We are heading out to the Banks Peninsular to have a couple of relaxing days in a hostel that came highly recommended, near Le Bons Bay which also came recommended for the surf; Em’s excited at last some decent surfing?
The drive over to the Peninsular was frustrating to say the least, not because of traffic as they have none here; but because it is SO full of hills and twist and turns. To cover the 72 kms to our hostel took around 2 ½ hours, not including our stop for a coffee and hot chocolate in ‘Look out’ Café; you can see why it’s called the Lookout. I got offered my first job here for taking the tray and cups back, Em laughed as I’m better at washing the dishes. When we did finally arrive at the Hostel we were again just amazed by this place, we know that this standard of Hostel can’t keep coming up. We were over looking the valley leading to Le Bons Bay, about 7 kms down the road. Em wasted no time in asking the owner Garry about the surf, so after a brief chat of where to go we headed for the next bay over. Garry failed to inform us of the ‘road’ down to the bay, we call it a road very, very generously. We take back everything we said about the road to Nugget Point, this ‘road’ to the bay below us was by far THE WORST thing ever we have driven on; the photo’s don’t do it justice. The ‘road’ was only wide enough for one vehicle, so you hope you don’t meet anyone coming the other way; with drops to the valley base only 6” away from the tyres at some points; NEVER again. We arrived at the car park in one piece, walked over the fields, along the log which was over the river, to the rocks, over the rocks; finally to the beach to find –
NO BL**DY SURF!!!!!!!!!!
Back over the rocks, along the log over the river, over the fields and back up the ‘road’ to the hostel and LOTS of beer and wine; to drown (and forget) our sorrows. Oh my head hurt the following day! Em just looked ‘un-happy’ the following morning as the wind was blowing a huge gale through the valley. The hostel owner also runs trips out of the bay to see the various wildlife, which Em and I had hoped to join; but not today due to the wind. We went to Akaroa, the main town on the Peninsular for the day; before heading back to the hostel for yet more Wine. Although we were having a lovely time here, we were praying for no wind and surf the next day. Well we awoke to no wind, but also no surf (this is taking the p**s now) So we just managed to catch Garry before the small boat launched on it’s way out of the bay to hopefully see the wildlife. We were so pleased we did manage to catch him, we seen the Fur Seals on the way out; and then they came to see us. Along side of the boat came a female Hector Dolphin with her calf, under the boat and jumping out of the sea in front of us; we followed them (or did they follow us?) for at least a ½ hour before they finally headed on their way. We were full of joy as we had not seen the rarest and smallest Dolphin, but then another came along side; not only swimming but jumping continually along side of our boat. We had to head in after this as the wind was really starting to pick up again, once inside the safety of the bay Garry took us to a small cave like feature just off of the main beach; he explained why only when we landed. There amongst the rocks were nesting Penguins, little ‘White tipped’ dark Blue Penguins; we seen only the adult as it was shielding its young from the ‘invading’ visitors outside its nest. We all took the hint and left the adult to look after it’s young in peace, but it was without doubt ‘yet again’ something we will never forget. Time to head back to Christchurch AGAIN.
