(written on February 19th from notes taken previously). It was a much more eventful day today. 🙃 As I was leaving the car park this morning, a nice young man who had been parked next to me, stopped me just as I was about to drive away, letting me know that my rear passenger tire … Continue reading 2026-01-17 (Saturday) — Is That… Coal?

(written on February 19th from notes taken previously). Not much to report today. It was a bit of a wasted day today for me--my own choice. 😕 There was a tad bit of rain. I stopped off to top up my groceries at the Fresh Choice market in Westport. Then I headed over to Cape … Continue reading 2026-01-16 (Friday) — A Foulwind

(written on February 19th from notes taken previously). Today has been a day filled with beauty and natural wonders. ☺️ After getting up, I started driving up the road deeper into the hills toward the day's intended destinations--several natural attractions on a dead-end road out in the middle of nowhere in the far western portion … Continue reading 2026-01-15 (Thursday) — Arches ‘N Caves

(written on February 19th from notes taken previously). Not much to report. Was rainy this morning, and I wasn't much in the mood to venture around with the giganto sand flies, so I got myself some breakfast and continued my drive west toward the coast, stopping only to take some pictures at a bridge on … Continue reading 2026-01-14 (Wednesday) — Rain

(written on February 18th from notes taken previously) It wasn't a very eventful day today, so there isn't much to report, though it was another sad day in one respect. 😕 But I'll get to that later. For whatever reason, perhaps the consequences of several days in a row of very little sleep, I woke … Continue reading 2026-01-13 (Tuesday) — A Viking Goodbye

(written partly on February 17th and 18th from notes taken previously). It was a tough day today. 😞 Having heard last night that the whales had restranded yet again, after we had been so hopeful because all evidence seemed to point to their having actually escaped the death zone, was... hard. But we were up … Continue reading 2026-01-12 (Monday) — Sad End

(written on February 18th from notes taken previously). Tough, exhausting, frustrating, exciting, discouraging. We were up super early this morning, somewhere around 5 or 5:30, I think? to get the news and to be ready to go to work. The news wasn't great. The biggest of all of the whales from the pod of 15, … Continue reading 2026-01-11 (Sunday) — So Close

(written on February 15th, 17th, and 18th from notes taken previously). I got a late start this morning (not leaving my little sleeping spot until almost 11:15 😅)nand badly needed to get back into town to get gas, so Tākaka was my first stop. Once I had cell signal again, I went online to see … Continue reading 2026-01-10 (Saturday) — Sonar Spoofed

(written on the 10th from notes!) Wow! What a day! I think I walked/ran for a total of somewhere around 13-15 miles today. 😶 And it was mostly because of the whales! 🤯 But I'll get to that soon. 🙃 I woke up at my little overgrown grass road that's far more vegetation than road. … Continue reading 2026-01-09 (Friday) — Pilot Error

(written on the 9th!) I actually slept in a fair bit today. I don't think I got up until after 9:00, which is pretty amazing for me. Now I just have to figure out how to get myself to go to bed at a decent hour. 🙃 I was out quickly after getting up. Didn't … Continue reading 2026-01-08 (Thursday) — Final Ford Day?