Ginger Without Borders

For our return to Christchurch, we asked the travel agent to find us a better accommodation than the mid-night arrival place that greeted us to New Zealand. The new nice place is only a block from the Vodafone sales office (that would have saved us a long walk our first day here) and across the street from the gravel parking lot that will become the new city stadium in three years. The attendant at the gas station on the corner said this section of Christchurch was so damaged by the earthquake that it was off limits for all but construction crews for three years as they tore down the damaged buildings and built new ones. There are still a lot of gravel parking lots (all of which used to be buildings) in the area.

Since our hotel was nice, the Raxter Travel Rule would say that we were about to have bad dinners. We had driven 4.5 hours from Dunedin along mostly two lane road (through beautiful rolling hills of farm land) . NZ roads are a time travel back to the 60’s when even US highways went through the middle of every town. Usually, it was just having to slow down to 25 miles a hour, but we came to a complete stop 6 kilometers from Ashburton, so we thought there might be an accident. Turns out, Ashburton (population 35,000) has only one bridge over the Hakatere River that runs through the middle of the town. It was Sunday afternoon, so it took us 20 minutes to go 10 kilometers. I would like to blame it solely on the one bridge, but you can also add three stoplights and a roundabout (which, despite supposedly keeping traffic moving better, did not move traffic any faster than a stoplight on a Sunday afternoon). Oh, and here’s what the gas for the trip from Dunedin cost.

Dawn has a cold, so she went to bed. I spent 15 frustrating minutes trying to figure out where in the arcade (shopping area) a French restraurant was supposed to be. I finally resigned myself to the Raxter Rule and went in the first grill I found, the Jaba Grill. There was only one waitress (it was Sunday, so I was happy just to find a place open). She was busy but she served me one of the best lamb dinners I have had in NZ. Almost as tired the next evening, I just went to the restaurant around the corner, The Monday Room, which had 4.5 stars on google. I choose the warm salad, the salmon, and the Granny Smith apple ice cream with caramel mouse. It was the best dinner start to finish I have had in NZ and the waiter/owner was a joy to talk to about food. So much for the Raxter Rule on our second trip to Christchurch.

And I have gotten sidetracked again. Christchurch was just our base to go out to the Banks Peninsula. Akaroa Harbor is the home of the Hector dolphin, the world’s smallest dolphin. We had not prearranged a dolphin cruise because the weather is not predictable on the Banks Peninsula (based so far on our experience, nowhere in NZ is the weather predictable). There was blue sky with a few clouds when we arose, so we began the 50 mile drive out to Akaroa. It was mostly flat farm land until about 25 miles out. Then the road began that now all too familiar climb into the hills.

We continued around the hills for another 10 minutes, but the center line markers stayed on the road the whole way (unlike our other crooked road adventures became narrower from time to time when the line markers disappeared). We came around a bend to find a cafe set at the crest of the hill. And this was the view from the front garden of the cafe.

After coffee, tea and pastry, we headed down that hill. About the time we drove into Akaroa (top of bay on the top right of this picture), those clouds descended with rain and thunder (the first time we heard thunder in NZ). It poured for about half an hour. We went to the grocers for milk to kill time and decided to head back when the clouds and rain just as suddenly disappeared.

It was too late to book a tour to see dolphins, so we just walked around the harbor.

We figured our why the road to the Banks Peninsula was better than our other crooked road adventures. Since the earthquake, all the cruise ships have been redirected to Akaroa Harbor. The parking spots closest to the docks are now reserved for the cruise ship buses. The buses leave for Christchurch early, which is why we didn’t see any. But we passed a bunch returning to the cruise ship as we made our way back to Christchurch for my great dinner. And just before we left, the town blew its horns (an emergency signal in the US) to alert the cruise ship folks that it was time to return to the ship.

PS., Lena your inheritance bought me a couple of great dinners. Mom is under the weather but still making the effort to go out during the day, so I let her sleep while I get her ice cream. I am safe as long as I find ice cream.