Hello from Christchurch

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November 3rd 2006

Published: November 5th 2006

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Kirsty and Rob

Split Apple Rock

This is a famous boulder just on the outskirts of Abel Tasman national park. Our water taxi took us over for a look before dropping us off

Hi again everyone! Hope you are all well and enjoyed Halloween. It wasn't really a big deal here so I'm glad my wee nephew went for it and dressed as a pumpkin for the day at nursery......my father would call it child abuse!

Anyway, since our last entry the weather has improved greatly and we are finally enjoying sunny spring days. We finished our time in Nelson with a gorgeous coastal walk in Abel Tasman national park. The beach we started at was so remote that we had to be dropped off by water taxi. The tidal levels change dramatically in the area, areas that you can walk across at low tide are covered with 4.5 metres of water 6 hours later (that's about 14 feet for you Americans). We were there at high tide so this added about 2 hours on to our treck around Torrent Bay. Not to worry, the scenery was stunning and we made it back to our starting point in a leisurely 6 hours.

After Nelson, we headed to a gorgeous place called Hopewell in the Marlborough Sounds. Hopewell is almost like a luxury retreat at the end of a 12 kilometer gravel road

Our Water Taxi

Our friendly driver backed the boat right up to the beach to drop us off

(that's 8 miles for you brits). Our trusty Honda handled well and we spent 3 days relaxing on the banks of the Kenepuru sound. We couldn't believe they charge hostel prices, we had our own wee cabin, and spent the days kayaking, relaxing and even went out into the sound to pick fresh green lipped mussels from the local mussel farm owned by our host Mike. These would cost a fortune in a restaurant at home and they were absolutely delicious!!

Reluctantly we left Hopewell and headed down the east coast towards Christchurch. We stopped for a night in a wee coastal town called Kaikoura, which is famous for its dusky dolphins which come right up into the harbour, and it's colony of seals which hang out on the rocks happy to be photographed. The scenery on the drive south was outstanding. It was strange to see the huge snow capped peaks of the Kaikoura range juxtaposed with beaches and palm trees! We'll add photos of this area later.

Christchurch is a beautiful city. Like a small town with an intimate ambiance, but with all the amenities and culture and bustle of a city. It was built by

Abel Tasman national park

A view from our coastal walk in the Abel Tasman. (The pictures don't do it justice)

Englishmen so has a real british feel to it. It's really nice just to wander around, and the river Avon snakes right through the centre. We have been checking out the Botanical gardens, Cathedral Square, and the nearby beaches. Yesterday we took a drive out to the Banks Peninsula to a wee French town called Akaroa. It's a cute little harbourside town with a French influence in its buildings and street names. The Banks Peninsula provides some relief from the city and the flat Canterbury plains with its volcanic hills and deep harbours. We soaked up the sun with a beer or two in a street cafe.

Our next port of call will be further south in Dunedin, which is apparently very Scottish, but I think I'll be the judge of that! The Cadbury's factory is there, so we'll be there until we can't eat any more chocolate.

Additional photos below

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