Day 5 Akeroa
Hooray!
Woke up without a headache. We had breakfast then set off for Akaroa. We had breakfast
next to a couple who live in Auckland but also have a holding in South
Australia. Nice couple that told us about their garden and 33 metre boat. On
this ship everyone has a story.
We wondered
how long it would take us to get on the tender as we were allocated to group
21, but it was only a 30 min wait as they had several taxiing back and forth.
It was a 15 min journey and we disembarked at the jetty. We had to pass a
safety test that involved us stepping between two markers, to prove that we
were able to disembark safely.
Akaroa is a
little jewel of a place. Ships are using it as the stopover wharf for
Christchurch as Lyttleton was damaged by the earthquake. At first Akaroa looks
petite, but there is a lot more to it than the seafront. It has a distinctly
French feel as everything in this seaside port gleamed. The French were some of
the earliest settlers. All the old buildings were restored sympathetically and
any new additions were sympathetically designed. We walked along the sea front
and then up through the interesting streets. There were some lovely cottages
and the gardens were abundant with flowers.
The museum
was of a very high quality with loads of interesting historical artefacts. The
French cottage was particularly interesting as many walls were stripped back to
their skeletal construction. They were pretty basic structures but they created
the foundations of what was to become a thriving community.
We tried to
get to a vantage point that was signposted from the seafront, but inexplicably
the path ended and footing became dangerous so we returned to the seafront and
then headed off to Murphy’s fish and chip shop for lunch. John ordered elephant
fish and chips for two and was presented with a family pack that could have
served 5 at least. Despite our best efforts, we retired defeated and binned
what we couldn’t eat.
Of course
no holiday lunch can end without an ice cream and with cups in hand we crossed
the township and climbed up the hill towards the lighthouse. There was a great
view of the bay sparkling in sunlight and the QE on the other side of the bay.
The bay was created by the eruption of a volcano and the collapse of the
seaward edge into the ocean. It created a really beautiful landscape with a
calm harbour and green hills climbing up into farmland. The one fault with
Akaroa was the price gouging cost of a coffee. Can you believe they charged us
$5.70 each!
We managed
to return to the ship on the tender in time for the ubiquitous afternoon tea
and scones. Lily declined a scone as the ice cream hadn’t yet settled.
At 5pm
there was some dancing on the entertainment timetable that attracted Lily’s attention,
but we think it involved touching other people, so we settled for watching the
ship depart Akaroa while looking for the famous Hector’s Dolphins. Well, no
dolphins were spotted but the afternoon sun was very enticing and so we draped
ourselves over the lounges and ordered a beer. Almost imperceptibly, the
engines started and the ship prepared to leave the protection of Akaroa bay,
but not before the last tender returned and was deftly hoisted on board.
It was
Friday so here was no argument. Dinner had to be pizza. The kitchen lets
passengers select their own toppings and build their own pizzas. The two we
ordered were very good indeed and the glass of red was an excellent
accompaniment. We then walked down the deck to the Garden Lounge for a proper coffee.
The night was still young so we swung by the Queen’s Lounge where the music was
latin and the dancing was in full swing. I jiggled in my seat but was terrified
that I might be spotted by the staff and potentially coaxed onto the dance
floor. It would have been great to have a go but I don’t think we were up to it
without a bit of practice.
