Due to very strong winds and the dolphin trip being cancelled, we decided to try again today. Well worth it, they normally run 3 trips a day but because of the wind due to increase later in the day, they only did one trip today and we were lucky to be on it. The tiny dolphin in this harbour are called Hector dolphins and are the smallest of the species. They were really fast and swam in front of the boat. We also saw tiny penguin seals and birds nesting in the c...

This morning we were due to go on a 2hour trip to see some dolphins. When we went to pick up our tickets we were told they had cancelled the trip due to the strong wind. It was incredibly windy. Instead we had a look around Akaroa itself, a very pretty place with a big French influence. The gardens of the houses are beautiful. It being a Saturday, there was a small craft market and a farmers market on. We had been told that a road trip round the rim of an old ex...

Ready to leave Blenheim wondering what this inland road would be like. Stories of wing mirrors being pinged off,potholes, and loads of trucks. Well it wasn't that bad, Certainly not UK style. It was pouring with rain when we left, but as the first 40 miles or so were just grape vines, scenery wasn't being missed. By lunchtime we had climbed into the hills and as the scenery improved so did the weather. We were travelling to Akaroa which is on a peninsular east of...