South Island Wed. 25.3.15 Kaikoura to Picton

Fresh fruit salad and muesli etc for breakfast after a comfortable night. We set off on the day's adventures about 9am.  First stop Ohau Point Seal Lookout.from the road we overlooked a large seal colony with a great number of playful deal pups frolicking in rock pools and generally having a ball. Lots of large adults reclining among the rocks.  A short distance further along the road we stopped at a sign saying Ohau Stream and Waterfall, 10 minute walk. What a treat. The seal pups clamber up this rocky narrow stream and play in the pools on the way to the waterfall. the narrow track ran between the walls of a vertical sided gorge withe rocky stream below. At the end of the gorge the waterfall tumbled down the cliff from a great height and into a a pool where more pups were having the time of their life. The scenery along the road continued to be spectacular with seascapes ,rocky reefs and steep hills clothed in impenetrable forests rising directly beside the road. Morning tea was calling and we found the Kekerengu Store. A lovely building featuring native timbers and with a lawn right to the waters edge. Later we passed through the awake re Valley and encountered our first grape vines, looking so very healthy. Then into the Waieau Valley, a noted wine area. We passed quite a few names we are familiar with eg. Wither Hills. Lunch time saw us in Blenheim, a delightful town, looking prosperous, and sporting upmarket loos! By 2pm we were in Picton and found our way to Gavin and Caroline Baylisses homehigh up on a hill overlooking the sound so with magnificent views. They made us very welcome and Julie and John Salmon were there waiting for us. After a cup of tea Gavin and Caroline took us a tour of Picton featuring various lookouts and bringing us up to date on happenings in Picton. Most interesting and such a picturesque town. On the way back to the house we had a short walk to view the remains of an early Maori Pa. BbQ for dinner and talking before an early night. What a fabulous place to live.