Akaroa

My Apologies for the lack of interest I've shown in the blog over the last fortnight. I have been busy at work and last weekend I was out of town in the wonderfully varied landscape that is Banks Peninsula (eastwards of Christchurch). I stayed at my boss' (Brent) Bach there and enjoyed some stunning weather and stunning scenery. Arriving there on Sunday evening and being treated to a tremendous cajun-grilled monkfish meal, before sleeping for the first time in a bed for ages, really helped to get me off to a great start with Akaroa and Banks Peninsula.

Interestingly - and I digress - upon arrival in NZ, Captain Cook charted Banks Peninsula as an Island and Stewart Island as a peninsula (despite a divisive 30km wide stretch of salty water). Perhaps he was blind or just plain lazy?

Anyway, by Monday morning I had ventured up the picturesque Takamatua Valley (where the Bach is - 3km north of Akaroa) on a 90 minute fell-run to arrive back at 10:30am with the temperature already at a rather warm 36 deg celcius in the shade! By 2pm the temp was up around 42 deg C and I had to postpone a planned cycle into the hills to partake in some ice-cream eating. In the meantime I took this picture of Akaroa looking from the jetty where the sight-seeing boats depart.

After an ace two-scoop cone of choc chip orange and cookies and cream, I did manage to get up into the hills and on to the Summit Road which essentially skirts atop the vast steeply-sided (and very deep) basin that makes up Akaroa Harbour. It was a long and twisting climb and it felt great compared to the flat terrain of my daily commute to work; it was fantastic to be in amongst the scenery and in such appealing conditions!

The view of the harbour (pic' below) greeted me at the top and made me think, 'yup I could live here quite happily'. Perhaps the heat was getting to my head, because no one place in NZ (despite the wonders I have thus far seen) has captured my attention so readily. I was inspired, on a rocky bluff overlooking this vista, to capture the place with one of my rudimentary pencil sketchings and was quite pleased with the result despite not finishing it. The weather was changing rather rapidly as vast swathes of dark clouds began rolling in on an increasing SE'ly wind so I had to head back to base quick.

And so I did! Driven by the drama of the changing weather, on the descent from the Summit Rd I attained the fastest speed on a bicycle I have ever been - a crackling 84kmph (1kph faster than my sweet-as carbon racing bike back home). That's over 52mph and man did it make me feel alive! Though ironically at one point I could have been easily killed when I mis-judged a tightening right-hand corner! We left Akaroa on Tuesday morning under a veil of low cloud that left me contemplating my return to this enchanting place...

Since arriving back in Christchurch my time has been taken up by yet more work (which I'm still enjoying by the way!) and by a certain someone special that will, without doubt, make my returning home all the more difficult than it already is, given the wonderfully inspiring things that New Zealand has opened my eyes to.