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Unfortunately, I didn't get to swim with dolphins today, boooooo. The weather was absolutely fine, it's just that there weren't enough people to go on the tour, so they didn't run it. Dang. I do have a couple of other chances to go swimming with them on the South Island though - in Christchurch and also in Kaikoura. They're both a couple of hours from each other, but you swim with different types of dolphins. So, I might have to choose which one I do. However, there is also seal watching in Christchurch so perhaps I'll do that there, and then go dolphin swimming in Kaikoura. Or I could swim with two different types of dolphins as it's only about $125-150!! Cheap compared to the price I paid for my skydive!
Well, I've still got a few days to decide as I haven't booked anything on the South Island yet, but I should do soon. It's still the peak season around here, so I'll have to make sure I have beds to sleep in whilst I'm going around. I'll probably have a go at doing that again tonight (had planned my South Island trip and looked at places to stay, but now got to shoe horn Kaikoura in), as I don't have much planned.
Unfortunately, it was too late to get on any other tours so I had to just amuse myself for the day! It was a shame as I would have liked to have experience White Island which is an active volcano site. However, I'm not sure I would have had enough time to go there as I had booked my bus and that one is also the last one of the day. It takes about 3 hours to get to the White Island and back, and then you get a 2 hour guided tour. However, everything was booked so I couldn't have gone anyways!!
I guess there are advantages to flying by the seat of your pants and not having everything booked in advance!
My day in Whakatane has actually been quite nice, considering my disappointment this morning. I had a lovely walk around the river, and just took it easy soaking up the sun. It's still very warm here, so I'm making the most of it before I get to the South Island. It's a fair bit cooler down there so I hope that I can cope! I think the weather forecast said it was about 16 degrees in one place! I know that sounds tropical to you guys, but it's almost cold to me when I've been used to about 10 degrees more than that! However, the very early mornings and the evenings are starting to cool off up here in the North Island too, as the autumn season starts around the beginning of March.
I'm off to Gisborne to basically just sleep there tonight. It's going to be quite an expensive bed unfotunately, especially as I have to get a taxi to the motel I'm staying in as it's about 6km from the information site where I'll get dropped off. Doh! They said on their website that they're not far from the town centre, but I guess they meant by car!! Talk about not being clear!
However, their website says that I'll get a free breakfast, and they have free broadband, so maybe it won't be so bad. I should have a big room too, so I can spread out a bit and also re-pack my suitcase. I didn't pack so well this morning as there wasn't really enough space in the room, so I need to get myself organised.
I'm going to Napier the next day, at 9am as that's the only bus. Honestly, talk about rubbish public transport! Oh well, needs must. The art deco weekend apparently starts on the 17th in Napier too (though I wonder why they call it a weekend when it starts mid-week?) so I'm hoping to immerse myself in art deco whilst I'm there. I had read in my guidebook that there was such a weekend of art deco celebration, but thought that I might just be one weekend early or one weekend late. But, looking at their website, it turns out that it starts whilst I'm just still there - yay!
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