A driving day today, and yet again the vistas before us were spectacular; we don’t say this lightly, we’re not venturing far from the highway – and the landscapes get more and more remarkable. We started our journey in the Marlborough region – think vineyards flanked by towering hills. Within a few miles however this gave way to valleys and bleak, dry, moorish, imposing landscapes and before long we were driving along spectacular coast (literally metres from the ocean) with mountains on one side and coastal views on the other.
We stopped by the side of this major road to watch some baby fur seals frolicking in the sun.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves, there was an early stop at Blenheim, the capital of the Marlborough region just 20 minutes from Picton. Nice town. We can recommend the Watery Mouth cafe. Another hour down the road and another stop at Kekerengu’s ‘store’ for more coffee and a quick play on the beach. We are definitely eating well.
Finally, we arrived in Kaikoura; a lovely town but perhaps a little more of a “backpacker” destination – lots of water activities and a beautiful location. We wandered past the shops (souvenirs, art shops and surf gear) and then ambled up the hill to the lookout overlooking the town. Pretty obvious from there why everyone stays. More amazing scenery provided by the northern most reaches of the Southern Alps.
The Obligatory Blog 