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Our bags, taken from the airport the day before, were waiting for us next to two more large orange bags full of gear that had been selected for us by the CDC staff based on measurements sent earlier. The list is too extensive to recreate here, but included many pairs of gloves and socks, multiple jackets and pants and a variety of other random hats, goggles and such. I spent a good portion of an hour, being amongst the slowest, exchanging gear of one size or another, asking newbie questions, and generally annoying all and sundry before I finally decided I had enough warm gear for a place I'd never been and conditions I'd never experienced. Then it was out the door to the Center Cafe, where I managed to obtain a decent mocha and various others cuddled up to the penguin mascot.
Finally we were out the door and engaged in a debate as to the best course for our day's vacation in New Zealand. With Dan at the helm, we headed south to the Banks Peninsula and Akaroa; a large volcanic peninsula southeast of Christchurch known for scenic small bays and quaint little towns. After an hour or so of winding through fields and up the valleys, we reached the Hilltop Tavern. This seemed like the perfect place for lunch, it having been at least half an hour since any of us had eaten, and we settled in for a unhealthy repast of pumpkin soup, fish and chips and other seasonal specialties, accompanied by a supply of malt beverages and fine local cider. The view from their back garden was spectacular, a panorama across Akaroa Harbor, sheep nibbling the grass in the foreground. The weather has been cold enough that even the nearby hills held a few small patches of shaded snow.
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| Craig getting friendly with a local. | No comment... |
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Opah! |
Properly fueled and bloated, we piled back into the van for another winding tour down into Okane's bay. This one-street town in a small, deeply carved gorge held an amazingly complete museum of local history, dating back through almost two centuries of European establishment and several more centuries of Maori history; Greenstone adzes, Moa bones, Maori hunting and fighting implements on one side versus cannons, tobacco tins, printing presses and anti-aircraft guns on the other. After a few hours there, we wandered off around the coast on a small trail, checking out the local flora and fauna.
As wind and rain came crawling over the hillside, we headed over to
Akaroa to refill our rented minivan, then headed back to Christchurch
for dinner and an early night's sleep before the next morning's
plane. Dinner was a nice and loud Indian restaurant, after which we
headed back to our comfy Croydon House for another night of snoring
and an early wake-up call.