Akaroa and Christchurch

It was great to head across to Akaroa. The weather was perfect and virtually nobody was on the winding road around the bays. I have always intended to stop at the little hamlets en route to Robinson's Bay, and at last I managed it and was certainly not disappointed. Duvauchelles, named after a French captain, is home to some beautifully colourful boatsheds and awesome scenery.

As the sun went down, the warm final rays lit up the hills of Banks Peninsula. Apart from this flock of cormorants I was totally alone in this breathtakingly beautiful bay.

Akaroa is no longer a seething mass of cruise ship visitors. It is once again the quiet, yet popular little village for Christchurch families to visit,  to enjoy its peace and tranquillity.

Even the local birdlife seemed happy to have the place more or less to themselves.

What a fabulous final picnic with Liz and Brian at Wainui, near Akaroa Heads. It is decades since I last visited this area, but I will certainly be back soon. Here we are in June, winter, and enjoying balmy days, not a breath of wind, and picnic weather! Amazing.
 
And although the first snowfalls fell on the Southern Alps in June, only 90 minutes from Christchurch, we continued to have crisp and sunny days in Christchurch.

Perfect for walks on my beloved beaches of Brighton, where the colours and light were simply stunning.

It was such a joy to walk there and admire the shapes in the sand left by the quickly receeding tides.

For the first time ever I saw a seal there, really close to shore.

And then encountered the largest cat I have ever seen in the dunes!

What lucky people we are to once again be part of a rugby crowd of 15,000 people cheering on our brilliant team, the Crusaders. Who would have thought that this would be possible so soon.

From bays to beaches, to screaming rugby fans and then to the peace and quiet in the heart of Riccarton Bush. Undoubtedly, this is one of my favourite places in the world, in The Grove of majestic Kahikatea trees. Believe it or not, 10 minutes from central Christchurch and my house.

Yet another day at Brighton Beach in early July, crisp, sunny and windy, perfect for this expert kite surfer who we watched for ages as he sped through the huge waves.

Christchurch held a spectacular light show during the month of July, with New Regent Street bathed in gorgeous colours.

,
My first winter in New Zealand for about 14 years and I have loved it.