Friday 27^th December 2002
Pig out on breakfast again, before packing up and loading the car. Some discrepancies on the bill, not completely sorted out - oh well. Stock up at supermarket before heading for Le Bons Bay. Had intended to drive Summit Road all the way but is obviously going to take very long time and is very bendy so drop down and follow southern road to Akaroa. Views of the Alps in the distance with lots of new snow on them. Struck by the colour of the sea in the craters at Lyttleton and Akaroa - very similar blue to that in Hokitika Gorge, but can't be glacial water here. The Banks Peninsula is formed by two or three volcanoes with the craters drowned by the sea. Very distinctive in aerial photographs. Akaroa very busy with tourists, lots of boating activity, sun very hot but good breeze. Stop for refreshments and short walk to lighthouse. Drive to hostel.

Hostel very friendly and welcoming, owned by Garry and Heidi who are not there when we arrive. The hostel is mostly operated by the "wwoofers" - Willing (unpaid) Workers On Organic Farms - notably Steffi and manager Hans (they are both transients). Garry will be cooking evening meal for $10, but we have brought fresh food with us. Unfortunately he will have exclusive use of kitchen from 4 to 7 so we will have to cook after that - not very convenient. Glyn does some washing and then helps Heidi hang out some of hers. We decide to prepare salad and potatoes and then take a drive down to the bay (8km definitely not for walking). The beach is beautiful in a bay enclosed by two headlands and we take off our sandals and wander - find some mussels.

Garry operates boat trips each day to take people to see Hector's dolphins, penguins and seals, for $20 per head in a small boat. This is strongly advocated by Steffi and should be better than one of the larger boat trips. We book for the next day.

After dinner we sit in the lounge and chat with the other guests before turning in. The Charlotte Jane was very comfortable but we were pretty much on our own. The hostel is much less comfortable but has the benefit of other company. Again German seems the most commonly spoken language but we have an Israeli, an American, a Dutch couple, and a German speaking Swiss South African (Hans) - and of course two Japanese who are always very sweet.

Despite earlier hopes Glyn finds is reacting badly to sandfly bites. Pete reads that locals make a repellent from 2 parts baby oil and one part Dettol. Decides to try it out.

Saturday 28^th December 2002
Boat trip is postponed because it is rather windy. Actually we were feeling rather windy too and were about to opt out anyway. Forecast much better for tomorrow. Instead drive up to Summit Road and on to Otepatotu Scenic Reserve where we walk through old totara wood to view point. Very windy on the top with good but hazy views both north and south across peninsula. On the way down we stop and watch a bellbird as it goes through a complete repertoire of songs, bells, whistles - even a cuckoo call.

Return in time for lunch and then veg out for the afternoon. Pete teaches Glyn Speed (card game).

Join in with the communal meal which was excellent both quality and quantity. The menu copied from the blackboard (and it lived up to its billing):

Starters - A gorgeous and tasty seafood chowder made from the freshest local seafood
Main - fillets of grouper pan fried, green lipped mussels served in the shell, with wild buffalo chips, baked kumara with a honey glaze, a selection of summer vegetables (mushrooms, peppers, red onions, courgettes and tomatoes) with a hollandaise sauce, a green garden salad.
Dessert - rhubarb and pear crumble and ice cream

A free breakfast is also included - toast, marg, jam, honey, weetabix, muesli, milk, sugar, coffee and tea.

That's the good news at the hostel. On the downside the kitchen facilities are not adequate if you are cooking your own - which you would if on a very tight budget - as there is only one cooker and one sink and practically no access between 4 and 7. Also, the loos and showers were a bit stretched - two of each. Matress very soft so Glyn sleeps on the floor again! That said, we wouldn't hesitate to recommend Le Bons Bay with its beautiful setting and friendly atmosphere.

Sunday 29^th December 2002

Today we get to do the boat trip. Garry operates this for up to 6 people in his own boat which he takes down to the water with a tractor. You get your feet wet getting in but that's OK. We start by visiting the nesting gulls and seeing the fluffy young. Then on to the fur seals - a Californian informs us that they are the same family but smaller than Sea Lions. Garry takes the boat through a sea arch and then into a cave. Along the way we see several Blue Penguins (eudytpula minor) swimming in the water. Pete is sure these are what he saw when kayaking in Kenepuru Sound. Garry lifts his crayfish pots but no luck. Finally we move away from the shore in search of Hector's Dolphins. These are the smallest (1.4 - 1.8m I think) and rarest (approx 4000) of the sea dolphins. Before long they start to appear and soon there are half a dozen. The first two arrive with a rush leaping completely clear of the water. We spend some time trying to get decent photographs but its very difficult. Then Garry motors forward and they ride the bow wave. Garry points out a Giant Petrel (body nearly as big as an albatross but wingspan smaller). We return after about an hour and a half at sea. All very good. Glad to have done this rather than a commercial trip. In the small boat one is very close to the wildlife.

On our return we move rooms. We had two days in the Blue Room in the house. Room is fine but mattress very soft and we end up putting it on the floor. Then we have two days in a little cabin up behind and out of sight of the house. We are perched up on a hill in a wooden cabin which is just wide enough for our double bed. But the view past our feet out the front door is magnificent. There is no electricity but several candles and rechargeable torch. The nearest loo is some way away in the house so we make use of the bushes at night. Its good for star gazing on the way to bed.
Dinner a la Garry again; menu "Main - Hello Summer, on the BBQ marinated steak, Kiwi sausages, and vegetarian kebabs, with baby potato salad with a fresh mint aioli, kumara salad with a salsy mayonnaise, broccoli and carrot salad with balsamic vinaigrette, a wild wicked and slightly wacky coleslaw salad. Dessert - pavlova, fruit & ice cream" Yummy.
Monday 30^th December 2002
Drive around to a nearby bay - Okains Bay - to see the Maori & Colonial museum. This is very good, with a wide selection of Maori artefacts, including war canoes. But there are also several buildings containing all sorts of old colonial stuff of the kind that reminds us of what our parents and grandparents had. Quite nostalgic. There are also a number of stuffed birds which help with identification.

From there we go on down to the beach. It still doesn't seem warm enough to swim but after Pete spends half and hour building a sandcastle we have warmed up enough and take the plunge. For the first time since leaving home we get into the sea, in this case the South Pacific ocean. After the initial shock it is quite warm.

Return to hostel but go down to Le Bons Bay before dinner to gather some mussels (green-lipped). Tonight we must feed ourselves as Garry is having a rare evening off.

Glyn bakes flapjack and puts recipe in visitor book. Japanese bake banana cake - Pete gets a piece in trade. Recipe for Japanese banana cake:

250g butter
255g sugar
2 eggs
3 bananas
375g SR flour
75ml milk
1 tsp vanilla essence

Mix the butter and sugar. Mash the bananas and mix into the flour. Mix all together with eggs, milk and vanilla essence. Bake at 180°C for 55 minutes.