Christchurch and Banks Peninsula
Day 67 - 5th April - Christchurch
My legs were about as stiff as they can get. Sometimes I even had trouble standing up straight or walking in a straight line. So today I did nothing at all whatsoever. My legs needed the rest and for the whole day I tried to make sure I was in a sitting position, reading a book, browsing the internet, whatever I felt like doing as long as I didn't have to go anywhere.
And why not? I think I've earned my rest now don't you?
Day 68 - 6th April - Banks Peninsula
The Banks Peninsula is an area near Christchurch that differs greatly from the surrounding terrain. The totally flat and relatively barren Canterbury Plains suddenly end and turn into beautiful, scenic rolling hills, gorgeous beaches, coves and inlets. The Banks Peninsula is actually the remains of an ancient volcano and Akaroa Harbour is actually the sunken crater which has since been eroded away, allowing the sea to spill in from one direction and form a sheltered area that is a perfect place for a port.
I left Christchurch early in the morning and was taken by bus on the ninety minute or so journey to Akaroa, a charming little historic colonial village with much French influence. Apparently after Britain had claimed the north island as their own the French sent some colonisation ships to claim the south. The Brits got wind of this and sent their own ships from the north island and by the time the French arrived they found the area under British rule. But they still moved in and so Akaroa, despite being Maori in name, is still very french themed, though this is mostly echoed in the street names nowadays.
I had signed up for dolphin swimming yet again, this time it was round three. Only today I wouldn't be swimming with Bottlenose Dolphins, today it would be the Hector's Dolphin. The Hector's Dolphin may well be the cutest animal ever to live in the sea. They're just as playful, social and intelligent as the well known Bottlenose but they're very tiny, only about five feet long on average. They're also, sadly, endangered and only found in New Zealand. Measures are being taken to protect these adorably cute little guys but some wonder whether it will be enough. Right now there are still enough around to ensure that swimming and sighting tours have a quite high rate of success.
We were off on our boat and it wasn't long before we found a pod of dolphins. We stopped and waited around to see if they were in a friendly mood. When they began to circle our boat we took this as a good sign and off we went into the water in our wetsuits. At first only around three dolphins were around but before long about twelve to fifteen others turned up to see what all the excitement was about. It seems that this pod of dolphins were extremely fascinated with us and wanted nothing more than to play. They were circling us in the water, leaping out of the sea and doing flips, it was a totally wonderful experience. Since my proficiency in underwater photography is not quite as accomplished as on dry land I was only able to grab a couple of brief and low quality shots but the memory of this wonderful experience is sure to stick with me. It was all over too soon and we returned to dry land, satisfied with what we had seen that day. Our guide said that we had one of the best swims of the month, it's rare for so many of them to put on so good a show.
Later I checked into my hostel which was wonderful. If you're ever in Akaroa be sure to stay at Chez la Mer. It's one of the most cozy little hostels I've stayed in yet
curious dolphin
Day 69 - 7th April - Banks Peninsula
Though my legs weren't fully recovered I figured I might as well do one more hike. After all it was a sunny day and the scenery was wonderful. I completed the walking track up to one of the nearby peaks where there were some great views of the area, Akaroa and the harbour. After returning I grabbed one of the free hostel bikes and picked a good place to watch the sunset.
Another day, another fine hike!
looking out over Akaroa Harbour
Day 70 - 8th April - Banks Peninsula
I would have gone out again but the weather wouldn't have it. It rained down outside so I simply stayed indoors in front of the roaring fire at Chez la Mer. I got the bus back to Christchurch in the afternoon and had a lazy evening in the hostel.
Day 71 - 9th April - Christchurch
It was raining in the morning but later it cleared up so I took a stroll around Christchurch. Quite a pleasant little city.
Christchurch Cathedral
Autumn ColoursIt was good friday today and the whole city had shut down. It was also a stunningly beautiful day and everybody was out enjoying it. I took a stroll around the botanic gardens before heading to the edge of Christchurch by bus to the small port town on Lyttelton. It's actually on the edge of the Banks Peninsula so it was a nice reminder of scenic Akaroa which I had visited just a few days earlier.
I spent some time hiking before returning to the hostel in the evening.
Looking out over Christchurch & the Southern Alps
Christchurch Botanic Gardens in their splendid autumn colours
Looks like fun!
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