Day 17 – There she blows – or not!

Today was to be a very exciting day for us as it was one of our big adventures, Whale watching in Kiakoura. It is about an hour and 20 minutes from where we are staying so an early start as we need to be there by 10.15am for check-in. And we are off..

As usual, the weather is good and the roads are interesting…

An hour and 20 later we arrive in Kaikoura, No time for cafe stops, we’re on a mission! We park on the front and the sea looks nice and calm. Lynn has taken her sea-sickness tablets and put her special wrist bands on. She’s taking no chances.

At 10.15am we collect our boarding tickets (with about 80 others) and wait. It’s a 10.45am boarding. 10.40am, an announcement.. “will all ticket holders for the 10.45am departure please report to reception as the Captain of the ship has radioed to say conditions are too rough to go out today – alternative dates or refunds will be provided. Thank you”. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! We can go tomorrow, we are still here…. at the counter – “fully booked”! F£&*£”*&^%&^$”%&!!!

So like the defeated in the Apprentice – we head across the road to the cafe to blame a rubbish captain for failing to risk our lives at sea. Lynn is also now hyped up on drugs for no reason.

Sime’s kitchen turns out to be a very good cafe with excellent cinnamon and date scones, very good tea and lovely staff.

Glass tea pots with real tea – no teabags a Sime’s.

Deflated but consoled by the tea and scones we headed for home and, on the way, things were about to get very good as we spotted Nin’s Bin! Now if you’ve watched the programme on Channel 4 ‘Jimmy Doherty’s New Zealand Escape’, you will have seen this is a caravan at the side of the road that specialise in fresh fish, like caught that morning. Well, we had to stop, rude not to!