Kaikoura...

.. was a wash out. The only reasons to go to this little village is to watch wildlife, swim with wildlife, fly over wildlife, be taught about wildlife by a Maori guide or call in at A Patch of Country quilt shop. Well, the quilt shop was delightful but named well - far too country for my style and the first in which I didn't buy a single piece of fabric because none called my name. Or maybe they did but where drowned out by the torrential rain banging down on the roof. All wildlife activity was cancelled due to gale force winds and so I got to read a novel from cover to cover in one day whilst hunkering down in our apartment.Not actually unpleasant.
On day two the cloud suddenly shifted slightly and we got a glimpse of mountains we hadn't even known were there until then. This view from our apartment deck lasted, oh, ten minutes. Then more mist, drizzle, cloud and other forms of damp precipitation.

However, there was a short lull when we went to the seal colony. There must be some seals somewhere.....

Oh, there he is! Fast asleep and sheltering from the rain. We took his example.