While our final goal was to get to Queenstown, it would have been a really long day of driving, so we decided to go to Geraldine.

We drove around 7 hours and decided to stop off in a quaint little town, Geraldine.  We drove along the East Coast of the S. Island.

for first half.  It's an amazing drive.  You drive through these deep valleys from out Picton as you make your way to the coast. 

The coast line is stunning, the road runs along the ocean for a while.

Along the way you can see little churches and old buildings like these.

However what is really cool is the wildlife you can see right off the road.  We pulled off at one spot to see a seal colony!

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Once you get past Kaikoura, that's the whale watching place, you head inland.  If I use the word stunning alot

it's because it is.  The beauty of the countryside has to be seen with your own eyes!