Cross-country Road Trips – B2 English Listening Exercise

9 marine life 10 shuttle bus 11 cliff path 12 clear skies

13 life jacket 14 sea birds 15 acrobatic jumps

16 garlic soup 17 silver ring 18 nature photography

Sophie: Hi everyone, my name is Sophie. I’m here today to share my experiences from a recent day excursion I took to Kaikoura, a lovely coastal town in New Zealand. I had originally planned to spend that particular weekend doing a challenging mountain hike in the Southern Alps, but after reading a few travel blogs and talking to some locals, I decided to book a day trip to Kaikoura instead. The area is absolutely famous for its rich marine life, and my specific objective was to go dolphin-watching.

Getting there from my base in Christchurch was the next challenge. A lot of fellow backpackers told me the coastal train was the most scenic option, and I really wanted to do that, but unfortunately, it was completely fully booked for the entire week. Consequently, I ended up catching an early morning shuttle bus. It wasn’t quite as romantic as a train journey, but it actually turned out to be incredibly comfortable and got me there in good time.

I arrived in the town a couple of hours before my dolphin-watching boat was scheduled to depart. I initially thought about visiting the local museum to kill some time and learn about the region’s history, but it turned out to be closed for seasonal renovations. Instead, I went for a leisurely stroll along the cliff path, which offered the most spectacular, sweeping views of the peninsula and the vast Pacific Ocean.

To be honest, I was quite nervous about the weather conditions. The forecast on the news the night before had predicted heavy rain for the entire day, so I was really dreading a miserable, wet experience out at sea. To my absolute delight, the forecast was completely wrong, and we were blessed with clear skies once we got out onto the open water. The sunshine made the ocean look incredibly blue.

Before boarding the vessel, the crew gathered us all together for a comprehensive safety briefing. I had brought my own heavy winter coat, assuming the ocean breeze would be absolutely freezing and I’d need the extra warmth. However, the tour company insisted that everyone put on a life jacket before stepping onto the deck, just as a standard safety precaution regardless of what we were already wearing.

Once we were out at sea, the excitement really started to build. Everyone had their cameras ready, hoping to spot a giant sperm whale, as they are native to these deep waters and often come to the surface. We didn’t manage to find any of those massive creatures on this occasion, but we did sail past a surprisingly large group of sea birds diving frantically for fish, which was quite a dramatic spectacle in itself.

About an hour later, the captain suddenly slowed the boat down and pointed towards the horizon. We rushed to the edge of the deck and saw a massive pod of dusky dolphins swimming right alongside our vessel. I thought they might just swim past quietly, but they actually started doing these incredible acrobatic jumps right out of the water! It was like they were putting on a show specifically for us.

After returning to the harbour, I realised I was absolutely starving. Kaikoura is widely renowned for its fresh seafood, and I was sorely tempted to grab a classic portion of fish and chips from a little seaside kiosk. However, I noticed a small, cosy cafe serving hot garlic soup, and I decided that really hit the spot after being out in the bracing ocean breeze for so long.

Before catching my transport back to Christchurch, I wanted to buy a small keepsake to remember the perfect day. I browsed through a busy little gift shop and almost purchased a printed t-shirt with a cartoon whale on it. Ultimately though, I went for a lovely silver ring shaped like a dolphin’s tail, as it felt a bit more personal and elegant.

The whole excursion was a brilliant success and has really inspired me to explore more of the country’s natural wonders. I initially thought my next trip would be exploring the deep caves up in the north, but I’ve just booked a weekend doing nature photography down in the national park instead. I just can’t wait to get back into the great outdoors!

9 confidence 10 youth hostel 11 cooking class 12 photography

13 Hokkaido 14 scuba diving 15 video calls

16 comic books 17 university degree 18 spring festival

David: Hi everyone, my name is David, and I’m here today to talk about my backpacking trip across Southeast Asia and how it led to a lasting international friendship. When I first announced my plans to travel solo, my friends assumed I just wanted to learn new languages or perhaps escape my incredibly boring office job. While those were definitely perks, my main goal was to boost my confidence by travelling alone and pushing myself out of my comfort zone.

Finding the right accommodation was crucial for meeting people. Since I had saved up a decent budget, I initially considered staying in a cheap hotel or a quiet guesthouse. However, I opted for a youth hostel because everyone knows it’s the absolute easiest place to meet fellow travellers from all over the globe.

Once I settled in, I tried various activities to mingle with the other guests. I signed up for a surfing lesson and later went on a guided city walking tour. Neither of those was particularly great for chatting, but a cooking class I took was brilliant for striking up conversations, as we had to work in pairs and help each other out.

That’s exactly where I met Kenji, a backpacker from Japan. We were both hopelessly struggling to chop vegetables! At first, I thought we’d end up bonding over music or maybe extreme sports, but it turned out our shared passion for photography was what really brought us together. We spent hours comparing our cameras and the different lenses we had brought along.

When we started talking about our backgrounds, I naturally assumed he was from Tokyo or maybe Kyoto, as most people I meet seem to hail from the big urban centres. But he actually grew up in Hokkaido, which he said is a northern island famous for its incredible snow and wild nature.

We got on so well that we decided to travel together for a fortnight. We had originally planned to do some challenging mountain climbing in the region. The weather up in the peaks was absolutely awful though, so we went scuba diving instead, which was an absolutely magical experience and a real highlight of the trip.

When we finally went our separate ways, I genuinely wondered if we’d manage to stay friends. A lot of people just rely on social media updates or the occasional text message to keep in touch. We quickly found that regular video calls were much better for maintaining a deep connection, despite the awkward time difference between our countries.

We also make an effort to send each other physical care packages in the post every few months. In the first box, I was expecting to receive some traditional Japanese snacks or maybe some authentic green tea. Instead, I was absolutely thrilled when he sent me a collection of rare comic books, which I thoroughly enjoy reading.

The whole experience of making an international friend has profoundly influenced my future. Before the trip, I was seriously considering jumping straight into a full-time job or perhaps doing a local apprenticeship. Now, my perspective has broadened, and I’ve decided to start a university degree in international relations.

Of course, Kenji and I are already planning our next grand reunion. He invited me over for the winter ski season, which sounded incredibly tempting. But I’ve actually booked my flights for the famous spring festival next year, as the cherry blossoms are supposed to be stunning and I want to capture them on camera.