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Flexibility – and gratitude – are key elements to travel.

Around 03:00 am today, while the Coastal Pacific Train that we were to board at 06:30 was still in the train yard, a freight train on the shared rail line hit a scooter and its rider at a flat crossing, resulting in a fatality. The investigation into that incident closed the track between the train yard and Christchurch Addington Station, preventing all train access. 

We were lucky; we have a coach and driver. Many of the other 400 or so passengers expecting to board the Coastal Pacific this morning would be scrambling for alternative modes of transportation.

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As always, our experienced guides Mike and Trevor simply smile and pivot.

They picked up the catered breakfasts that we would otherwise have eaten on the train, and we all headed to the Black & White Café in Kaiapoi for coffees.

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The poor barista! Imagine 40 people arriving all at once, at least half of them needing modified drinks, and preferably immediately. The Café staff’s good humour didn’t waver … at least within our view. The single barista pulling all those special orders, and at speed, was a rock star.

I made sure to tell her so.

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So, back to scenic coach touring. We were within sight of the train tracks for much of the way, so while we missed the train experience, we didn’t miss much else, and got the bonus of quick glimpses of a couple of small townships that we would otherwise not have seen – as well as more rivers!

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Even though New Zealand is well known for its wines, it was just north of Amberly that we passed our first big vineyards – The Mound, and Waipara (whose Riesling I so enjoyed last night) –  since back at the beginning of the tour two weeks ago. Greystone and Sherwood Estate wineries and vineyards are also right here. There are no winery tours on this particular itinerary though. 

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Our morning comfort stop – essential after huge cups of coffee – was on State Highway 1 about 150km north of Christchurch at the township of Cheviot. As always, the facilities were pristine.

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I felt compelled (as Ted will attest I often do) to ask what defines a township. As we’ve heard it used in NZ it seems to simply designate any area bigger than a village, and can encompass vast amounts of land comprised of multiple sheep or cattle stations. Trevor and Mike clarified that it is purely a matter of size; a township generally has 2000 or more inhabitants and the kind of larger facilities that a village doesn’t: chain grocers, more varied retail  stores, car dealerships, motels, doctors and dentists, fast food (maybe a “Maccas” – McDonalds to us) and often points of interest that qualify as tourist attractions. Even smaller than a village is a “settlement”, a term which would apply to a collection of just 4 or 5 homes. Our guides joked that there are also “hick towns”. Enough said; that’s a North American designation too. 

Driving meant that we drove over the hills of the Hundalee Ranges, way up in the clouds, rather than taking the rail route around them.

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We reached our goal of Kaikōura around 10:00. There have been several days of torrential rain, preventing activities like the 4X4 tours from taking place safely, but the weather had cleared enough for all the other options. I was quite glad we hadn’t chosen the whale watching when I saw how rough the sea was. Anti-seasickness pills were being made available to the participants. (Those who went did see one sperm whale.)

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The drive along the rocky coastline is really quite spectacular if you can stop thinking about rockslides and the 2016 earthquake that lifted the water and shore 7m/ 23ft and closed the road for a whole year. That earthquake had ruptures on 25 faults, which might be a world record. No wonder we’ve seen so many tsunami warning signs. 

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The road we drove on was all new, and all built on reclaimed land on a new sea wall created by the rocks and earth that slid off the hillsides.

We chose to walk down the coast from downtown Kaikōura to the pub at the Pier Hotel. Along that walk we saw lots of interesting plants and birds, plus some unique artwork, including an evocative wooden carving/sculpture called The Lovers Return, created in 2002.

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As I was preparing to take a picture of Ted in the Kaikōura frame, a tourist from London Ontario offered to capture both of us. I particularly like the fact they captured the look Ted so often gives me that says, without actual words, “what on earth is she doing now?”

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But then he, as he also, so often does, took a picture of me that I really like, and that captured the wild shoreline behind me.

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After a snack of a local Pilsner and slices of sourdough garlic bread we walked back along the shore and through a lovely waterfront garden that was a labour of love for a local woman intent on commemorating the local heroes of the two world wars.

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Then it was time to reconnect with our group for a short excursion to view Southern fur seals at Ohau Point Seal Colony. Last February, on our world cruise stop in Wellington, we also visited a fur seal colony, but on Tongue Point, which we reached from Wellington (Episode 609).

It was really fun this evening to go back and read about last year’s visit – and the crazy drive involved in reaching the remote location. What was especially relevant to our experience today was that at Tongue Point there were only male seals. We were told that in New Zealand’s summer months (now) the females – and babies – were all on the South Island enjoying “girl time”. That’s exactly what we saw today!

I remembered how hard it was to choose photos last year. It wasn’t any easier today, so I saved lots.

Baby seals are born almost black, so the darkest in these photos are the youngest. Their fur will lighten to brown as they mature.

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When they’re not exploring or playing, they’re nursing. They need to put on a lot of weight and blubber before the waters turn cold in winter.

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Ted captured a wee conflict story. One of the larger juveniles was chasing/bullying a smaller seal. A large female got between them, had a bit of a “physical chat” with the offender, and then simply laid on top of them to prevent any further shenanigans! Think of it as a seal “comic strip”.

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We’re in another Sudima Hotel tonight, in another lovely room.

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We were all asked to arrive 15 minutes before our group’s dinner seating time so that Trevor and Mike could impart some important information, which turned out to be some very humorous passenger awards. Fun!

There was a more serious subject though. 150mm – almost 6” – of rain is expected tomorrow. Added to the already waterlogged ground, that could impact the safety of the rail beds, so our train to Picton tomorrow morning is very much not a sure thing.

Flexible and grateful remain the watchwords.

Today may not have been the day we expected, but there’s always a silver lining if you’re willing to peek behind the clouds. We’ll get a rebate of a suitable portion of our tour cost for the cancelled train, and Ted and I will enjoy a really nice steak dinner in Wellington on that unexpected credit.