Mill Cottage Akaroa

... over. <br>She was fine, my offers of help went unaccepted and I think she thought this pedestrian knows nothing of my plight but I do, golfing accountants don&#8217;t forget how to do tax returns while they golf. <br>Also even if I was just a walker, I be catching on by now it&#8217;s also the second person I&#8217;ve seen do it in two days! So if you fancy the chance of good giggle and possibly the opportunity to play the hero with a fair ...

... ha. <br><br>soon the trail sank into some lava rocks extending into the sea and we<br>sat on the egde and ate walnuts and chocolate, silent except for the<br>crack of nutshells (you put two nuts between thumb and forefinger and<br>then use your thighs to press them together. Hardcore.) Just beyond<br>was a .little island full of birds, only... maybe ten meters or so from<br>our spot. <br><br>I don't know who came up with the idea to swim to ...

... back in. We got to take home as much as we wanted from what we caught, so we were eating fish and crayfish for the next few days - it was great. We got really close to albatross that came and sat on the water right by the boat, and also a distant cousin of theirs called Mollymawks and just as we were heading back to shore a group of about 300+ dusky dolphins swam right past the boat, jumping out of the water and flipping about, there were so many of them everywhere you looked - it was ...

... a very definite pathway through them and, in that heat, it really wouldn't be a great idea to get lost and go for a bushwalk away from the path! anyway, so the walk starts at a boardwalk, most probably put in place to create that false sense of security so to encourage tourists to walk on, despite the reality being that, very soon, the boardwalk will disappear leaving only a rocky climb up a steep slope to some magnificient views over the valleys, and a drop down to ...

Tänä aamuna ei ollut kiire yhtään mihinkään... Tästä Tekapon ohi menee nimittäin yksi ainoa bussi päivässä ja se täräyttää kello 12 aikoihin suoraan tähän järven rannalle. Mukavasti ehti nyt rauhassa heräillä, syödä aamupalaa ja lukea lehdetkin läpi ennen lähtöä. Melko harvinaista herkkua... Matka Tekaposta Christchurchiin kesti noin 4 tuntia ja täydellinen muutos tuli maisemiin. Laskeuduttiin alas vuorilta Canterburyn ...

... crater.   Our skipper (this one looked nothing like Bob Hale) gave us wonderful commentary on the formation of the Banks Pennisula, told us about birds, about how the Onawe peninsula was sacred ground to the Maori.  He also told us to keep eyes out for the Hector dolphins. Their curved fins, we were told, looked a bit like a Mickey Mouse ear on the water.  This seemed appropriate to us as we were about the Black Cat and we were hunting for mice ...

... actually not jokes after all.... We drove about 5 hours north to Christchurch on the last sunny day that we have had. Most of the drive is along the cliff edge of the coast line and was stunning. As usual, stopped a million times to take pictures. We arrived in Christchurch with no where to stay. Called around to all the hostels in the Lonely Planet, but everyone was full except for one place 20 mins from town. Turned out to be a blessing in disguise ...

... entourent, sortent a quelques pieds de nous et viennent a portee de main (on nous demande de ne pas les toucher) J'en ai eu un qui a fait cinq rotations autour de moi, adrenaline a 100%. Apres une heure passee dans l'eau, c'est une sapre belle experience, des dollars bien depenses! Akaroa est bien charmante, je decide de rester encore une journee, je prends l'apres midi pour arpenter les rues et simplement relaxer.

We have arrived in New Zealand. We spent a few days in Christchurch sightseeing. It is such a wonderful place...visually very much like being in England, but with all the great liberal wonderful things that make those who live here so special. Kiwi's are the friendliest people on earth and they always seem make everything in NZ helpful to their citizens and to us travelers. It is ...

... by the time the New Year came thankfully!! New Year was brilliant, the city has a massive concert at Cathedral square with fireworks and bagpipes (felt like home!!). It was spectacular and probably one of the best New Years parties i have been to. It was really strange though to think we were 13 hrs into the New year before all of you in the UK!! As we were recovering from our hangover 13 hrs later we got a lovely drunken phonecall ...