East Coast and on to Akaroa, France's lost claim to New Zealand

February 06, 2020

Inter island ferry at Picton

What a memorable stay at Te Mahia! We’re winding our way along the Marlborough Sound coast, headed southwest beyond Picton which is the south island terminus for the inter island ferry and shipping. between north and south. Rain and low clouds are today’s weather as we finally reach the coast and head south to Kaikoura. There are no foothills here as the mountains hem the narrow coastal plain as it reaches the ocean. We also encountered new driving challenges! We’re used to steep ups, downs, sharp turns on narrow roads but now are faced with split tunnels, oncoming traffic including trains, and yellow warning signs picturing seals! The beaches in this area are loaded with NZ fur seals. The mothers segregate with their pups away from the males which tend to haul themselves up on the rocks, even as far as the road shoulder! Kaikoura is a hub for whale watching and supports a large array of tourist services and accommodations including the tree house hotel. At the end of the road in Kaikoura there are seals everywhere including the boardwalk. Leaving our furry friends, the road heads inland for a bit then on to Christchurch which is still recovering from the 2011 earthquake. People complain about the slow pace of reconstruction and there are still many buildings that are seismically unsafe, however there are some interesting work arounds including shopping districts that reopened in converted shipping containers, a “cardboard” cathedral, and the Hallswell library centre. Skirting Christchurch and on through Little River that also has a wonderful art gallery and “Silo” accommodations, we approach the Banks Peninsula and Akaroa, first settled by French Whalers.

Coastal highway north of Kaikora

Good idea to always stay to the left!

Hapuku Lodge Treehouse accomodation

Momma fur seal and pup

No, you can't bring him home. He won't fit in your suitcase and he doesn't have a US passport

Silo rentals-you check in at a kiosk with a credit card much like buying parking meter time

Little River Art Gallery and sculpture park

Akaroa town and harbor is in the crater of a volcanic crater! Picture the top third of Mt. St. Helens resting in the sea with the blown out north face and crater forming a harbor and you have the Banks Peninsula which is an ancient volcano, erupted with one side gone that forms a long harbor into the town of Akaroa. The road climbs steeply to the crater rim and the views are pastoral and stunning. Like most of NZ, it is rural, yet all of the uplands are active farms, usually about 1500 acres and running about one head of stock per acre and relying on grass without irrigation to support them according to our hosts Hugh and Katherine at Coombs farm bed and breakfast. Coombs farm is a beautiful and historic home on 1500 acres that they run their sheep on with the help of Ned, and their other herding dogs. “Sheepishly” I mentioned to Hugh that I raised a few lambs and he laughed and said “Well, I reckon it’s about as much work to keep 6 as it is a 1,000.” Gracious hosts that Hugh and Katherine are, they let us pick greens in their garden for our salad and we put our green lipped mussels on the barbecue and had a wonderful dinner on their patio and a much needed sleep in advance of exploring the peninsula in the coming days ahead.....