I woke up to an insane windstorm. It was so loud I thought the world was coming to an end and it was blowing so hard it was smashing the tent down on us. We made breakfast and headed to the springs. It was really busy but we got our tickets, changed, and went into the sulphur pools first. This pool was 40 degrees Celsius and the next one was 41 degrees. We went into all the different pools but couldn't go into the water park and down the slide because we didn't get that kind of pass. We hung out for a little bit longer but then we left.
Earlier that morning, I found out that the inland route to Kaikoura was open. This is the town that got hit the hardest when the earthquake happened two months ago and was blocked off to the rest of New Zealand because of numerous rockslides (slips) that covered the road. There was a lot of destruction but also a lot of work for construction workers. Even on this inland route we took, we went through about 7-10 sites where they were working on the road. Kaikoura was never really on my list of destinations because I really didn't think it was possible to drive there because of the closures. Its a touristy town with whale watching and dolphin tours and a lot of their income was ruined because of the earthquake. So I was excited to be able to get to it and see the after effects of the quake.
On the way there, we stopped at a winery called Marble Point. Before we even began the tasting, we eyed a few adorable puppies that they had out their side door. There was a white one with a brown head and a blonde scruffy one. All of our hearts melted and it was so fun playing with them and holding them. It took every ounce of my self control not to sneak away with one of them.
The wines were really good and Michealla and I bought the classic riesling and Cassela got the dry riesling. We chatted with the older lady who owns the winery about how the earthquake affected business for her and her family. The grounds here were super pretty and so was the small retail building. We said goodbye to the puppies and got back on the road. We went through more construction and finally made it to Kaikoura. It was a pretty coastal town and first thing we did was go down to the beach and test the water. We weren't too interested in doing a dolphin or whale tour here so we just went and found a holiday park. We set up camp and then walked to the grocery and liquor store. We made dinner and then got in the hot tub. We were all feeling pretty good and got up on the roof of our car and had a few heart-to-hearts. After a walk in the grassy field by the moonlight near the ocean, we went to bed.
