#8 Meri Kirihimete

Christmas Eve was misty, but warm and soothing; not cold and harsh. I've wanted Christmas "somewhere warm" for a while, and this is it - incidental, but welcome.

Christmas morning came with full light by 7am, my personal Christmas tree with lights would have to wait until the evening. Fresh coffee, food and a chat laid on in the shared dining / kitchen area of Kaikoura Seaside Lodge. Father Christmas had already left chocolates hanging outside each room. Strangers chatted, admiring the view, talking about their family back home and sharing their plans for the day - mainly like mine; a quiet walk and a rest. I threw my "lunch" into a bag, along with SPF50, a few cameras, and a waterproof "just in case".

I spent most of the day walking, taking photos and admiring the landscape, the geology and the wild life. Limestone beds raised by the recent earthquake now make the perfect spot for seals and seabirds to raise young. Curving bays with dramatic headlands and steps up and down the steep hillsides made for a good 10 mile hike. The sun warmed up and the threatened rain didn't materialise. I was glad I'd brought along my SPF, and my stash of chocolate gingers.

Back at the lodge I found a quiet corner to read my book, and was joined by Arthur, one of the resident cats until someone pointed to some fins visible from the huge glass windows at the Lodge. These didn't look like the dolphins I'd remembered from other places. We were all surprised when the host rushed in to tell us about the pod of Orca in the bay. She had never seen them in the bay, and they were very close to the Lodge. The perfect Christmas treat, and a complement to the whale watching trip I had booked for Boxing Day.

The next morning brought weather - plenty of weather, mainly clouds, winds, rain and grey skies (albeit bright grey rather than heavy, dark grey). I put my waterproof on over my shorts and walked to the "whaleway station" (yes; you can take the train there). There were queues for the seasickness tablets, and we had the option of postponing our tickets because of the weather. I like a bumpy ride, and the opportunity to practise my balance.

It was pretty rough, but I've enjoyed worse when crossing the channel to France. We headed out and circled around a few times before waiting for a whale to surface. As expected he stayed at the surface for about ten minutes, and then disappeared. Although, unexpectedly he didn't give the usual flick of the tail when he headed down - I guess everyone feels a little lethargic on Boxing Day. The rest of the day remained damp with sunny intervals; still warm though, so I pottered and packed ready for the next leg of my adventure; head pretty much mended and ready to surf.

On my final morning the sky cleared, and I hoisted my rucksack to walk the 2km along the beach dragging my suitcase. I'm not sure why / how I have so much stuff! (Maybe the wet suit and the towels!) At one point a friendly lady in a car offered me a lift, but I was enjoying the view and the weather too much to accept.