Kaitaki ('Challenger') Interislander ferry. This is the ship we travelled on between Wellington and Picton. 
Leaving Wellington on the Interislander, following another ferry. The mountains with snow on are the Seaward Kaikoura Range which is roughly where we ended up that evening. 
One of the ferries coming back from Picton to Wellington. Seaward Kaikoura Range in the background. 
Looking back down Queen Charlotte Sound. 
Arrival at Picton. 
Travelling down State Highway 1 towards Kaikoura. The railway is the main north-south line. 
North of Kaikoura is Ohau Point, where there is a colony of NZ Fur Seals. 
New Zealand Fur Seal at Ohau Point. 
Young New Zealand Fur Seal at Ohau Point. 
New Zealand Fur Seal at Ohau Point. 
Nin's Bin - one of the crayfish stalls on the road to Kaikoura. Very tasty crayfish, very fresh, very cheap. 
This is the view of the Seaward Kaikoura Range from our B&B that evening. As you can see the weather wasn't as clear as when we left Wellington. The train is taking freight from Picton (off the ferry) to Christchurch. 
We went on a whale-watching trip from Kaikoura. This is one of the other boats as it came out to join us. When you are riding out to where the whales are you stay inside, as the boat is 'bouncy' at speed. When it slows down having found a whale you can go out on deck. 
Sperm Whale spouting. The blowhole on a Sperm Whale is pointed 45 degrees to the left. 
Sperm Whale. 
We were lucky enough to see two Sperm Whales on this trip. This is the second one. 
This is a sequence of the second Sperm Whale diving. 
Sperm Whale diving. 
Sperm Whale diving. 
Whilst we were out we saw a lot of birds as well, including this Royal Albatross flying around the first Sperm Whale. The next few pictures show some of these birds - in some cases the shots are not the sharpest, having been snatched from a moving boat!