Kaikoura and Arthurs Pass

I am enjoying a beautiful day at the Arthurs Pass YHA. 737metres above sea level is a good place to be when you are surrounded by snow capped mountains, brightly coloured alpine parrots (keas) and little fat black and yellow birds that are so cute you kinda want to eat them. This morning I went hiking around the area for about 3 hours, but took it easy since it snowed heavily here yesterday and the roots of a bunch of trees to be covered in ice. So they looked both rainforesty and frozen at the same time which is really cool. I might go out again later, but I have not made up my mind.  Ive formed a new addiction to a drink called Milo, kinda like chocolate with ovaltine. They claim its a healthy energy drink. I know better, but man does it taste yummy. This is a stunningly beautiful area, and the cheapest yet. i

Previously I was in Kaikoura where I did something called "Albatross encounters" basically you hop in a little boat, take a beautiful little ride along the coast line, but further out into the open ocean, then you drop a big cage full of stinky fish guts into the water, and watch all the birds fly in. Albatrosses are the size of labrador retrievers. Seriously. And thats when they are IN the water. Flying they have a 7 ft wingspan, so they were pretty intimidating when they started beating the crap out of each other with their wings all open so they could look extra scary (which they really didnt have to try hard to do). Surprisingly though, an irritated albatross sounds EXACTLY like an irritated horse. It was too funny.

After that fun I decided I would walk out to the seal colony in Kaikoura. A huge number of big seals just laze around on the beach rubbing there bellies with their fins within feet of you. There were many signs warning not to get to close to the seals, but it was difficult since you could practically trip over them (which was really really cool). After that I did a 3 hour walk over the Kaikoura penninsula which was amazing (and free!) you get 360 degree views of the entire penninsula from one point and its all really pretty limestone cliffs (creamy white and jagged), huge expanses of green fields and very rough waves smashing up against the rocks. It would give the coastline in Nova Scotia a run for its money.