John Cornhill

friday 1 dec heavy cloud quite chilly raining most of day, jogged around Kaikoura peninsula past wharf, seal colony, whalewatch quay and maori settlement along shoreline, up cliffes, got wet. back to camp, nice hot shower that gratuitously sent an extra spray over the curtain onto my clean dry set of clothes now got 2 set of wet clothes. late lunch and read/finished book rest of day. evening watched first video on tiny portable provided with camper very good.
sat 2nd sunny but cool with sea breeze. sat in sheltered pool area with new book very relaxing. evening watched 2 more films.
sun 3 dec went swimming with dolphins yes I did at last. 40 mins with a pod of 300. 1, 2, 3, 4 at a time swimming around you, straight at you, over and under you, often within half metre. they really were playing with us humans in the water with them. when they swim around you, if you swim round with them, they keep swimming round and round until you can't keep up..they definately respond to maintaining eye contact as we were told. an exhilerating fantastic experience. I was so pleased with myself I could eat my own socks and panting and puffed out I was knackered at the end of it. wore wet suits which made it difficult (for me anyway) to dive down they are so bouyant I was vertical with head down trying to pull myself down and flippers flapping up in the air couldn't get down enough to get flippers in the water can you picture it?must have looked a right twerp but who cares! After swimming, dolphins carried on playing around boat for photos also more albatrosses plus arctic terns and cape petrols looking tiny against albatrosses. Top Day. tomorrow drive tp Picton, ferry to Wellington ie from south island back to north island, drive to Taupo(well thats the plan, weel see!) hope you are all fit and well,John Cornhill