Lovely to have blipfoto up and running again *smiles*

After a slow start this morning, I headed south from Kaikoura on the coast road.  What a fascinating journey that was, seeing all the damage that the earthquakes have caused.  And all the work that has been done to open the road.  I stopped at Cheviot for a coffee and very nearly made the decision to turn around and drive back through to Kaikoura, just to see it all from the other direction.  In the end sanity took over, but I am still regretting that in some ways.

Most days of this trip I've had a plan and known where I was going to end up for the night.  Today was my first 'free' one with no plans.  I saw a sign that said 'Motunau Beach turnoff 400m' and I'd never been there, so I took the furnoff.  What a great decision and chance to see an absolutely stunning place!  

From the turnoff it was 16km to the beach through lovely rolling farm country.  I came around a bend at the top of the biggest hill and it is just as well there was plenty of pull-off room on the side of the road, and no-one driving behind me.  The view was unbelievable.  I've tried to capture it here but really haven't done it justice.  I've not edited this - colour is as it came out of the camera! 

That is Motunau Island.  It is a wildlife sanctuary - its main inhabitants are lizards, fairy prions and little blue penguins.

In extras is a photo from the back of the van at my parking spot down on the beach.  I spent most of the afternoon there, supposedly reading my book but really just watching the Saturday life of Motunau going on around me.  Boats going in and out of the river mouth (right in front of me), people fishing, a family kayaking and oystercatchers, shags, terns, gulls and herons flying about.

 I would have spent the night at the camp there, but after no power last night, I really needed to plug in tonight to recharge all my electronics (and have a shower), so I stopped at the first camp I came to once I got back on the main road.  I've also never stopped at Greta Valley before, so a day of firsts for me.