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To avoid retracing my steps along SH60 on my way to Blenheim, I turned off at Riwaka and joined the Motueka River West Bank Rd that as the name suggest hugs the Motueka river. Crossing the river I joined the Motueka Valley Hwy and cruised through the valley. As I worked my way further inland I began to see less cars and fewer buildings. Most of New Zealand is empty and has a raw beauty to it; every so often you’ll come across a lone dwelling or clump of 3 or 4 buildings with nothing else around. I ended up thinking about the lives of these people; are they lonely? what do they do for work? are they all farmers? As peaceful and free as life would be out in these empty corners, it’s not a life I could live.
In Motupiko I joined the Korere-Tophouse Rd and followed it until SH63 where I left the Tasman region and entered wine country once again. Checking freedom campsites I saw that my best option was to stay in Renwick a little outside of Blenheim where there was a large car park and public toilets; I slept well and the next day ventured into Blenheim. Blenheim is a large town and famous for its wines; A tidy place I parked next to a well put together park with an old looking clock tower. It being my birthday I thought I’d treat myself to a hearty breakfast so set off to find a cafe. After a scrumptious breakfast, coffee and call with my parents I left Blenheim. With a swell marching in I pointed the brick on wheels south, destination, Kaikōura.
Not long after arriving in the Canterbury region I stopped in Kekerengu to check the surf. The wind was gusting and the waves were chopped up; I was itching to get in but I knew it wouldn’t be worth it, better days were on the way I thought to myself. I pressed on, next stop Kaikōura.
A small town, Kaikōura is world renown for its whale watching. What was once a hunting industry has become a tourism industry and is now the life line of the town. What draws the whales to Kaikōura is the 2km deep canyon a little way off the coast and the nutrient rich waters. As much as I’d love to see one of these leviathans I was in Kaikōura for another reason, the surf.
About 15km north of the town there is a cluster of great surf spots, the crown jewel being Mangamaunu. A top right hand point break (this is a find as NZ is full of lefts) it breaks over a stone beach and can peel for several hundred meters. With a swell coming in I hoped to score.
My first day in Kaikōura I strolled into a surf shop to have a look around (always a dangerous game) around 20 minutes later I walked out with a new surfboard… The excuse I gave to myself was that it was my birthday and that the board was an excellent secondhand deal. The reality was that I knew I didn’t really need it as the conditions are rarely good enough to justify it however I ignored this wisdom; almost a month and a half later the board in up on Facebook market place for sale, anyone want a new board?
Over the three days I was in Kaikōura I stayed at Donegal House; an Irish pub that can trace its history back to the first settlers of the region. They have two large campervan parking areas that for the fee of $20/night give you a place to stay, access to toilets and a coin operated shower. I didn’t love the price but I did love the location. It was wonderfully peaceful and there was a pub. New Zealand has a bit of an issue in that most of the time the pub is not within walking distance of where you live, I enjoyed the fact it was only 100m away from where I was staying. I can’t rate the setup at Donegal House highly enough; staff were friendly, location was bliss and they actually gave you a proper pint, none any of this 425ml nonsense.
Unfortunately I didn’t catch the waves of my life in Kaikōura. The wind wasn’t playing ball; blowing too heavy offshore making it a real battle to drop in. Some definitely got some bombs but it wasn’t my day. As a passer by said to me though, salt in the veins is never a bad thing, and I’ve got to agree.
Through mutual friends I knew of a fellow Brit who now lived in the Christchurch area. I got in contact with him asking whether there’d be any possibility of staying at his place for a while, I’d decided that Christchurch could be a decent place to spend some time. He hospitably said yes and with the invitation there I left Kaikōura for Christchurch.
