March 20, 2021
On the way to Kaikoura, we stopped off in the small country town of Geraldine, where we had coffee in a beautiful cafe surrounded by flowers.
Even by New Zealand standards, Mal’s cappuccino was pretty elaborate.
The pleasant vibe of the town was reflected in the local police station which included an edible garden where everyone was welcome to help themselves to the fresh produce.
We finally arrived in Kaikoura just before the sun began to set. The small seaside town was struck by an earthquake in 2016, which left two people dead and thousands stranded as the earthquake cut off train and vehicle access. In fact, work on the roads into the town continued. A sign informed us that that the access road closed for the night at 7:30 pm, so it was lucky that we weren’t running late. We stayed at a beautiful old hotel on the water’s edge.
The morning brought some beautiful views of the dramatic hills that line the shoreline and some very cool spots on the water where the sun broke through the clouds, like a theater spotlight.
Mal and Lauren 