Yesterday morning we awoke to another beautifully gloriously sunny day and felt it would be rude not to do a little wine-tasting while in Marlborough. So we hired a couple of bikes from the hostel and set off in the hazy morning light. The mountains just looked stunning all around and we lazily toddled through the vineyards in our shiny blue helmets!

By 10.30 we thought we should really taste some wine and that it wasn't too early. So we rode into the next available vineyard only to be told by the girl behind the counter with a disapproving look that it probably was a bit too early. But we paid $3 all the same and received a tray of 7 wines to taste. We sat in the sun and discussed the herbaceous tones of the Chardonnay and the fruit bon-bon qualities of the Rose. Further tastings a two more vineyards (but don't worry - we only had tiny sips!) we then hit the road to Kaikoura.

The journey down the South Pacific coast was very beautiful and the colour of the sea just blew our minds. We stopped at a little cafe right on the beach about half way to Kaikoura and saw dolphins playing in the sea right in front of us! Amazing. We stopped for a cup of tea in Kaikoura but it's not much of a town unless you're staying to swim with dolphs or spot whales.

The drive wore on but the sunshine was so beautiful across the Canterbury Plains that we didn't mind. We arrived a bit wearily in Christchurch and checked into a newly opened hostel, Driftwood, run by an English couple. They had dogs so i had some dog therapy. Aaah. We went for Thai food (yum) and zonked out. Shattered.

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