Live the Live ™

By our calculations, half of our adventure in New Zealand is over. Yikes. But there’s a lot more to do and see: more wineries, whitewater rafting, driving through incredible scenery, perhaps even climbing (or at least stepping onto) a glacier. As you know, the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy was filmed here, and I’m not too familiar with all the details, but just about everywhere we go, there’s some amazing mountain range or beach that was used in the films. We even have a road map that lists all the spots. We’ve probably pased about five movie shot locations already…more to come. I’ll post a photo of one if it’s really obvious and easy to get to.

It is a gorgeous day in Kaikoura and much calmer than yesterday. I’m hoping that means calmer waters for today’s whale watch at 3PM. We had an easy-going morning…something very rare on this trip. Ava actually slept until she woke up on her own! We had breakfast in bed. All good.

Kelly had some last-minute end-of-the-year hassles to take care of with her art business, so she was on the phone long-distance. But it got done, and now we’re washing up and heading out to explore town for a few hours before whale watch time. I have my Bonine, so I’m as ready as I’ll ever be!

Tomorrow, we’re off again…to Christchurch for two nights. Our hotel, the George, has assured us that everything is fine after the quakes. What can I say? It’ll be an adventure! It’s only a few hours away, but with a stop halfway for lunch at Pegasus Bay winery (highly acclaimed) it may take longer than that!

I guess I don’t know the lingo here in New Zealand, at least when it comes to hotel rooms. I got us a triple studio, thinking it would be something spacious. Well, here at the fabulous Aspen Court Hotel, it means that our daughter is sleeping three inches away from us. This room is so small it’s a closet. It’s so small, I have to step out to change my mind. It’s so small that when I asked for free broadband, they said it was too big. But seriously… Thanks for coming. Try the veal. Anyway…

The room is very nice and clean. It’s just VERY small. Did I say how tight it is in here with all this freakin’ luggage? Kelly said it’ll be OK, since all we do is sleep, then we’re off doing stuff. True to some extent. But the fact that she and Ava are sawing wood right now and I’m up typing despite taking an Ambien and finding a fantastic bottle of Mt Gay Extra Old at a nearby liquor store, means all things are not the same to all people.

Our dinner at the Green Dolphin was OK, not great, despite rave reviews. They do a lot of their own in-house smoking of fish, and their fish soup was very good. But it seems that all the fishy plates go into the same dishwasher as all the bar glasses…and when I had my vodka, I tasted the fishiness very clearly in every sip. It was not pleasant. But we needed a meal and it served its purpose. Supposedly there’s a great Thai restaurant here. Might be the way to go tomorrow…a  nice change of pace. That would be after the whale-watch. I plan on having an empty stomach when I step on board the boat tomorrow. I don’t do well on water and if today’s wind and swells were any indication of what’s in store for me tomorrow…I’m screwed. I just hope everyone on board will be wearing their raincoats…not from the spray of the water, but from my own personal spray.

I know you’re asking the same question I am: why do this? Two reasons: one…Ava will love it. And two: a whalewatch is one of those things you should do in your life. I did it a long time ago off the coast of Cape Cod and it was unsuccessful…no whales. Now, the technology is so much better that they will refund up to 80% of your money if you don’t see a whale. Supposedly, we’re on a catamaran which will make the ride smoother. And this body of water has a constant year-round warm temperature that keeps the plankton thriving and therefore keeps a sperm whale population in the area all the time. We’re hoping to see them along with the rare Hector dolphin, one of the smallest in the world, and highly endangered.