I decided to take a side trip on the Banks Peninsula an hour
and a half drive from Christchurch to Akaroa.
We stopped a few times on the way first at Kaitorete Spit and then at
the Hilltop Café for a birds-eye view of Akaroa. I was picked up in the farm truck shortly
after arriving in the town and continued the winding drive for 30 minutes
before reaching the farm. One of the
most beautiful places in NZ and extremely secluded I settled my home for the
next two nights; a small rustic hut.
Breaking from my routine of large busy hostels and regular tourist
activities spent the afternoon with a group of other travelers as we headed
down (and I mean almost straight down) to a private beach. Spent a hours lounging, reading and
chatting. Check out the picture of the
Paua caught by another farm stay guest – it is a specialty in the area. As it got chilly we started the trek back to
the huts as a strong southerly came in.
The clouds were moving so quickly (my pictures show the before and after
quite clearly).
Bright and early six of us set out for Dolphin swimming with
the farmer. I have wanted to swim with
dolphins for years and when I was planning to come to NZ knew I would do it at
some point but wasn’t sure when. When I
discovered Akaroa I knew it was where I wanted to do it especially after
learning it is home to the Hectors (smallest, rarest in the world and only
found in NZ). With wetsuit on, gear,
water and camera in tow we headed in the back of the farm truck down the hill
to the water. We spent the entire
morning, from 8am until noon, searching the waters for pods of dolphins in the
wild. At first we saw several dolphins
for a few minutes then they headed off until there were about 10 surrounding
the boat ready to play. We jumped in and
let the dolphins surround us and swim around.
After a while the dolphins all headed off and we went back searching for
another pod. Mid-way through we made our
way along the coastline and stopped at some caves for a quick snack and cup of
tea to warm up. Back to the waters we
swam with dolphins another few times before heading back to the farm. I absolutely loved this experience and doing
it off the beaten path made it that much more special! The afternoon was spent going from hammock to
hammock, relaxing and taking in the farm’s million dollar views with sheep
grazing on the grass around me.
After two days on the farm I was given a ride back to Akaroa
to explore for a few hours before my bus arrived to take me back to
Christchurch. A nice little seaside town
originally settled by the French. I
wandered around the town and shops before sitting on the harbor to have fresh
blue cod fish and chips for lunch. The
return to Christchurch was scenic with a stop at a cheese factory followed by a
fruit and veggie roadside stand. Back in
Christchurch I have arranged a WWOOFing project on the north island and will be
heading there soon to get further off the tourist track. It might be a while before next update – but
these last few recent posts should keep you occupied for a bit. Cheers!
