‘Put a boot in it, you cheeky wotsit,’ he says, and Tui blows a raspberry at him before haring off along the stony path ahead of us.

‘Don’t go too far,’ he calls after her in exasperation. ‘Wait by the pier!’

I assume that he’s worried about Tui falling into the sea, but when we reach the long stone jetty, it becomes clear that there is a different and unexpected danger.

‘Seals!’ cries Tui, grasping my arm.

Unlike those we saw from the boat in Milford Sound, which were a good fifty feet away, these whiskery creatures are lazing only a few metres from where Kit, Tui and I are standing. The nearest is lying prone on its back, with its eyes closed and its mouth slightly ajar. We are close enough that I can see the pattern of wet fur across its head, and a jagged scar running across one of its hind flippers.

‘What do you have to remember about seals?’ Kit asks Tui, putting a calming hand on her shoulder.

‘No touching,’ she replies.

‘And?’ prompts Kit.

‘No running.’

‘That’s right.’ He pats her on the top of her head. ‘Just walk past slowly and don’t make any noises that might scare them.’

The three of us make our way stealthily past the first seal, which opens one eye to stare at us but doesn’t move. I’m watching it so intently that I don’t see one that has just lumbered up over an outcrop of rocks behind us, and yelp in fright as it barks loudly. Kit, who now has one arm around Tui and the other wrapped around me, pulls both of us against him.

‘Strewth!’ he exclaims. ‘This one’s a big fella.’

The seals are about the same size as the soppy black Labradors back at Mill House Stables – albeit without legs – and look faintly ridiculous as they roll and heave themselves into comfortable positions on the stone walkway. There’s a dicey moment when two begin to jostle for position on the same ledge, each one rearing up and grunting aggressively at the other, but Tui thinks they’re hilarious, and cackles so loudly that she distracts them. By the time we reach the far end of the T-shaped stone pier, most of the younger seals have slithered down into the sea, miraculously transforming from helpless lumps into graceful dancers as they do so.