoyed a delicious pizza at the Groper Garage before hunting for a spot to camp. By driving out of town for 10-15 minutes we accidentally discovered the BEST free campground in all of New Zealand (in our opinion). It was right on the beach, 25-30 campers and lots of bonfires scattered throughout. Made some new friends right away from the Netherlands, Germany & South Carolina who invited us over to their campfire for some cookies and beer! It is crazy that we have only met 2-3 other Americans on this entire trip! It is so common for young people from other countries to come to Australia and New Zelaand on work/holiday visas... So envious!
Our whale watching cruise was cancelled the next day because the water was too rough so we decided to move up our seal swim. (sealswimkaikoura.co.nz)
OH.MY.GOSH.
I could have stayed out there all day. I felt comfort in knowing that the fur seals on the Kaikoura coast actually have no predators in the water. There is nothing quite like swimming next to a seal and not having to worry about a shark coming up behind you for a snack. I am almost positive I squealed through my snorkel the first time I came face to face with one of these crazy creatures under water! I cannot wait to upload the pictures from the Go Pro so you can all see.
This is something you must do when you visit New Zealand! There is not a guarantee that the seals will interact (they are not trained or baited in) but if you follow the guides instructions and "act like a seal"- the odds are extremely high. We swam around 2:30 and 6 out of the 7 tours already that day had been successful!
After taking off all of our gear & enjoying a hot shower at their main office, we went back to the Grouper Garage for some Bacon, Cheese and Sweet Chili fries. Stick to the food and wifi that you know and love, right?! We were honestly too hungry to make any other decisions.
We grabbed some chicken and veggies for stir fry and headed back to the campground to find an even better spot than the night prior. Unfortunately, the beach was extremely windy and we were informed that there was a city wide fire ban so the night was pretty low key. We did, however, make friends with the Wicked Camper next to us. This couple was from Germany and has been traveling for 6 months... Again, jealous!
I don't know what it is about sleeping in a campervan but I seem to fall asleep quickly and stay asleep for an unusually long time. Maybe my body is finally recovering from all of the 2AM nights I stayed up working my business this year!
I can't believe we only have 48 hours left here in New Zealand. Time has definitely flown by! I wish we could have tacked on a few more days to see the northern parts of the South Island, visit a few of the Marlborough wineries and camp at the Abel Tasman National Park. If you want to see everything, and maybe drive a bit less frequently, I would recommend at least 3-4 weeks here!
I guess we will just have to come back one day...
Still time for a few more NZ adventures, fill ya in later!
XOXO
Elissa
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