Spotting whales over Kaikoura

‘This whale is going to dive any second now, have your cameras at the ready’ our Pilot, Edward, shouted back from the cockpit of the small aircraft as we flew repeated circles around a magnificent sperm whale clearly visible just metres below in the clear teal waters of the Kaikoura sea. The ‘Wings Over Whales’ plane was set up perfectly to give every one of us seven passengers a perfect close-up view of any activity happening below. Sperm whales are resident all year round in Kaikoura as they feed off the ample quantities of squid that are present in the deep depths of the Kaikoura Canyon - a colossal underwater mountain range which begins just a short distance out from the shore line.

My experience began with a presentation about Kaikoura and the sperm whales followed by a concise but thorough safety briefing. Every flight appears to be timed to try to coincide with when they understand a whale may breach the surface – as each whale only spends roughly about ten minutes taking in air before descending vertically deep down into the dark depths below. The take-off along the grass runway was an experience in itself - before I even began to take in the majestic view out over the coastline.  It was the whales though that I really wanted to see, and I soon felt a rush of excitement throughout the plane as one was suddenly sighted. At up to eighteen metres in length these are true giants of the sea. From the air I was able to fully appreciate their substantial size and scale, from head to tail literally!

After experiencing such a buzz from the air, I figured that now I needed to get out in the water itself to encounter on a closer basis some of this area’s incredible marine life. You see the resident sperm whales are just the start, also present are huge pods of dusky dolphins, large breeding colonies of New Zealand Fur Seals and a staggering array of rare and unique seabirds.

Lake Tekapo, Mt John and the MacKenzie Basin, don't miss the Church of the Good Shepherd

As I approached Lake Tekapo from the west it was impossible for me to miss Mount John perched high above the Mackenzie Basin. Tekapo is home to another of this region’s iconic locations with yet another impossibly blue lake surrounded by snow laden mountains. Feeling energetic I elected to walk up along the lake shoreline to the Mount John summit track. This provided me the opportunity to wander across to the Church of the Good Shepherd and join the legions of sightseers with cameras at the ready to snap the perfect shot. The Church was built not only as a place of worship but as a lasting memorial to the pioneering Mackenzie families. Its large glass picture window offers the most impressive lake side views which surely must be a distraction for even the most devout worshiper. A short stroll from the Church is the statute to celebrate the hard-working farm dogs of the Mackenzie, without whom farming this area would have been virtually impossible. Hiking along the lakeside pathway I began to climb up through forest which gradually dwindled away leaving only mountain tussock. The baroness of this land allowed me to fully appreciate the 360-degree panoramas on show across the stunning Mackenzie basin. At the top of Mount John, the Astro Café was a welcome spot for refreshment and I indulged myself with a decadent hot chocolate cleverly decorated with a space pattern in its foam – a tribute to the areas dazzling night skies

Road to nowhere - Mount Cook Village, Lake Pukaki and Alpine Salmon

There is just one road in and out of Mount Cook National Park – State Highway 80 - a slightly uninspiring name for such a memorable drive. The hardest part was trying not to pull over every few minutes as another jaw dropping vista came into view. The road snakes alongside Lake Pukaki, arguably the jewel in the crown of the Mackenzie region. Lake Pukaki is the largest lake and just maybe the most striking, although it has some tough competition. Extremely fine rock particles or glacier flour create a quite brilliant glinting turquoise colour in the lakes water. Lake Pukaki Information Centre is potentially the most perfect spot for a photograph anywhere, with the backdrop of the Southern Alps creating a picture-perfect frame around the edges of the lake. It is also home to the retail outlet for Mount Cook Alpine Salmon which was the ideal excuse needed by me to pull over. I grabbed a sashimi tray and devoured the decedent salmon pieces whilst appreciating the fresh alpine air.

