Feb. 11 - Wellington to Christchurch

Up early to get to the ferry on time.  We actually made a dry run yesterday just so we knew where to go.  I booked first class lounge for the trip, minimal cost, but included breakfast, lunch, and a quiet place to sit, away from the hoi polloi. :-)  Beautiful scenery once we entered the islands of the Marlborough region before landing at Picton.  Then on to Kaikoura for the whale watching boat ride.

When we got to Kaidoura, we were told that the winds were 25 knots and the seas were very rough, 7-9 foot waves.  We said, hey, we don't get seasick, bring it on.  I knew all the right things to do - focus on the horizon, etc.  I lasted through the first whale sighting, a sperm whale on the surface for about 15 minutes, tried to take pictures and movies with the boat rocking violently back and forth.  Pretty exciting, but I almost lost it on the upper deck.  Came back to our seats and then I did lose it.  Not so cocky any more about having sea legs!  I was proud of Karen until she lost it about 10 minutes later.  From then on it was, when is this going to be over?

There is a whale out there - really!  I need a faster camera with telephoto lens!

This was our whale-watching boat.  The captain said, "If you have to use the bags, the instructions are at the bottom of the bag."  Ha, ha, ha!  Very funny!

Nevertheless, it was a great experience.  The same sperm whale surfaced again an hour later, and we had a bunch of dolphins around the boat at various times.  But it was finally over!  Then I had to get in the car and drive over mountain roads to Christchurch.  Whew!

Checked into Croydon House very late and the only thing open was the RSA across the street.  RSA stands for Returning Servicemen Association, providing a meeting place, bar, and cafe for their soldiers.  They took pity on us (after all, I did play trumpet in the National Guard band!) and we feasted on fish and chips surrounded by young people.

Tomorrow - exploring Christchurch.

Jim