The Le Bons Bay Picnic Le Bons Bay is a tiny beach and farming community on the Banks Peninsula. Sleepy is a great way to describe it, apart from New Years Day when suddenly cars arrive from all over the Peninsula, converging on the Domain for the annual Le Bons Bay Picnic. Starting at 1pm in the afternoon, there is time to recover from New Year … [Read more...]
St Lukes Little Akaloa
The Banks Peninsula is made up of dozens of small bays formed by the lava flows from two extinct volcanoes. It is a very distinctive landscape, and is the backyard for many Christchurch residents, and a must visit for visitors to the region. Recently we stayed in Little Akaloa, one of these small bays around the Peninsula and had a simple kiwi Christmas. Nearby is a … [Read more...]
Christchurch to the West Coast
I love the train journey on the Trans Alpine Express - truly one of the great railway trips of the World - I can not recommend it highly enough (see the video at the bottom of this post) This week we are taking the car across for an extended exploration of the South Island of New Zealand's West Coast. We will cross the Canterbury plains, drive into the foothills of the … [Read more...]
Night Sky Wonders – Astro Tourism Is Here and it is HOT
Exploring Lake Tekapo and the Mount John Observatory The Night Sky is HOT. New Zealanders take for granted that we can often see the stars and milky way, not so in most of the world. And apparently people around the world are adding a visit to Lake Tekapo to see the night sky to their bucket list. This small town in south Canterbury has less than 500 permanent … [Read more...]
Banks Peninsula Track
This 35 Km track was one of New Zealand's first private tracks, walked over 2 or 4 days it covers 35 Kms along the coastline of this long extinct volcano near Christchurch in the South Island. Maori arrived on this ancient weathered volcano with fire and adzes, dogs and rats and soon a third of the forest was gone. Early European settlers quickly cleared the rest of the land … [Read more...]
Onuku Farm Hostel – the first night
The Banks Peninsula Track bus picks us all up from outside the Old Post Office, packs are loaded up and we are given an introduction to the tramp before heading off to our first night. On the way we introduce ourselves to the other trampers, and read the booklet about how we are going to spend the next few days. All of us are kiwis, a family of four, a woman and her very fit … [Read more...]
Otanerito Bay and Hinewai – it is our last night on the Banks Peninsula Track
We have arrived for our last night on the Banks Peninsula Track- tonight we are in Otanerito Bay. The walkers have done another relatively short (6km) coastal walk. The latte ladies have been back to Akaroa for, of course, a latte. We have to line up with the hundreds of milling visitors of one of the many cruise ships that visit Akaroa at this time of year. These … [Read more...]
Stony Bay Opatuti – our third night on the Banks Peninsula Track
The walkers have a shorter trip today - 8kms up and down along the coast, past Seal Cove - though every cove has seals on this coast. Arriving at Stony Bay is like we have stepped into a kind of hobbiton - funky small buildings placed in beautiful gardens. There is a pool table with paint pots to catch the balls, two fire baths to relax after the day, a fire pit to gather … [Read more...]
Flea Bay – Pohatu – The Second Night
A 4-6 hour walk from 200m to 699m and back down to sea level is the first day of walking on the Banks Peninsula Track. It is a misty day - so not too hot for walking, but the views are not so expansive over Akaroa harbour, though the cloud lifts enough to see out to the Akaroa Harbour entrance. A lunch shelter at the top of the ridge provides shelter and a gathering point … [Read more...]
Hopping a Ferry from Lyttleton to Diamond Harbour
Hard frost, blue skies, Lyttelton market and a ferry crossing to Diamond Harbour, followed by good coffee and a walk around cliff edges watching birds and boats (and yes fresh fish off the boat as it came in). That was Cynthia’s take on the day on Facebook, and it’s a great summary of yesterdays Christchurch excersion. We had decided on a trip to Diamond Harbour as it is … [Read more...]