Kaikoura

A couple of weekends ago, a few friends and I decided to drive up to Kaikoura for the weekend.  Kaikoura is an area known for its sea life and amazing coastal views.  Our plan was to drive there on Saturday, hike nearby Mount Fyffe and stay in the hut about halfway up the mountain, and then hike to the summit the next morning to watch the sunrise.

It took about three hours to drive to Kaikoura and a lot of the drive was along the coast, so the views were really nice.  We stopped in town to get lunch at a little fish and chips shop.  Bryn and I also couldn’t resist getting some ice cream at the homemade ice cream shop across the street.  After lunch we went onto the beach and even though it was cloudy and a little foggy, the beach and surrounding mountains were still beautiful and very peaceful.

Then, we drove to the start of the Mt. Fyffe track and started up the mountain.  At this point the sun was starting to set, but from what we could see in the remaining daylight, the views of the town, ocean, and mountains were incredible.  We got up to a lookout about an hour into the hike and a couple was heading down the mountain.  They told us that the hut that we were planning on staying at was really full and that there were already people setting up tents outside.  We were disappointed to hear this, but glad that they told us so that we could make other plans.

After thinking about our options, we ultimately decided to head back down the mountain and just drive back to Christchurch.  Even though we had wanted to stay overnight and watch the sunrise the next morning, some of us had to be back by the early afternoon the next day, so we wouldn’t be able to do the full hike the next day.  Even so, we had a great day trip up to Kaikoura and I look forward to going back with my family at the end of the semester.