Birding in the rain

The woman in the craft shop had recommended bird watching, wild camping on the beach further up the coast, and fish and chips at Kaikoua.  Unfortunately it was then pouring.  So we made a mad dash across a rain-beaten marsh to a hide, and got soaked through.  There was a large flock of wrybills  as a reward.  They’re quite a rare NZ endemic, and are so-called for their wonky beaks.  After some atmospheric sea watching which brought Sheringham to mind, we dashed back to the van and got changed.  Given the weather and our wetness we decided to go for a campsite with hot showers and proper toilets rather than rough camping.  Miranda holiday resort had a heated mineral pool, so after hooking up I lounged in that.  We then picked up fish and chips for Leon, and ended a happy day skyping and reading, snug in our van.