Day 26 - Lake Tekapo, and Drive to Akaroa, Banks Peninsula, South Island, NZ

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Saturday 14th December, 2013. Lake Tekapo, and Drive to Akaroa, Banks Peninsula, South Island, NZ

As mentioned in yesterday's blog, Lake Tekapo is a place of exceptional beauty and clarity. The remarkable blue colour of the lake is caused by 'rock flour' i.e finely ground particles of rock brought down by the glaciers at the head of the lake and held in suspension in the melt water. Like Lake Pukaki, the lake is a popular location for fishing, boating, kayaking, swimming and hang-gliding.

After breakfast, we loaded up the car and drove down to the lakeside. First we went to the Church of the Good Shepherd which is located on the lake front. The foundation stone of this stone and oak church was laid in 1935 by the Duke of Gloucester. the front window of the church creates a perfect frame for a view of the lake. The light inside was not good for photos so we took some outside.

We continued along the lake front for a few metres until we came to a bronze statue of a sheep dog (D thought it was a cow!). This was erected in 1968 as a tribute to the important role played by the dogs in the establishment and continuation of high country farming. We strolled on in the sunshine enjoying the scenery for about 15 minutes. Then we returned to the car and set off for Akaroa which is on the Banks Peninsula.

The drive was pretty uneventful until we arrived Ashburton which was the last town of any size before we arrived at the Banks Peninsula. We had a Mc Donalds and did a shop at the New World for 3 days supplies. We continued on until we reached a town called Little River which is the gateway to the Banks Peninsula. There was a tourist information office here based in an old railway station (the railways has long since been decommissioned). We picked up some leaflets on Akaroa, and took a few photos.

The Banks Peninsula was formed by the eruptions of the Lyttelton and Akaroa volcanoes. Banks Peninsula was, until some 25,000 years ago, an island. Reminders of this dramatic geological past are everywhere on the peninsula, including rocky volcanic outcrops, craggy headlands, deep valleys and precipitous bluffs. We followed the main road along the peninsula which afforded us some fantastic views of the rugged inletted coast. The weather was gorgeous which always helps.

We arrived in Akaroa which is the oldest town in Canterbury, founded by a small band of French settlers in 1840. The town has many French influences including our BBH which was called La Chez la Mer. It was a beautiful colonial wooden building in lilac and pink with shutters on the windows and a courtyard garden. Our room was very plush with ensuite facilities. We unloaded the car and then had a pint in the pub next door. It was still a lovely evening so we strolled down to the harbour and walked along the volcanic rocks on the beach. We came to the wharf and left the beach for a few moments before encountering the main beach which had powdery sand and a swimming platform. As it was such a nice day there were plenty of swimmers. We found a nice bar called The Harbour which is the only one located on the beach and had a drink and enjoyed the fantastic views of the harbour. Then we went back to the hostel where we met a Dutch couple with whom we spent most of the evening. They were extremely good company. We had pasta for dinner. We both like this place so are glad we are here for another night. In fact we like it so much we tried to book a third night but it is full. However, Sarah the warden has found us somewhere in Okains Bay which she highly recommends. Now we have another night on the Banks Peninsula we have booked a Nature Tour on the Fox II ketch boat which is owned by the same American couple that own the hostel - that means a discount on the trip too. This will be on Monday. We have tomorrow to explore Akaroa.

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