Banks Peninsula

We have been taking our time the past few weeks, working our way slowly down the east coast from Christchurch. Amzingly we were blessed with beautiful weather for most of the time -- sure, there was the occasional rainstorm, freezing night, and blustery day, buy for the first time in a while the good days outnumbered the bad. It must be a sign that summer is nearly upon us. There have been other signs too, like the sudden appearance of cherries at the roadside produce stands and the abundance of roses at the botanical gardens. We are savoring all these new developments as we meander down the coast toward the Catlins.

We were feeling a little homesick as we said goodbye to Brett at the airport, knowing that in just a few hours he would be back in Tucson. It has been eight months since we left and having a friend to visit only made us miss everyone more. Naturally, we decided that a little beach therapy would be just the thing to cheer ourselves up!

Flowers in the forest at Okains' Bay

So, we headed out to the Banks Peninsula east of Christchurch and settled for a few days in Okains' Bay. The campground there is a quite large, set in a pine forest bordered by an estuary and a wide sandy beach. It was odd, feeling like you're camping in Flagstaff with the dry, pine needle covered ground and cool breezes, and at the same time just a few minutes walk from the ocean.


The playground at the camp was extensive and included this great piece, a fast ride along a cable that we enjoyed a lot. I think we played on it more than most of the kids : )

The town of Okains' Bay...small and quiet

After Okains', we continued along the peninsula to Akaroa, a charming seaside town that was originally settled by the French (possibly the only one of its kind in NZ).

The local butcher shop

A great example of the beautiful old churches that can be found in practically every small town.

A gorgeous B&B we spotted on the waterfront. We decided that when we come back to New Zealand when we're fifty, we're staying exclusively at places like this!

We couldn't resist fresh fish and kumara chips, with a lemon-lime and bitters soda, from a little shop overlooking the harbor. Yummm.

Akaroa harbor...where we are told that on a good windy day, the gusts are strong enough to blow a person right off the pier. We were there on a gorgeous, sunny, and still day.

Our tour around Banks Peninsula did just the trick to raise our spirits, and we left feeling refreshed and ready to get back on the road.