After being rained on to the point of going into solution for some weeks, it has now been sunny for several days, and here in Kaikoura it is actually hot; we've never known NZ like this! As a result we struck lucky with our weather in Arthur's Pass, so Andy achieved his ambition of the 1100m climb up Avalanche Peak (and managed to defend his lunch from the keas) while we also got to admire the Devils' Punchbowl waterfall and the magnificent Otira Gorge viaduct. This takes the Great Alpine Highway (SH73 to the road people) across the pass with a reduced risk of losing it to rockfall and is a splendid piece of engineering. It was of course there on our last visit in March but we couldn't see it for the rain.

After a brief pit stop in Christchurch it was on to new ground in Kaikoura. A deep ocean canyon runs close inland here, and so there is lots of lovely food around for a wide range of marine mammals and sea birds, and no shortage of people keen to take your money so you can see them. We went kayaking around the seal colony and were treated to a couple of penguins swimming by, as well as the blubbery main attraction waving languid fins out of the water or snoozing on the rocks. Cries of 'is it alive?' brought an offended blinking stare, a snort and a return to seal dreamland.

The main attraction had to be done regardless of possible penury; swimming with dolphins. Here in Kaikoura you go to meet the dolphins on their terms, so it is the people who have to jump through the hoops. First you need perserverance to get on the trip; it gets booked up by the tour companies who then cancel some spaces each day, so you have to get on the waiting list and go to the office each day to see if you are in luck. Much to our disappointment this is not organised by a dolphin with a clipboard. You also need luck for the boat to find a pod of dolphins, and some effort to be sufficiently interesting so they'll swim near you.

We struck lucky on our second day and got kitted out with a thick wetsuit, fins and a snorkel and mask. We whizzed round in a powerful boat for about an hour, seeing albatrosses flying and several dolphins jumping, and then we found the pod. All participants slid into the water and began following the instructions to be entertaining. You have to duck dive if you can, swim in circles and hum through your snorkel. Several tuneless repetitions of 'Yellow Submarine' and 'Octopus' Garden' later, we were rewarded by the dusky dolphins swimming below and around, and I was stoked (as they say here) to receive a response in the form of dolphin noises. They swim almost in touching distance although there is no way you can reach them as they are much to fast.
On the third swim my frantic circles were met by a dolphin who fixed me with a beady eye and swam in faster circles, upping the tempo until I had to surface, spluttering. Andy says he tried fooling the dolphin by suddenly spinning the other way but it wasn't playing that game! We got to see the dolphins jumping nearby, and even saw one doing a belly flop - apparently just for the fun of it. ('so long, and thanks for all the fish!') For the finishing touch, five Hector's Dolphins (exclusive to NZ) rode the bow wave on the way home and whizzed back and forth under the boat. What is the superlative form of 'awesome' ?

Follow that.... (but how??). We're on to Picton in a couple of days and then on the boat to the North Island; this time I must try not to be in the cafe at the point of the scenic emergence from the Marlborough Souhds.