Drive to Kaikoura

We left Akaroa this morning and decided to take the Summit Road. It was very cold (2-3C) and it had snowed overnight on the peaks and ridges but the scenery was spectacular.

Akaroa Harbour from Summit Road
Pentax K-5, Sigma 1-20mm f/4-5.6 @ 20mm, ISO 400, f/5.6 1/640

Akaroa Harbour from Summit Road (stitched panorama)
Pentax K-5, Sigma 1-20mm f/4-5.6 @ 20mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/800

We took a slight detour out to the beach at Birdlands Flat. The howling SW wind meant there was little birdlife on the pebbly beach but we did find Variable Oystercatchers and White-Fronted Terns making the most of what shelter they could find.

Variable Oystercatcher, Birdlands Flat, Canterbury NZ
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/11 1/250

White-fronted Tern, Birdlands Flat, Canterbury NZ
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/11 1/250

On arriving in Kaikoura, we headed for the Fur Seal Colony to see what we could find.

NZ Fur Seal (male), Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ
Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 160mm, ISO 400, f/8 1/125

NZ Fur Seal (male), Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ
Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, ISO 400, f/4 1/400

The weather started to come in as we were leaving the fur seals

Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ
Pentax K-5, Pentax 16-50mm @35mm, f/2.8, ISO 400, f/8 1/320

but did make for some spectacular light over the bay.

Kaikoura, Canterbury NZ
Pentax K-5, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 87.5mm, ISO 400, f/2.8 1/400

Not a bad place when you can photograph a fishing boat with snow-capped mountains in the background on the first day of summer.