Monday - I think! Akaroa

WEATHER
Sunny 23 degrees

Not a bad night and up and having breakfast just after 8.00 

We left to walk to the information office to book the Black Cat nature trip, the weather is so calm I can't believe we are so lucky with the weather. 

Booked our tickets for 11.00 so had time to walk around the lovely shops and all NZ made gifts. 

We stopped at a little bar on the front and had a coffee and the most delicious three chocolate muffin.Our trip departed from the main wharf and we had time to check out the blue pearl shop which shows how they get pearls from abalone (pau) and really lovely though very expensive.

They get cruise ships in here as we do in Tauranga but the passengers come in on tenders and the lady in the tourist office told us they once had four ships in which meant 6000 passengers! Wow! I cannot begin to understand what that was like in such a small place. 

She also told us that once, when the weather turned bad. the passengers could not get back on the tenders so the whole town rallied and they managed to accommodate them all in hotels, motels and private houses. The biggest problem being medication - just goes to show the sort of passengers you get on cruises! 

Our harbour tour was magic. The water was so calm it was like a lake rather than the Pacific Ocean. We saw little blue penguins, fur seals and their pups, soooo many Hector's dolphins and their babies and an albatross. We were able to go into the caves on the boat as it was so calm everything was just beautiful . We stopped by a colony of terns and the captain told us to have our cameras ready and as we passed they all took off and flew around as if it was arranged. I have never been on such a relaxing cruise and most of it was spent standing on the bow spotting the wildlife with the sun shinning on us. 

When we got back we stayed on the wharf and ordered a gurnard bbq'd fish sandwich . They took a long time to make but were really worth the wait. It was cooked by an elderly lady outside her tiny fresh fish shop.We went and sat at the end of the wharf to enjoy them. 

We bought an ice cream and ate it on the walk back to the motel along the harbour wall. 

We took our jackets back to the motel and then set off to The Giant's House to see the beautiful gardens. Wow, amazing what this artist has created with bits of pottery and mosaic. It was a long walk up the hill but well worth it. Check out the Giants House Akaroa on the website to see photos. 

We walked back to pick up the car from the motel and drove out to the lighthouse which is now just for display but was the lighthouse on the headland for many years but has been set up on the coast as a monument. 

Back to the motel for a cuppa on the balcony in the sun and a rest. 

We went out to The Little Bistro for dinner and it is recommended to book as they only seat about 26 but we were very lucky and got a table. The food was delicious. We chatted to a couple from Oz who were on their last night after three weeks here and they had loved it. They had come up from Dunedin and told us where they had seen some sea lions right on the beach. The directions were a bit fuzzy but we will try and find them. This is what happens on a trip like this and is why I take photos of all our food and hotels otherwise we would forget. Unfortunately, this lady had the same accent as Julia Gillard, the  Ozzie PM, and it is very harsh on the ears, I feel sorry for her poor husband! 

Back to the motel, coffee a quick read and my blog and off to sleep ready for the next leg. 

We have been so lucky with the weather and have been sandwiched between two wet fronts one brought heavy rain to the north and one to the south. Hopefully we can keep ahead of the one moving down the country until it peters out.