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In Part 1 of this article Gwen wrote about North Island. Here she continues her exploration of New Zealand with a trip to South Island where she encounters albatrosses and fur seals, and she visits Kaikoura, home to some of the best whale watching on the planet.
Sperm Whale, Kaikoura
Cook Strait & Marlborough Sound
Although it's possible to fly between the islands, I would always choose (despite being prone to sea-sickness!) to take the ferry across the Cook Strait from Wellington, New Zealand's cosmopolitan capital city. Not only can it provide fantastic wildlife-watching – dolphins such as Common, Dusky and Bottlenose are a commonly seen, there is even the possibility of the small endemic Hector's Dolphin and impressive Orca – I'm hoping I'll catch a glimpse next time! Taking an upward glance you are likely to spot various seabirds such as shearwaters, petrels and albatrosses.
Following a long meander through the impressive Marlborough Sound, the ferry stops at Picton – a very small, very pretty town where I spent a lovely couple of days. It's the starting point to the Sound where I took a water-taxi (the only way to access most of the bays, other than on foot) to one of the pretty little bays where I spent a very relaxing few days kayaking, walking and generally enjoying the calm.
Kaikoura – ‘Whale capital’ of New Zealand!
The drive down the east coast to Kaikoura is particularly spectacular – snow-capped mountains on one side of the road, breakers crashing on the rocks on the other. I saw Fur Seals lounging on the shore and even spotted a few Dusky Dolphins playing in the surf!
For most of my time in New Zealand I was in the South Island. If you like wine, a trip to Blenheim in the state of Marlborough’s worth doing – there are lots of lovely Sauvignon Blancs to sample.
Kaikoura’s the main spot for whale and dolphin-watching in New Zealand. There’s just one (Maori) company designated to run trips, which ensures there aren't hundreds of boats worrying the animals. I saw a couple of Sperm Whales, and you can also see Humpback and the occasional Southern Right Whale here, plus Hector’s and Dusky Dolphins. The seabirds are very good too. You’ve got a 95% chance of seeing a whale here – and nothing quite beats the thrill of seeing your first wild whale!
The Lord of the Rings scenery
Although littered with so many magical places, if I had to pick a favourite, it would have to be Glenorchy – a fairly remote spot, just south of Queenstown in the southern part of South Island. The scenery is truly spectacular – mountains and flat wide shallow river beds – a lot of The Lord of the Rings was filmed around that area. Quite a magical place!
Albatrosses & Southern Fur Seals
Milford Sound is absolutely stunning and I was lucky enough to visit the area twice. Having the claim to fame of being the 'wettest spot in New Zealand', I wasn't surprised that it was raining on one of my visits! However this certainly didn't take anything away from its beauty – in fact quite the opposite ... when it rains there are impromptu waterfalls, as well as the ones there already. You see sheer cliff-faces with water gushing down, and eerie peaks protruding through hanging mists. My other trip, during the summer months, was another lovely experience – it seemed a very different place! I have to admit, however, that I preferred it in the rain! There’s plenty of wildlife around the Sound (which is actually a fjord!) including Southern Fur Seals, which you see all round the South Island.
The Otago Peninsula on the south-east cost is a real hot-spot for wildlife – the only mainland breeding colony in the southern hemisphere of Royal Albatross is at Taiaroa Head, near Dunedin. I watched them from a purpose-build hide – and it’s hard to get an idea of just how big they till you see one of the surveyors walking round and then you realise just how magnificent these birds are!
One of the highlights of my time in New Zealand was spending it amongst such lovely people. The Kiwis have a gentle, infectious spirit combined with an inspirational pride for their Maori heritage, as well as passion for their beautiful country.
New Zealand is a great place to visit – the diversity of spectacular landscapes, variety of endemic birdlife and the hospitality of its people. A lot of Brits have family and friends out there and it’s a long way to go, so it makes sense to maximise your time by combining a guided wildlife tour with seeing family and friends.
For more information on our 'New Zealand's Natural History' holiday, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call Tim on 01962 733051.