A Goodbye to New Zealand, for now!

Our next journey was over to Kaikoura a place famous for the whales, dolphins and seals which call the bay their home. We were travelling along highway one which, luckily for us, was open after the catastrophic earthquake that had hit the area a few years ago. At first we couldn't see any sign of the quake which left us wondering why the road had been shut for over a year. It wasn't until we got closer to Kaikoura and could see the cliff edge in the sea that we realised most of the road we were driving on had been smashed to pieces by the rockfall. It is slow progress as the integrity of the cliffs must be assessed, all the rock cleared and new roads built. The happy waving workers certainly added some fun but we could see it was a tough task, always with the risk it could happen again. When we arrived in Kaikoura we were blown away by the landscape and decided to head to a rocky outcrop where we could spot some seals. The views of the mountain ranges that touched the sea were unbelievable and left us in awe. It was a great opportunity to see some New Zealand Fur Seals snoozing on the rocks and accidentally get very close to a few that were so camouflaged we couldn't see them. We ended the day sitting on the balcony of our beautiful house watching the fiery sunset framed behind the mountains.

The next morning was an exciting one as we were heading out into the deep blue to look for whales. Humpback, Southern Right and Killer Whales can be spotted as well as Common, Bottlenose and Hector's Dolphins but at this time of year the boat heads out to find Sperm Whales. It is mostly bachelor males that spend their time around Kaikoura as the females prefer it a little warmer in Polynesia. We excitedly made our way to the port when we found out it was going to be a very choppy day at sea so there was a possibility that the boat would be cancelled. Luckily the weather cleared up and we were given the green light, although we got to enjoy some dolphins playing in the waves as we waited. It was a very turbulent boat ride and due to the conditions we were informed it might be unlikely to see any whales today. On one stop as the crew assessed the area to find the whales, we were the last people back inside and were fortunate to see a Wandering Albatross, the bird with the largest wingspan in the world, as it swooped towards our boat gliding mere metres away. It was magical and enough to ease our seasickness before we set off in our speed boat jumping through the waves again this time with our sights set on a whale. We arrived just in time and got to spend a few minutes watching him take some breaths before he descended again to 150m to hunt for squid. The most exciting part of seeing this beautiful creature is the moment he dives back down and raises his tail in the air which we got to enjoy again when we found two more whales. Writing about this once in a lifetime moment makes me feel emotional and it was wonderful to get to experience it together.

Our journey to Christchurch was similarly full of destroyed roads and evidence of massive rock falls due to another huge earthquake that hit the city only a few years ago. New Zealand sits on a fault line which explains its volcanic activity, earthquakes and unbelievably mountainous landscape. This was our first stop in Christchurch as we would be returning to the centre at the end of our journey, but this time we were staying in a lovely suburb just outside of the city. We were perched on top of the hill in another gorgeous house where we could enjoy evenings drinking wine as we watched everyone on the beaches below. An unexpected result of being up so high was the frightening steep and tight driveway that led to the house which had us all wincing every time we had to leave. It was hilarious but Josh's dad handled the extreme driveway and our worrying very well. There are many stunning walks to enjoy in and around Christchurch particular on the volcanic peninsular Akaroa where the sun shone brightly for us as we hiked around the turquoise ocean below.

Queenstown is nestled in the mountain ranges of the south so we had a big drive ahead of us from over on the east coast. Luckily the weather was on our side and made every one of our many scenic stops magical as we soaked up the stunning views surrounding us. This appreciation of the natural beauty didn't end as we were staying in a dream home that overlooked the mountains and turquoise lake that make Queenstown so iconic. This place is filled with adrenaline and adventure from the snow covered mountains in winter, to the high energy river cruises in summer. We were lucky enough to have our own adrenaline rush with the Shotover Jet Boat experience which you travel 85kph through a canyon with river depths of as little as 10cm. That's not a typo, this huge 2 tonne boat goes from 0-85kph in seconds and all it needs is half a foot of water to glide across. It was exhilarating and there were a lot of excited screams from the family, mostly me and Wendy, as we were twisting and turning through the tight rocks which usually ended in a hilariously fun 360 spin from our driver. It's certainly something we'll never forget on such a beautifully hot day, the video below will show you more of the action.

