Kaikoura

Oh, Kaikoura.  What do I say about a place that completely captured our hearts?  This charming town is nestled between the open seas of the Pacific and and snow-capped mountains (a bit like my home town of Santa Barbara, I suppose, but with 1% of the population, no traffic, no rich snobs, a gorgous penninsula, and....well more beautiful).  We had heard about this area from many people, including those from Christchurch who use it as a much needed escape for the quakes and respite from the crowds.  Whale watching is the most popular activity here (didn't do it) but that did not leave us bored by any means!  Even in crappy weather it is still gorgeous.  We met a couple who live in Kaikoura for the summer and in Hawaii for the winter.  It's that amazing - to leave Hawaii for. 
Kaikoura literally means town of the crayfish (essentially a clawless lobster), since there is an overwhelming abundance of sea life on these ocean floors due to the deep trench off the coast.  Locals catch their own frequently and we were fortunate enough to be benficiaries of this local cuisine.  Upon arrival to our holiday home we rented for a few days we were greeted with a note that read:

"Jonathan, there is a feed of cooked frozen cray for you.  Just thaw and enjoy! - John"

What a treat!  We've never had lobster at home before, let alone fresh crayfish!  It just made our stay so comfortable and delicious!  We made a feast of it all: fresh grilled Kaikoura crayfish, fresh grilled Nelson corn, fresh Nelson lemons, our favorite raspberry soda (not wine - but we pretended), and wine/butter sauteed onions/mushrooms/garlic.  This was by far the BEST MEAL WE HAD IN NEW ZEALAND!!!!!  If we ever came back to New Zealand to live (and believe me - it is still a possibility) we would choose Kaikoura, hands down. 



Not taken by us, of course, but captures just how truly gorgeous this area is.

You can't see the snow in this shot.  Even with crappy weather it was still beautiful!

We hiked along the penninsula's outer ridge.  Gorgeous!

We were really hoping to see baby fur seals playing in this waterfall but we were a little too far into summer.  Bummer!  They usually hang out here in the fall and spring seasons. 

Our amazing crawfish feast!!!!!!!

Like I said, even in crappy weather Kaikoura is breathtaking!