Once again we find ourselves in Kaikoura in the hope of getting out on a boat and seeing those magnificent sperm whales which can be found a few kilometres offshore. This is my fourth attempt over the years and Simon's third and all others have been cancelled due to bad weather out to sea so we are really trying not to get our hopes up to much. The weather has turned cloudy and is cooler than yesterday so who knows what it will be like offshore.

After breakfast at the lodge we made our way down to the Whaleway Station (yes it really is called that!) and checked in. This is the best we have ever done so far as the trip is not actually cancelled but only 'pending', awaiting the captain's confirmation that it can go ahead. Excitement starts to mount!

Yes, it's really happening this time! We are finally given boarding cards and gather with the other whale watchers for a safety briefing before boarding the coach which takes us to our boat, one of five used by Whale Watch, which is called Paikea. It takes 40 people and was completely full as these tours are very popular at any time of year.

The boat is very powerful and fast and we are soon far out to sea. When the boat slows down we are all allowed to pile outside and we gaze hopefully at the empty sea hoping to see the tell-tale spout indicating the presence of a whale. We see plenty of sea birds including petrels and mollymawks which are a type of albatross but no whales as yet. We know they are around because the crew are tracking them with a hydrophone which is able to detect the sonar 'clicks' given by the whales as they chase giant squid at depths of a kilometre or more. Whales stay submerged for about 50 minutes and the captain positions the boat roughly where they expect the whale to resurface. We continue to stare at the water and then we see water spouting into the air and there it is!! We all watch in fascination as the giant animal floats lazily on the surface for around 10 minutes as it re-oxygenates itself and, every so often, spouts water into the air. Just wonderful to watch and our guide reminds us to spend some time looking with our eyes as well as through a camera lens!!

Our guide is well versed in the body language of sperm whales and is able to tell us exactly when this one is about to dive again. Our cameras are all at the ready as this beautiful giant throws up the flukes of its enormous tail in spectacular fashion and disappears below the surface. An amazing and unforgettable sight and, even if it turns out that we didn't get that prize winning shot, well at least we saw it with our own eyes!

The boat takes us in towards a big white rock quite close to the shore. We watch a group of baby dusky dolphins playing in the water and fur seals lazing on the rocks while sea birds are all around us.

It is time to head back out to sea in the hope of seeing our sperm whale again as he next resurfaces. Apparently he is a transient visitors and not one of the regular visitors who have all been given names by the Whale Watch staff. The whale has already been down for about 45 minutes so should be back up soon and, sure enough, there he is! We watch him again as he lolls on the surface. We feel more relaxed this time and more able to simply enjoy the view, taking one last photo as he waves goodbye with that fabulous tail and heads back to the depths of the Kaikoura Canyon. So, we have seen them at last! A fantastic and unforgettable adventure!

Back on dry land we head a short distance north of Kaikoura in search of another unforgettable experience. This is our third attempt to visit Nins Bin which has been the original crayfish caravan on the Kaikoura coast since the 1970's. Both times before it was closed, but somehow today we think we will be lucky and yes, we are right! There are cars parked outside and the 'Open' sign is on display. We choose our crayfish from the display, each marked with their price, and decide to have them warm with garlic butter. Simon asks for wine and he doesn't have any but offers gives us 'cooking' wine (out of a wine box) in paper cups for free! Our delicious fresh crayfish is ready within 10 minutes and we enjoy our delicious lunch at a picnic table looking out over the sea.

Back at Hapuku Lodge we decided to go for a walk down to the beach. We strode out down the road and were surprised at just how many rabbits we encountered along the way. Oh dear! As the New Zealanders love to keep telling us, those naughty, pesky rabbits were brought by our European immigrant ancestors! Yes, we know, it is OUR FAULT!!

We crossed the railway track and headed down to the sea. Down at the beach we paused to watch surfers on the Pacific Ocean waves before returning to Hapuku to get ready for dinner. It was a little busier tonight with two more couples for dinner. We had a delicious meal and shared some lively conversation with Pat and John, the American couple we had met the previous day. All travellers on life's journey!