Wednesday 27 July - Akaroa to Lake Tekapo and the importance of vegetables!

After breakfast we take a walk around the very pretty and sheltered Akaroa – it is obviously popular all year around and a big boating community. Akaroa itself is situated on the Banks Peninsula and is the site of the first and only sortie for the French to NZ. The town has contined to play on it’s French heritage and there are tricoloure and french street names in abundance.

  

 

We walk along the beach road and up the jetties before ending up at the lighthouse built in 18This imposing, six-sided, wooden lighthouse looks thoroughly at home on Cemetery Point. But this is not its original site. The lighthouse was first built on a rugged headland at the entrance to Akaroa Harbour, more than 80 metres above sea level. The site was chosen in 1875 and the lighthouse built in 1878-79, to a design that was developed by an engineer, John Blackett, for New Zealand conditions. It  was replaced in 1977 by an automatic light. 

  

We pass a statue of  Frank Arthur Worsley - a native of Akaroa who joined Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition of 1914.The aim was to cross the Antarctic continent, but the ship became frozen in ice, and was eventually crushed. All 28 men from the expedition floated on the ice until they put to sea. Then they sailed in three lifeboats until, thanks to Worsley's navigational skills, they reached Elephant Island, off the Antarctic Peninsula Worsley, Shackleton and four other men then sailed the 22-foot some 800 miles across the stormy South Atlantic Ocean, eventually arriving at their intended destination, South Georgia. This was an astounding feat of navigation by Worsley, who used a sextant in a tiny boat that encountered 50-foot (15 m) waves and storms. Shackleton, Worsley and seaman Tom Crean then walked across South Georgia in a 36-hour march to fetch help.All men were rescued from Elephant Island.

The French references continue as we pass the boucherie du village – sadly shut for the winter and also the patisserie – full of croissant and delicious looking pastries. 

The sun is shining as we jump into Nelly the Nissan and head south towards Lake Tekapo and the mountains. We head back and up along the twisty roads and have to stop as Tiegan feels sick – it could be a long journey! But she eventually settles into it and we don’t stop again until we eat our now familiar car picnic lunch in Ashburton – home of the salmon farm and the slightly weird Salmon World. 

We reach Lake Tekapo and Nicole does her stuff – negotiating the last budget room in Lake Tekapo lakefront hotel. Our now usual routine of find a backpacker, unpack and head to the supermarket follows and after a slightly heated discussion about the importance of vegetables the family settle down to chicken, mash, broccoli, sweetcorn and carrots. Sadly we missed the observatory trip as the girls are pooped and it is also very expensive!

Tuesday 26 July - Nelly the Nissan - Christchurch - Akaroa

Yesterday was the coldest on record in Christchurch since 1918 and the first snow in 15 years. But the sun is out this morning and although it has rained overnight and the roads are icy it appears that the situation is improving. Hopeful delayed passengers head to the still closed Christchurch airport on coaches with the promise of flights and the roads are a little clearer. David heads off to collect "el cheapo" and returns with our wheels for the next four weeks. A nissan sunny - now christened Nelly. 

We decide to head south of Christchurch to Akoroa and begin the journey by driving through what was the city. Immediately we begin to see glimpses of the devastating effects of the earthquakes.

   

As we drive towards the centre of the city more and more buildings lay empty, damaged and taped off. We suddenly are stopped in our tracks, our route is blocked by the now familiar metal fencing - we have found the edge of the red zone. 

   

There is an eery stillness - a silence - magnified by the recent snowfall - and as we negotiate our way around the edge of the red zone we glimpse cranes at work dealing with the damage - twisted buildings, homes ripped apart and the sad view of the once beautiful Cathedral Square. It is a very emotional 30 minutes and along the way there are groups of people standing along the cordon - some are there to view the damage for themselves - others to seek some kind of closure or healing. We are told that it will take 15 to 20 years to restore the city and that some parts will never be rebuilt. As we head out to the coast, Sumner and Lyttleton - the damage is evident here to.

Empty shells of buildings, more demolition notices and more taped off areas. Very,very sobering and so very sad.

We continue our journey and work our way around the little bays and inlets to Akaroa - a small, historic town nestled in the heart of an extinct volcano on the 


Banks Peninsula.

We have no accommodation booked so when we arrive in the town it is left to Nicole to hop in and out of the car asking at various hotels, motels and backpackers for rooms, availability and prices! It is very low season and everyone has availability so just what deals we can wangle!


We settle on Bon Accord – which is small and more importantly the nice man offered a discount! It has a large communal kitchen.

 and shared bathrooms, but there is a bed for everyone, a heater in the room, hot water bottles all round and a friendly welcome! We unload Nelly and head to the supermarket just up the street for a few bits to cook for tea before settling down for the night.