NELSON, NEW ZEALAND
This morning Chris and I drove to Kaiteriteri, the gateway to Abel Tasman National Park, which is known for some of the finest beaches and coastal scenery in all of New Zealand.
Most people who visit the park either choose to hike for several days along a coastal track, or sea kayak along its dozens of bays and beaches. We didn't really have the time today to do either, so we chose to do a "swim with the seals" tour led by a crazy old Kiwi who goes by the name of The Walrus (see, 'cause he kind of looks like one). This guy was a trip--he had a really quiet, soothing voice just like that guy who used to paint landscapes on TV, so I kept thinking of him as the "seal whisperer." He also had an unnerving habit of bursting into song without warning as he told us some Maori legend or historical fact. Too many years at sea, I'd guess.
Anyway, we sped off in a water taxi along the coast, past the very-descriptively-named Split Apple Rock, to a colony of New Zealand fur seals on an island just offshore. We then jumped in the water (in wetsuits, because it's cold), and snorkeled toward the shore. We weren't supposed to swim within 10 meters of them, but the seals actually swam out to meet us, which was amazing. At this time of the year, the males had all left the colony, so it was only females and little seal pups. They would follow us around, and if I dove down to the bottom or swam in circles, the seals would do the same. They were definitely playing with us, which was really fun. When they weren't shooting by us or swimming up to look at us up close, they had a strange habit of "hanging" upside-down from the surface like bats, with just their hind flippers sticking up from the waves. They would also swim under us and blow bubbles, and make motions like they were barking at us underwater. It was very amusing. At one point I was trying to swim around them really fast, and two of them jumped straight out of the water, as if to say "top this." I didn't try.
After getting back on the boat, we stopped at a nearby beach to have lunch. But I almost choked on my peanut butter and jelly sandwich when The Walrus reached into his bag and pulled out hand puppets. He then proceeded to perform a one-man educational puppet show for us featuring a singing tuatara, stoat, and rat. I kid you not! People walking by on the beach were dying of laughter. I was just embarassed to be there. But I have to admit it was pretty funny.
People met today:
This morning Chris and I drove to Kaiteriteri, the gateway to Abel Tasman National Park, which is known for some of the finest beaches and coastal scenery in all of New Zealand.
Most people who visit the park either choose to hike for several days along a coastal track, or sea kayak along its dozens of bays and beaches. We didn't really have the time today to do either, so we chose to do a "swim with the seals" tour led by a crazy old Kiwi who goes by the name of The Walrus (see, 'cause he kind of looks like one). This guy was a trip--he had a really quiet, soothing voice just like that guy who used to paint landscapes on TV, so I kept thinking of him as the "seal whisperer." He also had an unnerving habit of bursting into song without warning as he told us some Maori legend or historical fact. Too many years at sea, I'd guess.
Anyway, we sped off in a water taxi along the coast, past the very-descriptively-named Split Apple Rock, to a colony of New Zealand fur seals on an island just offshore. We then jumped in the water (in wetsuits, because it's cold), and snorkeled toward the shore. We weren't supposed to swim within 10 meters of them, but the seals actually swam out to meet us, which was amazing. At this time of the year, the males had all left the colony, so it was only females and little seal pups. They would follow us around, and if I dove down to the bottom or swam in circles, the seals would do the same. They were definitely playing with us, which was really fun. When they weren't shooting by us or swimming up to look at us up close, they had a strange habit of "hanging" upside-down from the surface like bats, with just their hind flippers sticking up from the waves. They would also swim under us and blow bubbles, and make motions like they were barking at us underwater. It was very amusing. At one point I was trying to swim around them really fast, and two of them jumped straight out of the water, as if to say "top this." I didn't try.
After getting back on the boat, we stopped at a nearby beach to have lunch. But I almost choked on my peanut butter and jelly sandwich when The Walrus reached into his bag and pulled out hand puppets. He then proceeded to perform a one-man educational puppet show for us featuring a singing tuatara, stoat, and rat. I kid you not! People walking by on the beach were dying of laughter. I was just embarassed to be there. But I have to admit it was pretty funny.
People met today:
- Alex from just outside Toronto, who came here from Fiji and stayed at a lot of the same places we did. He'll be traveling to Asia, too, and told us that they've recently closed the border to Nepal. So perhaps none of us will be going there this year....
posted by John Kuge at 11:47 PM
1 Comments:
Yeh for Bob Ross! (may he rest in peace). "maybe a happy little seal lives right...here...now we'll pick up some magic white and a bit of thalo blue and..."
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