Lyttelton-Akaroa

Friday 04/02/2011

After tying up in the inner harbour in Lyttleton we enjoyed a great nights sleep, and in the morning after speaking with the harbourmaster we had to move Gunner from the floating pontoon and tie up alongside Kuri on a wharf in the fishermans area. Apparently the wharf has been condemned as it was damaged in the big earthquake that hit this area (Christchurch) in September last year but safe for us to tie up there.



Port of Lyttelton

 We took a walk into town and the earthquake damage is very apparent around the town. There are some magnificent old buildings as the port town dates back to 1849. Lyttleton is the main port for Christchurch which is about 20 minutes away via a long tunnel through the Port Hills. The earthquake of course had made headline news around the world but it is not until you see damage first hand that it really brings it home to you. Many houses have lost chimneys, old buildings around the town which housed thriving businesses now sit empty and some are shored up with timber or steel frames. The oldest church in the area, the Anglican St Johns shows signs of cracks around its windows and another church across the road has lost its steeple.

The old Post Office

In spite of the damage the town has a real good feel and people are super friendly and there are posters all round town advertising various events – farmers markets, lots of live music and theatre. Buskers in London Street provide some great music and cafes with excellent food are plentiful.


The old time signal station

We finished the day with drinks on Kuri’s aft deck.

Saturday 05/02/2011
After a slow motor around some of the bays of Lyttleton Harbour we left to motor the 40 mile round Banks Peninsula to Akaroa Harbour on the southern side of the peninsula.



Purau Bay, Lyttelton Harbour



Banks Peninsula extends eastward some 40km out from the coast and deep bays cut inland right around its circumference.
It has been a day of dramatic scenery with sheer cliff faces looming majestically out of the low clouds which shrouded the peninsula.

The day started out with drizzle and low oppressive cloud but by the time we reached Akaroa the sun was out in full force and it was a stunning sparkly sea day. Around the coast there were areas where gigantic rocks lay at the bottom of cliffs, maybe slips as a result of the earthquakes? Steep sided valleys finished at sheer cliff faces some with a stream dropping down into the sea.

Hectors dolphins followed us all day, playing in our bow wave, sometimes leaping out of the water and sometimes darting off in another direction before circling round and once again riding the bow wave. These small dolphins are light grey in colour with a rounded top fin and a white underside which they would show as they rolled over on their sides in the waves. They are only found in New Zealand waters and generally only round the South Island.

Still trying to get the perfect photo but its not easy with moving targets and moving boat...

We also saw seals, blue penguins, and shags flying in long formations.
Entering Akaroa harbour which is about 15km from north to south there are huge cliff faces on each side which rise straight up from the sea and in other parts there are enormous caves cut into the rock. The low cloud is clearing and the sun coming out as we proceed towards the township of Akaroa which is about two thirds of the way up the harbour. This area was settled by French settlers in the 1840’s and the French influence can be seen in the French street signs and some of the architecture. It is a lovely village but in my opinion has become somewhat tourist orientated and not nearly as nice as Lyttleton.

We tied up at the town wharf while Trevor from Kuri went off in search of a bloke he knew that was in charge of moorings in the area. We picked up a mooring and then went ashore for a fish and chip dinner.

Sunday 06/02/2011

Went ashore around midday for a walk around town. The first thing that hit us in the morning was the heat of the wind. It was intense and the day just kept getting hotter. The weather reports had 40 deg in Timaru, a little south of here, and I imagine that temperatures here were probably close to that. After a traverse of the shops from one end of town to the other searching for the perfect ice cream we decided there is an opening in Akaroa for a good ice cream shop. We did however manage to get a reasonably decent cone which we ate sitting outside a shop in the main street watching the people passing by.Had to be really quick eating though as the hot wind  was melting the ice cream as fast as we could eat.

We then retired to the boat too hot to do anything useful. The northerly wind picked up and started to blow up to 40 knots in the late afternoon and evening and then changed to a cooler southerly during the night.

Monday 07/02/2011

We are now waiting for the southerly to ease before taking off for the next hop down the coast to Port Chalmers and Dunedin. Today is a total contrast to yesterdays heat – the southerly change brings rain and cool weather so today we are rugged up inside the boat.  Pete is watching a movie while I am typing this up. Will need an early night tonight as we plan to up anchor and depart for Port Chalmers at 4am hoping to get there before another Southerly front arrives. Port Chalmers is about 25 hours away..