A big update

Bit of a catch up session following a time of limited Internet connection. Should also add please excuse any odd spellings or strange punctuation as we are often writing on small screens.

Before we left Arthur's Pass we walked to some local waterfalls and Shiny had a close encounter with a NZ robin (we think - very different to a UK Robin) which took a shine to him, hopped around his feet and then flew past so close he could feel the wind from it's wings.

We then drove down to Kaikoura where we had a beautiful room overlooking the Pacific. During the evening ominous clouds gathered and there was a torrential thunderstorm. Looking at the low cloud over the sea Curly remarked that there was unlikely to be a good sunset that night whereupon it was pointed out by Shiny that there certainly wouldn't be a sunset in that direction as Curly was looking to the East! 

Next day was our whale watching trip and we were hoping the weather would be bright and calm....it was perfect and we saw three and a half sperm whales dive next to us and got some perfect whale tail fin photos. The half whale was one seen at a distance. 

On leaving Kaikoura we drove north via Blenheim to Picton. Driving to our motel via Queen Charlotte's highway we saw stunning scenery of wooded hills and turquoise water - we didn't stop to take photos knowing we would be travelling back the next morning on the right side of the road for stopping.
The evening enabled us to tick off one of our 'must do' experiences in that we were able to sample the local green lipped mussels which really do have a bright green edge and make French and UK mussels look very puny by comparison.

We retraced our road ready to take many pics the following morning only to find a sea fret worthy of Skegness had descended but by the time the ferry had loaded the mist had lifted so were able to appreciate the beautiful journey through the Sounds. 

Back on North Island we drove to our friends house at Palmerston North where we had a lovely evening catching up with them their children and grandchild. Some of the family we had last seen when we
lived in NL others had been born since then so we were meeting them for the first time. In the evening we drove out to the beach house or 'bach' (to give it it's proper NZ name) along with Chris, Kate and Kate's mother for two nights.

This morning dawned...ferociously wet and windy a north-westerly gale. We did venture out round the corner to see the sea but the horizontal sand persuaded us to retreat. We took a short drive to Foxton where very appropriately there is a Dutch windmill; we were hoping to walk around the nature reserve but the high tide and on-shore wind meant the path was flooded so we retreated back to the bach where our friends assure us it was really hot and sunny normally. But we have good company, good food and the chance to catch up on some reading and blogging. We are promised a BBQ later - which may turn into a rather British affair with the men being pushed out into the wind and rain while the rest of us shelter inside!