Mt Cook Village and the Hooker Valley Track - mountian and glacier exploring

Positioned in the heart of the glacier valley Mount Cook Village is a functional service town with a vast array of accommodation options. What Mount Cook Village may lack in colourful character though it certainly makes up for in location. The scenery here is colossal in proportion, almost as limitless as the mountains of New Zealand’s Southern Alps that tower above. To my naked eye it made everything man-made in this area look mightily insignificant. Even campervans as they crawled along the valley roads appeared as ants streaming across a floor. This was the kind of absorbing scenery that made me want to get out into the great outdoors and so I embarked on the 10km, three-hour return Hooker Valley Track. The well-formed pathway traversed through tussock grassland and around humps and ridges (known as moraine and created over time by glacial rock and debris). Mountains loomed overhead with glaciers tumbling down their sides. Mount Cook National Park has the highest mountain range in New Zealand with nineteen peaks reaching over 3,000 metres above sea level. I encountered alpine lakes created by the ice melt from the glaciers. And throughout the valley the roar of the mighty Hooker River was never far from earshot. I crossed its gushing flow no fewer than three times as purpose-built swing bridges took me back and forth. This was a particularly exhilarating experience on the way back when the wind picked up and howled its way through the valley which made the bridge crossing more of a white-knuckle ride with a tight grip being the order of the day. The track ended at the Hooker Lake which appeared suddenly in front of me as I rounded a corner. Up above was the commanding peak of Mount Cook otherwise known as Aoraki, the largest mountain in New Zealand and instinctively the most recognizable. Hooker Lake was the perfect spot for a brief respite and the taking of the prerequisite photographs before heading back down the track and to the comparable calm of the Mount Cook Village.

Rangitoto Island, Auckland, North Island

Rangitoto is Auckland’s most recent and arguably most impressive volcano emerging in a cacophony of fire and fury from the ocean floor only around six hundred years ago. Over the course of the next two hundred years an island was created that today sits proudly as an iconic feature in the heart of the Hauraki Gulf - the name given to the stunning marine area surrounding Auckland’s Eastern Coastline. Rangitoto is the perfect symmetrical cone shaped volcano featured on many a photograph or image of the city skyline.

I hopped on one of the early morning ferries across to Rangitoto keen to get out and explore as much of the island as possible. From the recently restored wharf at Rangitoto Island I followed the signs to the ‘Summit Track’ - the most popular and direct route up to the volcano’s peak. It took me just over an hour to climb the 3 km route and despite the island appearing as though it is smothered in bush, I came across vast, dark and desolate lava fields. I had been warned prior to my visit that on hot, sunny days the scoria landscape can become scolding to the feet as the heat reflects off the ground, luckily it was still early so my trainers remained unscathed! At 259 metres above sea level Rangitoto’s summit offered me a glorious 360-degree view of the Auckland Skyline and Hauraki Gulf. After a brief respite to absorb the splendour and discover the sights I continued onwards to follow a path around the outside rim of the volcanos crater. Rangitoto’s crater is a large deep space that I presumed would be full of rubble and volcanic debris, I certainly didn’t expect a forest! I peered down over the viewing platform railings to look out over the largest Pohutukawa Forest in the world. Gnarly trunked Pohutukawa trees bloom with crimson flowers in summer months and are therefore considered New Zealand’s adopted native Christmas tree. I discovered that in addition to impressive Pohutukawa, Rangitoto is home to over two hundred different species of native plants and trees all off which are flourishing in its predator free status. Over the last few years Rangitoto and its neighbour Motutapu (which are linked by a man-made causeway constructed during World War Two) have been categorised as protective islands. Essentially this means that they are predator free. All potential pests such as rats, stoats and possums have been successfully eliminated allowing for the restoration of native bush and bird life.

A short stroll back down from the crater summit I came upon the lava caves. Eager for adventure I flicked on my torch light and carefully made my way into the darkness of the caves exploring their hidden depths and discovering twisting tunnels. They were formed when hot lava drained out from inside a solid outer crust leaving a hollow tube. Rangitoto Island is home to seven such caves and luckily some are safe enough to be investigated by us general public. At one point I switched my torch off allowing my eyes to adjust to the total darkness, it was a surreal experience.

My hike continued taking me down another side of Rangitoto and along what is known as the Coastal Track - traversing mangroves that are home to numerous coastal birds. Apparently, these pathways were constructed during the 1920’s when prisoners were subject to hard labour on the island. In order to pay for these works island baches were built as holiday homes for families to visit. Thirty of these remain and are dotted alongside the coastal pathway. Bach 38 located next to the Wharf has recently been restored as a museum.

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