🇳🇿 The whale. Days 28&29

Nothing held me in Hammer Springs, not even the hot springs (which of course you have to pay for), I was drawn to the sea, to the whales!

I was driving the fantastically beautiful Highway 70, I passed two cars. The nature was noisy, very autumn warm and soft, it smelled sweet, there was some water glistening everywhere, the landscape was the epitome of peaceful bustling beauty.

Then Highway 1, which separates the Pacific from the mountains (and there are only a few hundred yards between them, which makes the area all the more appealing), got me back.

Arrived at Air Kaikoura, 1 hour early, I had a very nice chat with Alice, the pilot who is from Australia.

Eventually another group of five arrived, then Alice placed me next to her because obviously I most needed to see what was happening.

What can I say? It was great!!! I was scared, like in a helicopter, but not in the panicky, panting fear of death that I was on passenger planes. Alice kept giving me a reassuring smile whenever she went into an incline where all my sensors went "Crash!!!!!!" screeched.

To be honest, the flight was even nice. There was almost no wind, the sun was shining, it was wonderful.

No one had sighted a whale that day, rather unusual for the bay.

The boats, planes and helicopters exchange sightings and coordinates via radio. I could have dropped out and got my money back (€80) but I wanted to see a big whale. We flew out 20 miles and that's when I saw him to our right. Alice spotted him too and made a turn. And then we circled it several times. We were maybe 200m high according to the altimeter (it was in feet).

A proper camera would have been great, the iPhone pictures are really bad at this distance.

Please google sperm whale !😉

Unfortunately, we then had to turn around, but we still saw a large school of dolphins in the bay, probably 100 animals, jumping and romping around, also an impressively beautiful sight.

Landing on the really short runway was still pretty exciting.

After that I was really moved. This whale was very large (they grow up to 18m long) gliding peacefully and majestically through the water just below the surface. That was one of those moments when you were humbled by the diversity and beauty in which we live. And which we in Central Europe almost only know from television and which therefore does not appear real. It makes a big difference to feel the world. This animal lives such a different life, seeing things, creatures and regions that we never see (sperm whales dive as deep as 2,800m is believed).

After that I sat in the car in the parking lot for a while. Yes, with a bit of pathos, after all, it's also part of life 😉

I continued leisurely down the highway, stopped at Nins Bin again (probably the last time in my life 🤷‍♀️), ate a delicious carrot cake in a cafe, checked out the chip menu in a small shop and then loitered to my accommodation . The Top Hill Retreat. A private property situated on a hill surrounded by vineyards. A beautiful room for NZ$135/€78. Straight out of bed I look at the Pacific Ocean, right out of the window at the mountains. In addition, nice hosts, two great dogs (in New Zealand all dogs love me-why???! In Berlin they don't even look at me) and a cute kitty. The sunrise at half past six was spectacular.

The glacier flight and the whale sighting are two very special situations for me, exactly what I set out to experience in the world 🙂 I have to digest that first.

On Thursday, an accident on the highway meant I had to drive many miles on an extremely dusty gravel road to get to Blenheim. I had an appointment at the nail salon, terrible! Only the shellac should be removed and shortened. Now my nails are chipped and have white spots and the flesh underneath is burned red and it hurts. What a sh...!

We continued to Picton, I wanted to drop off the car before taking the water taxi.

There is a theory that if anyone ever discovers exactly what the universe is for and why it is there, it will disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and incomprehensible. There is another theory that this has already happened.

One of my favorite (many) quotes from Douglas Adams.

And the definition of Europcar.

After I dissuaded you from paying the total of NZ$ 8,000 required for the two cars, a new email arrived on Wednesday. My refusal to pay for the car on the South Island was still up in the air. And I had to pause briefly when I read that. You actually cancel the cost. So now I'm supposed to pay around NZ$1,900 plus insurance for everything for 30 days. Which is suspiciously cheap again 😂

We're at something over 40 mails.

So I dropped my luggage at the water taxi station and continued to Europcar.

I met Iain there who had said when we rented the car that there was no car etc. We then apologized to each other almost two weeks ago and I had expressed my sorrow to him. He thought about it and didn't think it was right. So he changed my entire booking and canceled the entire cost of the car in the south island. It was him. I was sooo grateful. I have no idea how he did it.

So much lighter hearted I got on the boat and headed to Lochamara Lodge. The facility can only be reached on foot or by boat and I got the last room at the last minute. Note the connection between cheese toast and boat dog friendship.....

I'm staying here for two nights. Today I'm doing a guided tour of an underwater observatory, one of two that exist in New Zealand; Follow pictures. Tomorrow I want to go paddling and finally go swimming. And just hang out. I'm starting NOW. See you!