Eric enjoyed an early morning run on the black beach and the coastal path while Elise and Sam slept in. Alas they and the camera missed a beautiful morning over the Kaikoura Range. By the time the family (with cameras) left the hotel at 9.30, low cloud cover had rolled in.
Todays daytime activity was whale watching. Kaikoura has a deep ocean trench just off the coast which is a rich feeding ground for marine life including sperm whales. On the way out we saw a few small dolphins before the skilled crew tracked down a 15m whale resting between dives. We had a few minutes of watching before the whale dived and then another chance to spectate for 10 minutes once he came up from the depths about 30min later.
There was a bit of chop and unfortunately Sam was seasick, along with a couple of other folk.
Back on shore we had a (very) light lunch, then hit the road to Blenheim. The cloud was still hanging around obscuring the ranges so Elise and Sam never did get a chance to see the coastal mountains in their full snow capped glory. The drive itself was pleasant as we moved from the hilly terrain, down to the flatter Marlborough Wine region.
After hotel check in and a short shopping expedition it was off to Arbour, the Marlborough regions premier restaurant. The restaurant had a lovely layout, with two open plan rooms separated by a bar and entry area. They didn't try and crowd too many parties in so there was plenty of space between tables We had "the Many" experience which was absolutely sensational. The venison was probably the dish of the night but it was hot competition.
Soon it was home to bed for a good nights sleep before winery visits tomorrow.
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