I am now in Kaikoura and today I swam with dolphins, the 2nd of the 2 things I really wanted to do in NZ (the other was a bungy). It was, by far, the most magic experience. I imagined I would be clinging on to the edge of a boat, shivering and wrinkly, waiting for a glimpse of an over-sized fish somewhere in the murky distance. NO WAY! We were in the sea (a gorgeous turquoise-blue), with snorkels, surrounded by loads of dorsal fins. When I was finally brave enough to stick my face in, there were dolphins, as long as me, dancing around about a foot underneath me. They circled around me and I turned on the spot, round and round, looking right at each other. I dived down but forgot to hold my breath and got a throat full of snotty sea water! So much for my perfect moment! The guide guessed about 200 in that pod. We caught up with them and got back in 2 more times. Such a beautiful experience. I was scared at first because they swam right at my face and I was surrounded, but I went with it and loved it of course. Perfect.
