Kaikoura

Kaikoura has a population of about 4000. Most go about their day as do many residents of the south island of New Zealand. They awake after the sun has risen, go to work, shear their sheep, feed the cows, and get a haircut. Some open the cafe and put out the days yummy assortment of sweets and prime the espresso machine. The customers demanding this sort of treatment, however, are not locals. The tourist boom in the land of Frodo and the Rings seems to have had a huge impact on the way of life down here. Everyone and their dog seems to have something to gain from outsiders arriving with their VISA's.

The average length of stay for a tourist in Kaikoura is shy of 24 hours. Most people arrive on a bus or shuttle or train or rental or crappy bought car, swim with dolphins, snap a few pics of fur seals and whales' tails, and then high tail it outta here. In truth, there isn't much else happening. The number of B&B's and cheap motels in the area are more an artifact of the unpredictable weather that causes tours to cancel and forces tourists to stay the night.

The next piece of land south of here is Antarctica. And so when the wind blows from the south, it's cold. And wet. And icky. And it has a tendency to slam into this little piece of land jutting out into the Pacific.

Although small, the South Island town where I lived for two months does have everything you could need. A pizza place, a few bars, several local hangouts, ten cafes, a second hand bookstore, a movie theatre, a school, and two gyms. I got a membership at the Kaikoura Fitnesss Centre. Also known as the K.F.C. That's what the sign says.