My original planned route (see Map) had been to go over the Southern Alps direct to Kaikoura. The revised rain-dodging route was intended to allow me to spend a couple of days on the north coast, avoiding crossing the freezing and wet snow-covered mountains again.
It didn’t quite turn out that way.
Leaving Murchison in rain and fog I saw little through the wipers as the road wound its way up and down mountains without snow until Nelson was reached. It was also miserable so I decided to forget the north coast and headed for Kaikoura after all.
A stop at Blenheim introduced some colour that had been lacking in the past few days of grey.
The drive from Blenheim to Kaikoura was a bit like the Great Ocean Road between Lorne and Apollo Bay – up and down and round and round with some good views as the rain disappeared.
And then Kaikoura was reached.
It’s a challenge to describe the place.
Imagine Apollo Bay with, instead of green hills rolling down to the sea, mountains all higher than Mt.Kosciusko surrounding it in all directions.
The photos, again, can’t do it justice but the locals on the peninsular that divides two bays provided a couple of opportunities.
And there’s a lookout to practice sunset shots :
Gorgeous sunset!
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