It was the Easter weekend and tourists were flocking to the Whale heaven, otherwise known as Kaikoura. The quiet road that passed in front of the Royal Edward Percival Field Station had been transformed into a main road as the world and his many wives were out and about pushing buggies and with children in tow.The Princess was lucky however as she was able to escape the masses of mindless grockles and head to the woods with Sir Archibold and Lady Sandra sticky-fingers Maloy in search of the native bell bird. Many a bell bird did they catch and the Princess was able to wonder at the stunning plumage and male that looked as though it had had its head up a sooty chimney.
The following day the Princess was fortunate enough to join Princess Ophelie and her disciples atop of the hill where they spent the morning scanning the Pacific Ocean in search of the magnificent sperm whale. Despite the lingering distant haze they saw many whales, some even as close as 5km, a mere whisker away!
That evening The Prince Simon Fryer and Duchess Tabitha Gwendolyn came to visit the Princess from the far off quake stricken land of Christchurch for a weekend of civilized tea drinking fun.
When they awoke the following morning, the mill pond calm sea from the night before had become white-capped and wavy, reducing the already slim chances the Prince and Princess Kerry had of finding Paua. After much indecisiveness (he used to indecisive, but now he’s not so sure) it was eventually decided that the Prince would go for a surf whilst the two ladies picnicked on the beach and prepared fresh hot soup and exotic guacamole for the Cold surfer.
As the two ladies ate and sipped on hot tea they spied two wetsuit clad fellows rummaging around in the shallows, knives in hands only to moments later reveal handfuls of Paua! Before the Prince even had a chance to feel the heat of his freshly brewed tea he was sent on his way to provide for his lady and gather Paua for the royal supper. Did he come back empty handed? No he did not. However he did come back with one knife in two pieces. 
That evening post-sea-swim, the Princess and the Prince set to preparing their Paua. Now this was quite a tricky business and a messy one at that. Tabitha Gwendolyn dictated instructions whist the two picked and prised the squirming slippery creature from out of its pearly shell. Once the guts were cut away and the teeth were located and removed (not as simple as one might think)the pounding could commence.Several hours later and homemade ravioli expertly made, they enjoyed their first taste of the New Zealand Paua. Delightful.
