East Coast, South Island, New Zealand
02/16/2005 - 02/19/2005
Beautiful big beaches and mountains sloping down to the sea dominate this coastline. Look at the color of the water. Wow!
Kaikoura Coast
Heading south from Blenheim, we were treated to another beautiful coastal drive. Even though the day was a bit wet and overcast, the beauty of mountains, sea and bush all in close proximity -- shined through the gray skies.
This coastal area is known for its abundant sea life including whales, dolphins and seals. "Marine mammal watching and conservation is the focus of this area. Boat tours run out of Kaikoura for whale watching and dolphin swimming. Not to sound too spoiled, we opted to skip the tours since the months in the South Pacific gave us our fill of whale and dolphin experiences.
Some tourist guides refer to this area as the Alpine Pacific Triangle. Hamner Springs and ski fields are just up those mountains.
Since it is summer, only glaciers leave white on the mountain tops.
Kaikoura, population 3200, sits on a beautiful bay at the base of mountain foothills. The setting is quite beautiful. Picture the mountains in the background covered with snow on a clear day. A winter time trip to this area is in order.
While grabbing a bite to eat at a cafe in Kaikoura, a parade of classic Chevrolet Corvettes motored through town. Corvettes? In New Zealand? It turns out classic muscle cars are a big collector's item here in NZ.
One more beach shot in Kaikoura. Too bad the weather is gloomy.
This lovely shot shows Robin making either her sheep call - "Here sheepy, sheepy" - or her cow call - "Moo". You be the judge.
Here is Lyttleton Harbour. There is a tiny marina in the foreground.
Banks Peninsula
With the gloomy weather, we kept on motoring south from Kaikoura toward Christchurch and the Banks Peninsula. During our initial stay in Christchurch, we decided to try to get to the nearby Banks Peninsula. Lots of folks told us about the wonderful the scenery on the peninsula, so we had to go see for ourselves.
The drive and associated stops along the way from the wine country to Christchurch filled most of the day. By the time we reached Lyttleton, the harbour town 12 kms south of Christchurch, we were anxious to find lodging and get out of the car. Lyttleton was quite sleepy on the day we arrived and lodging options did not look too exciting. So, we kept on driving around the harbour ending up in the teeny, tiny "town" of Governor's Bay.
In the morning, we hopped back in the car to check out the Banks Peninsula. Rolling, green hills lead down to a couple of harbours. We headed toward Akaroa which was originally a French settlement. A cute tourist town with lots of cafes and shops sits on the eastern edge of the harbour. Akaroa is another town famous for its dolphin and penguin watching tours. Instead of touring, we grabbed a bite to eat before heading back toward Christchurch.
And another shot of Lyttleton Harbour. There are plenty of boats here, but the shoal water, tidal flows, and frequent shipping might add stress to an otherwise leisurely day sail.
The Governors Bay Hotel proved to be quaint and economical.
Kiwi sailors are always out sailing or racing.
The view from the porch at the Governors Bay Hotel was quite lovely.
The Banks Peninsula is beautiful with its rolling hills sloping down to the Akaroa Harbour.
The main street in Akaroa.
Akaroa's tiny pier is the pick up and drop off point for the tour boats.
Here is the big picture view of Akaroa -- the view from the pier back toward downtown.
One last mode of transportation will take us back to Auckland after an incredible five week exploration of the South Island.
Once in Christchurch, we set out to find lodging. This proved harder than expected due to the Velvet Revolver concert happening that night. Then, the next night was the Cher concert. Eventually, we found a place to stay. Having come full circle on the South Island, we realized just how much there is to see and do here. Five weeks seemed like a long time when we were planning the trip. In actuality, we would have like to spend a few more weeks on the South Island. Oh well, we will have to return for more exploration at a later date.
With the end of this cruising sabbatical drawing to a close and the need to make a decision on what we are doing next looming, we flew back to Auckland to decide on our next adventure. Stay tuned!