I might have already mentioned the stunning weather we experienced here but it really was something else as the temperatures soared to 34C with not a cloud in the sky. We took this opportunity to jump on the cable car up to a look out area where we stood in disbelief that anywhere could be this idyllic. At this high point there is more fun to be had from bungee jumping to paragliding as well as just enjoying the wonderful views. We decided to take our chances on the Luge which is a fast paced go kart race down a section of the mountain. It was significantly more exhilarating than we first thought, speeding down ramps with the pretty scenery whizzing by as we all desperately wanted to be the first to the finish line. We ended this day with a drink in a boat bar sat by the bustling main street and had a delicious meal where we again felt like we never wanted to leave this lovely place. 

If you take a look at the position of Milford Sound on a map it doesn't seem very far from Queenstown, but in actual fact you have navigate all the way around the vast mountain ranges. We set off early to avoid the rush and make sure we had enough time for photo opportunities of some phenomenal landscapes before our boat ride. We saw snow capped mountains framing the fresh summer scenery around us as we were lucky to have the sun shining brightly for us again, making our photos look even more beautiful. We jumped on our boat with Mitre Peak, one of the smaller vessels, for a cruise through the cliffs and set off through the gorgeous sounds. Interestingly these channels were actually created by glaciers and should be called fiords as opposed to sounds which are formed when river valleys are flooded by the sea. We sailed around in awe at the giant cliffs topped with clouds and gazed at the waterfalls that were cascading at every turn. We even got to spot some more seals as they basked on the rock just before our boat driver took us underneath a very powerful waterfall which soaked everyone on the outside part of the boat, including Jason, in seconds. It was a day to remember and we were very glad to have seen such a natural beauty, even if we didn't get to glimpse the elusive Kea. 

It was time to head back to the east coast as we were staying in a little town called Moeraki. After checking in with our rather odd hosts, we rushed out to take a walk to see some very rare Yellow Eyed Penguins. It took us a while but we eventually saw them resting in the bushes although how they traversed the big cliff edge we'll never know! We also used this opportunity to take a look at a marvel of nature the Moeraki Boulders which are perfectly round rocks that have formed within other rocks, then when the outer layer is eroded away it leaves a smooth perfect sphere. As if seeing one species of penguin wasn't enough we planned to head to Oamaru to see the smallest species in the world, the Blue Fairy Penguin. We sat down in our seats set out like an auditorium waiting in anticipation for the flock to return until suddenly we could hear squeaks coming from the ocean. Theses little birds then hopped up onto the beach and went through tiny penguins doors to their protected area with comfy nesting boxes to be reunited with their partner, which involved even more squeaks! Many of the penguins had clearly been very successful at fishing that day because they could barely stand straight without flopping over onto their big bellies which left us in quiet laughter. It was very educational and a great example of how a community can support the local wildlife positively and we left with smiles on our faces as we watched the remaining penguins patiently waiting to cross the road outside to get back to their homes.

Our last destination with the Bellamy-Lees was Christchurch City which left us feeling a little sad. It had been so devastated by the earthquake that around 80% of the buildings had to be flattened due to collapse or structural issues which led to it feeling like an empty shell with very few people around. We enjoyed our ride on the old trams listening to the history of the city and looking at the ancient buildings which are sadly now in ruins. Quakecity is a museum dedicated to sharing the history of that fateful day and informing tourists of the devastation that it caused. It was very informative and even had CCTV footage of the moment the earthquake hit which put into perspective how in a matter of seconds everything can be destroyed. After a few days the difficult time came when we had to say goodbye to Josh's family which was hard as we truly had the best few weeks of our travels. After a teary farewell we decided to keep busy and take ourselves back to our favourite spot Kaikoura to do something very special and swim with seals. We popped on thick 10mm wetsuits to keep us warm and allowed us to bob around on top of the water then headed for the ocean. The boat took us to the bay and in we jumped looking around for any seals we could spot. Within minutes two arrived as they are so inquisitive and love to take a closer look at the strange floating creatures that have just jumped into their water. We watched them as even more turned up and they began to glide around us spinning in enjoyment between the kelp strands. It was such a delight to be playing in the sea with these beautiful creatures that darted between us in fascination. This was a perfect way to end the trip of a lifetime with the most wonderful company. There has to be a very big thank you to Wendy and Philip for everything, we couldn't have had a more perfect trip through New Zealand. It is certainly something we'll never forget and can share for the rest of our lives.