Kaikora

Kaikoura might be my favorite place in New Zealand. It features snow capped mountains overlooking the ocean, dolphins, whales, fur seals, and a few nice galleries and shops.
	Another room with a view.


Nothing compares to swimming with Dusky Dolphins. This was more fun than diving the Great Barrier Reef, which I had thought was the ultimate experience. Here we just played with the dolphins, not touching them, but diving up and down with them, swimming circles around them, and watching their acrobatic leaps. The pod was small, only about 20, but they hung around until it was time for us to head back--roughly 40 minutes on the last drop in. The only drawback is the chilly water.
I highly recommend Dolphin Encounter. You won't regret it. Note: I did this again the next winter while on a rugby tour. The water was colder (9C), but there were more than 500 dolphins in the group. More dusky photos are on that site.