Well today we planed to stop at Hamner Springs on the way to Kaikoura this I was quite excited about as so many people were telling me how good they were.Up on a lethargic arrival we gathered up as much food and water as we could carry and headed in. The entrance had a distinctly counsel feel to it. We paid the fees and were let in to the facility it was quite large with about 10 pools ranging in temperatures from about 31-42degrees, the pools are supplied by a hot spring, it was quite good but I think they could of put more cl2 in the pools it didn?t feel like there was anything in them at all in fact I felt positively ill after our few hours and Emily was not much better, so im not sure how those people who stay all day cope, its not the sort of place I will ever rush back to I could happily go without it for the rest of my life! Back on the road to kaikoura, we had decided to stay in kaikoura for three or so days it would give us a chance to rest up a bit before the mission home.The roads were really quite cool very enjoyable to drive although it was very wet we didn?t mind to much as we were driving, upon arrival we swiftly departed the car in the hunt for a place to stay, our first two attempts were foiled due to the loges being full. We git back in the car and headed down the road where we stumbled upon another back packers which the other two didn?t know about. In the end we had a kind of beach hut to our selves with a little heater and all! The next challenge was food, mmmm food once we got to the kitchen we discovered that they had a big wok and wok stove, in heaven I was. We chopped up every thing that needed to be chopped and threw it in the wok added some salt a few sauces and what ever else we could hunt down boiled off some pasta.  My got what a feast it was there was enough for 3 or 4 meals we set about devouring our work, every body that came into the hall commented on how nice it smelt and how colourful it was, most could not believe that a kiwi and a guy from England could make something that was so extra ordinary tasty to all of the senses, we didn?t say that we really didn?t know what we were doing?.. anyway it got Emily talking to a whole group of  people from Kent. This was the first time Emily saw my true eating capabilities, I think it?s fair to say she was a little surprised. We headed into town so we could sort out some stuff on the internet then wondered about a bit and went back to bed, the next day started late and lazy we just mooched around and just experienced the town which was really nice, we walked down to the local supermarket stopping off on the way in a fish shop where I quizzed the fish lady on all the things I could about lobsters, apparently the swim and run backwards!? Im not sure if she is pulling my leg, also I asked about oysters, and why it is that they are such a delicacy if they taste like the bottom of the sea? You go get a mouth full of sand and sea weed I bet it?s the same, she agreed and went on to serving Emily with some smoked fish which we ate on the way to the super market. Im not sure what we were after or why we walked there.That evening we went into the town to have a look around and we found a cool little pub that had an Irish theme (they don?t just have normal pubs here so for me it doesn?t really work) we had a drink and then had a cocktail made up for us, I mean made it didn?t exist before we came along, we named it ?violet venom? so if ever you visit that pub and you choose that drink you will be tasting some of our fun. The next day went pretty much the same way except in the evening we managed to drag a polish guy called Leon to the pub and two Germans, (Leon has been cycling around the world he has been riding for nearly 2 years already, he carries 20 kilos of weight on his bike and rides on average 90km a day, he has photos of where he has been but from all that travelling he has 12 photos). The Germans turned up a little late, so we had already made up our name A kiwi, A pomm and a guy from Poland. The quiz was quite fun and went on till about 12ish, we were keen to get back to bed though as we were on a whale hunt tomorrow! The whale watch was quite exciting the swells were 3 meters high and the boat didn?t go slow over them! It was all fine until we stopped to sight the first whale so you hold you?re camera up and get a few pictures before the motion of looking through the camera and the swells just flips your stomach over and over, then we raced off to have another look at another whale and the process is repeated two or three times (hence I was sick 3 times) after you have seen 2 whales and they do exactly the same thing its really not that exciting anymore.On the way back into the harbour we took a little detour to see some dolphins, what playful little things they are. They know you are watching, nothing is going on in the sea and, the boat keeps bobbing along and as soon as the dolphins spot you boat all hell breaks loose! They are everywhere doing jumps, flips, spins you think it they seem to do it!  It wasn?t long before we were back on land and leaving the coast line heading strait to a fish and chip shop for a feed, I was in no mood for farting around trying to cook something on a gas stove! Absolutely ravenous I was, after I lost my breakfast several times over. I had potato wedges because they were always so nice at home and I must say I was letdown tremendously. They say (I have yet to see proof of this) that fish and chips are nice over here, let me confirm nothing has beaten or come close to beating lea?s fish and chips at home! Ok so the fish is better here but mostly that?s because it is not battered  to death and you can get it just grilled. The rest of the day was spent driving to Blenheim.