Awakened around 4:30 and got up and dressed. No shower or shave. Cold outside. Went across the street and took some pix of the full moon and mountains. Ata bit before 6:30, the bus for the boat company picked us up and we went around to the harbour. On the way, the driver (who was also the captain of the boat) told us that the snow in the mountains was quite unseasonable and very fresh.
I have also learned the difference between a short black and a long black. I just thought one was taller than the other. A short black is a double shot of espresso. A long black is a double shot of espresso with some hot water added.
So, we all boarded the boat. While it was a pretty calm sea, there were several of our group who felt ill on the trip. You sit in the cabin while the boat is in motion. Then, when it’s animal time, you go onto the deck, climb up around the cabin to the bow or stand in the stern depending. We were out to see albatross and dolphins and saw many many of each. I took well over 600 pix during the trip.
The albatross are lured to the boat by putting out frozen fish to flat on the water. And they come as do other sea birds. Really fun. But the big deal is the dolphins. The captain finds a huge pod and the dolphins jump out of the water, are right under your noses at the bow of the boat. The boat the the dolphins sometimes go at the same speed so they are right under you for several seconds. Great fun.
The trip lasted until around 9:30. We returned to the motel, packed up our luggage, put it into the bus, and headed back into town to the Why Not Café to get take away stuff for breakfast and for lunch. Then we were on the bus (with a couple of stops) until near 7:00 getting over to Punakaiki.
One stop was in Waiau where we got ice cream. I had boysenberry. We drove across the Marlborough plain and up across the Southern Alps at Lewis Pass. Beautiful countryside all the way up into the mountains. Then north to Graymouth for a potty stop at a very unusual facility and shopping at a grocery for dinner and for breakfast tomorrow morning.
When we rolled into Punakaiki, we went right to the pancake rocks for pix. Jeff and I missed this last time since it was pouring down rain both when we arrived and the next morning as well. Neat formations. Around 8:00, the van picked us up and took us to the motel, the same one Jeff and I staying in in 2005, but the rooms are upgraded and nicer. Long day. Tired. Probably took 850-900 shots today. When those dolphins are swimming right under you, nice to shoot 15 frames per second to try to capture a good shot or two. Of course, I have not had time to do any more than just download the pictures.
Would like to get on the Internet here, but it’s a bit pricey. We shall see. Eating “dinner” in the room – chicken and cranberry pate, cheese, crackers. Yum.
Tomorrow, Phillip and some of our band are going back to the rocks at 5:00 am to catch the morning light, which might be tough since it’s really cloudy here and we’re on the west coast. We leave here at 8:00 for Fox Glacier.
I have also learned the difference between a short black and a long black. I just thought one was taller than the other. A short black is a double shot of espresso. A long black is a double shot of espresso with some hot water added.
So, we all boarded the boat. While it was a pretty calm sea, there were several of our group who felt ill on the trip. You sit in the cabin while the boat is in motion. Then, when it’s animal time, you go onto the deck, climb up around the cabin to the bow or stand in the stern depending. We were out to see albatross and dolphins and saw many many of each. I took well over 600 pix during the trip.
The albatross are lured to the boat by putting out frozen fish to flat on the water. And they come as do other sea birds. Really fun. But the big deal is the dolphins. The captain finds a huge pod and the dolphins jump out of the water, are right under your noses at the bow of the boat. The boat the the dolphins sometimes go at the same speed so they are right under you for several seconds. Great fun.
The trip lasted until around 9:30. We returned to the motel, packed up our luggage, put it into the bus, and headed back into town to the Why Not Café to get take away stuff for breakfast and for lunch. Then we were on the bus (with a couple of stops) until near 7:00 getting over to Punakaiki.
One stop was in Waiau where we got ice cream. I had boysenberry. We drove across the Marlborough plain and up across the Southern Alps at Lewis Pass. Beautiful countryside all the way up into the mountains. Then north to Graymouth for a potty stop at a very unusual facility and shopping at a grocery for dinner and for breakfast tomorrow morning.
When we rolled into Punakaiki, we went right to the pancake rocks for pix. Jeff and I missed this last time since it was pouring down rain both when we arrived and the next morning as well. Neat formations. Around 8:00, the van picked us up and took us to the motel, the same one Jeff and I staying in in 2005, but the rooms are upgraded and nicer. Long day. Tired. Probably took 850-900 shots today. When those dolphins are swimming right under you, nice to shoot 15 frames per second to try to capture a good shot or two. Of course, I have not had time to do any more than just download the pictures.
Would like to get on the Internet here, but it’s a bit pricey. We shall see. Eating “dinner” in the room – chicken and cranberry pate, cheese, crackers. Yum.
Tomorrow, Phillip and some of our band are going back to the rocks at 5:00 am to catch the morning light, which might be tough since it’s really cloudy here and we’re on the west coast. We leave here at 8:00 for Fox Glacier.
