June 10, 2017 - Akaroa

We have booked a dolphin cruise which departs at 10:15;  we have to check in by 9:45.  However, there’s a chance the winds may be too high, so we have to call in the morning.  It’s a long drive and we will have to call from the road if we want to get there in time, so we’re up at 6:00 and leave by 7:30.  While getting ready Marilyn meets John, who watches over the place and Richard who is a girl cat!

We head out, figuring that even if the cruise doesn’t go, we can find plenty to do in Akaroa.  We’ve been told to stop for breakfast, or at least a cup of coffee, at the Little River Café, and being obedient, we do so!  It’s a really cool little store/bakery/coffee shop/café!  We can’t decide between two of the breakfast choices, so we get them both and split them!  One is a nut and seed bread with mashed avocado, smoked mushrooms, poached eggs and dukka, a mix of coarsely ground nuts and spices.  The other is two feta and pumpkin croquettes with streaky bacon, mesculin (a salad mix of assorted small, young salad green leave), and red- onion jam!  Either one would have been enough food!  But they were both delicious and we decided to call them both breakfast and lunch – and possibly dinner!  And we had wonderful hot chocolate.  Oh yes, did I mention it’s winter!!  Today’s high was about 45 and there’s a nice little wind blowing!

Marilyn calls Akaroa Dolphin Cruise and learns that they’ve put departure back to 12:15;  but it still might not happen.  That’s okay, we have lots of time to eat and there are a couple of shops, one of which is also the I-Site or tourist information.  We gather up lots of maps and flyers and spend a bit of money before setting out once more.

We arrive at Akaroa and learn that, in fact, the waves in the harbor would make for a miserable trip.  But there are lots of quaint shops and a French bakery, so the day is well spent.  This was originally a French settlement and all the street names are in French, as are many of the shops’.  One lady offers samples of fudge and we go home with dark chocolate, coconut custard and lime vanilla!  And, of course, there are triple chocolate muffins from the bakery!  When we’re in the bakery we run into one of the shop keepers with whom we’ve already spent some time and money.  It really is a tiny little town!

Marilyn sends envelopes full of goodies home to her grandkids, which involves find goodies to send, finding envelopes, finding a postal service, which turns out to be the I-Site which we’ve already visited, and asking them to mail said envelopes.

There is a summit road which is supposed to afford glorious views of the harbor from on high, so we take that back instead of the road on which we came in.  It is much longer, far “twistier” and has almost no pull-offs from which to see those glorious views!  But there are a few and we’re happy to have them!

We come back past the Little River Café and realize that our earlier culinary debauchery has worn off!  We stop again but we’ve learned our lesson and split a feta and spinach tart and a side of spiced cauliflower with chick peas and a mango chutney!  

The same young man from The Netherlands is still working and he takes our order and brings it to the table.  I realize that if I’m going to stay up and write tonight, I’m going to need coffee!  When I order it, he teaches me the origin of the term, Americano coffee.  He says it comes from WWII, when the American soldiers in Italy found the Italian coffee too strong and had to add water to it!  Who knew??

I couldn't resist the Kiwi version of integration!

With our tummies happy we drive the last hour back to Christchurch and happily unlock our door.  It feels like midnight, it’s dark outside, and it’s not even seven o’clock.  Marilyn works a bit on her photos and crashes.  I didn’t have to drive the road of terror, so I’m able to stay awake longer and get caught up on the blog.  Tomorrow we are leaving here and heading south which sounds warmer but isn’t.  We’re south of the equator and all our instincts are wrong.  South is colder, everyone drives on the wrong side of the road, and I think I just experienced a tiny little earthquake!  Can’t wait for morning to see if anyone else felt it!!