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Published: March 3rd 2007
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Akaroa Harbor
sailboats galore Today was hands down the coolest day I’ve had since arriving in New Zealand. I’ll probably say that about every weekend from here on in. 5 of us took a day trip out to Akaroa, which is a small harbor town on the Banks Peninsula, just south of Christchurch. It was the only original French settlement in the country and they cling to those roots still today. The cafes all have very French names and the flag flies in many places, but I think it’s more for show and tourism in the town itself. It was a cute town with adorable cottages with these gardens that were overflowing with color. Aside from the town itself, it sits on a harbor that is a deep blue and is surrounded by beautiful hills on all sides. It is actually in the middle of a volcano that went extinct 6 million years ago. The road we took in actually goes up along the ridge of the crater! Very cool…very nerdy…but very cool. We took an early bus out of Christchurch, it was about an hour and a half there, but it felt like so much less because we were distracted by the landscapes. The
bus returns to Christchurch at 4:30pm so we had a day to spend there. We had looked into a few different activities, but decided to not decide until we actually arrived in the visitors center. When we first got there we went to this really cute café that served amazing looking food. Sadly, I had made a bad choice in getting a muffin at gross old Starbucks before we got on the bus so I was full. But everyone else’s meals looked delish (we even took a pic, check out my album). After that we wandered around on the wharf and around town and made out way to the visitors center. There are many different boat cruises you can do on the water, most involving the dolphins that inhabit the bay, but we saw that there was a farm tour offered at a farm just outside of town. The timing worked out nicely and it sounded cool so we booked it and had some time before our ride came to get fish and chips. The place was really good and even came complete with a stray cat that frequented our table looking for scraps. He was happily appeased. Our ride
nothing but ocean
view from their farm...no land til S.America picked us up that afternoon. The people that gave us the ride to the farm were a nice German couple that had relocated to New Zealand 6 years ago after traveling here and falling in love with it. He was full of cool facts and information on the way to the farm and was also great about letting us take loads of pics on the way there. He also informed us that from the area we were at, there was absolutely no land between there and South America. Nothing like a quarter of the earth between you and the next land mass to make you feel tiny! We arrived at the farm and were greeted by Murray, the owner. There was also a Danish couple joining us so it was a small group and the entire experience was very personal and informal. He spoke to us for about 20 minutes about his life on the farm and his family’s history. He is a 5th generation settler, his great-great-something or other was one of the two original Frenchmen that decided to move there and colonize the land for France. They were 3 days too late to fly their flag and the
I sheared a sheep!
this is now my favorite picture of me, sorry Steve Irwin cutout picture! Brits had beaten them to it, but they moved on and found new land to claim. As the generations went on they stayed on the same area of land and over the years some was sold off, but they maintained a significant amount of land. His grandmother and grandfather finally built a small shack on the land that we were on that is still standing in their garden. They lived there until 1951 working the farm with no electricity. Murray and his wife now run the farm along with the help of their son and his girlfriend. It sounded like a very family-oriented business and it was great that they were so open to share their lifestyle with people like us who were interested in hearing about it. We then got a sheep shearing demonstration and even got to help out! I was SUPER excited! It was like Fort Rickey New Zealand style.We all had our turns with the clippers and then went out to the paddocks to get a herding demonstration from the dogs. We got to see both chasing and barking dogs and it was amazing to see how well trained they were. Once they were in the
new paddock he talked to us for a while on the sheep industry in New Zealand and the changes it’s undergone in the recent past. I also got to help separate the sheared and non-sheared sheep which was really cool. First of all I got to wear his kick ass Steve Irwin style hat. Then, as he chased the sheep down a chute I had to direct the fuzzies to one side and the sheared ones to the other. This was done by deciding quickly who was who and swinging a gate open and closed so that they would go to the right paddock. I showed those sheep who was in charge. After that we saw their garden and then had some tea and these great scones with them in the backyard before leaving for the town to catch our bus home. It was an awesome experience, very personal and not touristy whatsoever. I think they were also happy to see younger people come through and show genuine interest in their operation. I was completely enthralled by the entire thing and have come to the decision that I am going to drop out of college and move here to become
say cheese! and wine!
Kelly, me, Tamara, Erika, and Chris a wool sorter. The day was great enough but we also got a little surprise when the bus home stopped at a cheese factory in town and we got to sample some nice cheeses made there. It was an amazing day and I am so glad we chose the farm tour! It made me think of Fort Rickey…it was the first time I’ve really been around animals since I’ve arrived. I loved it, but am now completely exhausted and in desperate need of a shower and some sleep!
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Mom
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Heap of fun
Loving your posts, pics and great time you are having. Proud of you for going around the world by yourself and having a great time. Enjoying your enthusiasm and exploration. I just keeping thinking your in Geneseo instead of NZ . Love mom