We dropped anchor in the harbour of Akaroa, the sea port for Christchurch and "Canterbury's Premier Seaside Resort". Except today it was cold, windy and occasional misty rain.
This was our first experience of using "tenders". This refers to using the larger lifeboats to transfer passengers from the ship to shore.
Akaroa is a small, quaint town originally settled by the French in 1838, then the English. The two settlements eventually merged, but the original street names remain; French on one side of the town, English on the other side. Some signs in the town also have a curious mixture of French and English
We walked through the town and a little way along the bayside, and visited the Museum, Powerhouse Gallery and local markets.
Just a little out of town, up a very steep hill, we found the L'Aube Hill French Cemetery, situated in a beautiful spot with a great view of the town and harbour.
Even for January the weather was cool and overcast, however that didn't stop some children from playing in the water.
We took a small cruise out to the heads to see dolphins, penguins and seals - which we did even if very briefly. Akaroa Harbour is home to the smallest and rarest dolphins in the world, the Hector's dolphin. The scenery is pretty spectacular as the harbour is actually formed from the remnants of a volcanic crater.
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| The small cruise boat |
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| Our cheerful captain |
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| Bird rookeries in the cliffs |
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| Beautiful scenery |
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| The most southerly stand of palm trees |
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| Birds and goats |
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| Seal mother with pups |
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| Hector's dolphins |
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| Penguins |
Finally, it was time to leave the charming little town of Akaroa, however Frances had to enjoy a Monteith's beer before we left.
We walked through the town and a little way along the bayside, and visited the Museum, Powerhouse Gallery and local markets.
