Arriving
This trip to beautiful Akaroa was for just one night and one day. That doesn’t mean you can’t pack a lot in, and still find time to cruise out and relax. Of course though stay longer if you can!
I decided to take up the opportunity through the Influencer program that ChristchurchNZ has developed so we can explore a little more of our own backyard. In the interest of being transparent, many of these opportunities were put on at low or no cost to me. However, I can hand on heart say this blog would read the same regardless.
Heading away sharp on Thursday afternoon I drove out of Christchurch and could feel relaxation setting in as I drove the familiar and picturesque trip to Akaroa. There are so many awesome places to stop but I decided to keep going to give myself a chance for a sunset shot – it’s all about the photographs after all.😊
As I drove past Duvauchelle I was reminded of our last trip here not that long ago and how lovely it was to stay in this beautiful bay.
This trip though I was heading to the centre of Akaroa to stay a night at the Akaroa Village Inn where Kerry and Shane would be my hosts for the night. It was a picture-perfect day and to be greeted so warmly and genuinely was a perfect start. We chatted photography and I got directions for the best views south for a possible Aurora and promise from me to call if I did find one.
I was put in an apartment completely kitted out and with so many lovely touches it was just perfect. I had a simple tea on the balcony looking out over the main wharf and was feeling very content – except that the sunset was calling and I needed to find a good spot.
Sunset
Sunset was a bit tricky as it was a really blue sky with no cloud. A drive around the bays brought me back to thinking of going along the wharf at the Yacht Club to get the sun setting behind the lighthouse… foiled again I forgot the only access seems to be through the building! So instead I hoped down under the jetty, dodging slippery rocks and the incoming tide. It was a bit challenging, but I was happy enough with the outcome.
It was then time to head up the hill. Being still light and having a 4WD I was confident enough to do a little exploring. The light of the setting sun at the top of the hill was stunning and I realised that maybe that is where I should have been for sunset. I stayed out for a while aurora hunting and taking the quickly dropping milky way. I had to admit to being a bit nervous all on my own so didn’t achieve too much – had a great time trying though and it was a beautiful evening.
Sunrise
Friday morning I woke really early and had a quick look out to see what the sunrise might do. There were a few clouds around so it seemed worth trying, who needs to sleep anyway – even if you are super comfortable. I was on the wharf nice and early and could see it was going to be an absolute stunner.
The next hour flew by as I raced all around the wharf trying to get the best composition as the sky was blowing up all around me and the colours were so intense. I could not believe no one else was getting this. Eventually, I was joined by a few others to share my excitement. I had wondered where in the town to get the best sunrise, and there it was right outside my accommodation.
A short walk back up the wharf and I was at the Village Inn to properly have a leisurely restart before checking out for my next adventure. I have no problem highly recommending this accommodation, and there are heaps of accommodation options depending on how many people you have.
Nature Cruise
Next up was heading down to BlackCat for the nature cruise. I decided on the nature cruise rather than swimming with the dolphins this trip. I thought swimming would be an awesome thing to do with someone else not when I was on my own, so I have kept that for another day.
You would have to say the trip got off to a great start when within minutes a dolphin appeared in the harbour playing briefly with us.
Picking the front of the boat seemed like a good idea, I love being up with the wind blowing you about and seeing the whole harbour out in front of you. Even as an, almost local, the thing that blew me away the most on this trip was the scenery. Looking over at Ōnuku marae, or at the bays with their craggy outcrops and the aptly named Elephant Rock, it was ever changing. You just can’t get an appreciation of this on land. Then once you are out through the heads the Southern Alps show themselves in the distance. Add to this an entertaining, very tongue in cheek, commentary from the wheelhouse and you have a great time learning about the whole area.
We got out through the heads and could see a number of dolphin, seals and sea birds but the skipper made a straight line out towards a trawler in the distance. Where there is a trawler there is a high chance of some Molly Hawks (medium sized Albatross) and dolphins. “Hold onto your hats folks” as we headed out. Looking back into the amazing edges of the Akaroa headlands was just so beautiful. Once we arrived we were surrounded. So many dolphins, the Albatross just sitting around watching us and then eventually taking off and landing again when they would show off their huge wings. I couldn’t decide which piece of technology to use to capture it all cameras, phones, GoPro, it was just too crazy.
They are such playful little creatures, it’s easy to get distracted and forget to take photos. However, here are a few more pictures of the wildlife. Hectors Dolphins are a New Zealand native and are quite rare, except in this harbour.
Having such an amazing time with these guys did not leave much time to explore but we did manage to finish the tour around the heads. We saw a few more amazing landscapes and even a yellow-eyed penguin and heaps of fur seals sunning themselves on the rocks. By now it truly was time to just head back in and enjoy the scenery from the other direction. I could have easily got straight back on the next boat and gone out again. Maybe another trip. I will leave this part of the trip with a small gallery of some of the fantastic landscapes.
Arriving back on the wharf I made a straight line for Murphys Seafoods which I had checked out before heading off. Fresh salmon and chips on the wharf after a boat trip, what more could you want. Plenty of the local wildlife was ever hopeful that I would not finish my meal.
Penguins
I had a bit of time to kill before my 5:45 pm trip out to the penguins. Given the early start, I filled in time just cruising around the bays, stopping off where ever I felt like to take in the vibe and views. There are no shortage of options but I did find myself drawn back to Duvauchelle again. The tour wouldn’t get back until around 9 pm, so I picked up a few munchy supplies and headed around to Pohatu Penguins to meet our guide, Joey. Joey is the daughter of the couple that started this conservation project. There is far too much to tell in this short blog, but Joey shared the history of her family and all about the little White-flippered penguins on our way to Flea Bay. We also learnt a lot about the protection and reclamation of native species in this area by the farmers. The views were not half bad either.
Once we arrived at the farm there was sheep feeding for those that wanted it before we were kitted out in our camouflage gear. Then we got to check on the little guys to see if there were eggs or chicks and assess their general health. The stories of how much they protect their nests, especially the ones with ‘seafront’ views are very entertaining. This little guy is actually a little blue penguin, a darker shade of blue than the White-flippered.
We went out to watch the penguins come in, unluckily for us most of them had come up early this day. We did see a few come up and struggle onto the rocks to wait for their friends so they could use safety in numbers to get up to the nests. They are incredibly cute little things. No complaints from any of us though we had learnt so much and seen more than enough. We had the bonus of a Yellow Eyed Penguin wandering up the hill right in front of us. The Yellow-Eyed penguins here are very low in number, only 3 breeding pairs, so that was pretty special. They are in other parts of New Zealand though, namely Otago Peninsula.
