Leaving Christchurch and travelling up to Kaikoura, some parts of the countryside were ablaze with yellow plants giving it a golden shine but then close to Kaikoura it was like returning home. I was literally back in Yorkshire countryside with the coast thrown in for good measure.

I had chosen to travel around New Zealand on the Magic bus, assuming that it would be like the Greyhound in Australia and America. You know the saying about assuming... well it was slightly true. Whilst you can hop on and hop off the Magic bus there are compulsory overnight stays in places and, although in some ways the overnight stays have meant I have seen more of New Zealand, they have also been quite a pain!

Anyway, Kaikoura was one of the stopovers and here, the main attractions are whale and dolphin watching. However, I had done both before so I therefore opted to do a 11km walk around the penisular and I am very glad I did. I was joined by a fellow Englishman, Simon, and we were both amazed by how much we felt that we were in England. The countryside gently rolled with green pastures, full of grazing sheep and cows. The trees and plants were identical too. The weather too was overcast! But here there was a spectacular coast line with dramatic cliffs that fell away to stunning rocks and crashing waves.

There was also a path leading to a seal colony. Lounging on the rocks, sunning themselves, these big brutes were non-plussed at nearby human activity. Occassionally they would flip over or half-heartedly raise their head, but this was clearly their snoozing time. It was incredible to get so close to them though and see them living in the wild.

Along the path was a cafe/seaside stand. As my stomach was muttering loudly about having missed lunch, I suggested we stopped for a bite. In India the roadside stalls always produced the best food and it was the same here. We snacked on fresh garlic scallops and pau pau. The former was delicious, the later hmm- it seemed a cross between an omlette and mussels. I remain undecided. However, it was fresh and cheap and well worth it.

The rest of my time in Kaikoura was spent drinking wine, eating fish and chips (had to be done) and enjoying English company. Pure bliss. When we left the next day the weather had cleared slightly and we were able to see that a stunning, white tipped mountain range, previously hidden, hugged the edge of the town - a promise of more to come.