Akaroa

When the first few British settlers were just pitching up their new homes around New Zealand, the French decided they wanted a piece of that fertile new land, and so sent out a navy ship to claim the South Island, which - although a few British settlements existed there - they felt was fair game. Luckily for us, we heard about their plan, and dispatched our navy ship, the Britomart, which arrived on the east coast, at the Banks Peninsula, 5 days before the French. So effectively, the French got nothing, which doesn't really explain why the little village of Akaroa on an inlet of the Banks Peninsula is characteristically French. However, the streets are named the likes of Rue Jolie and Rue Lavaud; there is a gendarmerie and a boucherie in stead of a police station and butcher; and the tricolore flies off several, French colonial-style buildings. Maybe we were just rubbing it in.

Whatever the explanation, I took the bus there for a daytrip today. And it rained.

Miserable weather aside, it was a pretty nice place to spend the day. We arrived around 12 and I thought I was about to die of hunger, so I went and found some pretty incredible fish and chips (I was at the seaside afterall) before exploring all the little craft shops, boutiques and galleries. The bus left at 4pm, and I think that was pretty much the right amount of time, particularly as it was sunny in Christchurch so I was in flip flops and my feet were getting cold.

The coach stopped off at the Barry Bay Cheese Factory on the way back, so we got some free cheese samples which were really very good. I would have made a purchase, had tonight not been my last night. After the cheese stop we had a brief stop at Birdling's Flat, where this shot was taken, which is an area of rugged coast line with rough seas and frequent drownings. Again, not entirely sure of the significance of this stop, but I thought it gave me a nice photo at least...

Back in the hostel now, and I've just discovered I will be returning to Glasgow via Sydney and Bangkok as well as Dubai. It'll take me 43.75 hours. Crumbs. Hopefully I'll manage to get some sleep at some point and won't be too munted from jetlag on my return.

I'm going to miss this place, but I think I'm ready to go home. (I'm getting bored of these clothes.)