AKAROA, NEW ZEALAND
(New Zealand Flag)
(Map of New Zealand)
All of the images below are thumbnails and can be clicked on for a larger image.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 14, 2007:
After the gondola I drove about 80 kilometers southeast of Christchurch to Akaroa.
As I came through Hilltop there was a spectacular view of Akaroa Harbour.
I took a Blackcat Cruise from Akaroa. We saw lots of wildlife such as dolphins, seals, penquins and other birds.
In addition to the wildlife the scenery was stunning as well.
6 minute video of my wildlife cruise on Akaroa Harbour in New Zealand. Click on the �YouTube player below to watch the video. | ||
|
Hello Everyone, Today was the day I was supposed to go up in the hot air balloon, but it was canceled because of the thick fog early this morning. The only good thing about that was that I got to go back to bed at 4:00am. The balloons go up at sunrise. The fog lifted off mid morning and I went over to the Christchurch Gondola and rode it to the top of a mountain overlooking Lyttelton Harbour. Weather was pretty good at that point, just a few clouds hanging over the mountain peaks. After the gondola it was time to drive down to Akaroa where I had a boat cruise scheduled for this afternoon. Akaroa is about 90 kilometers from Christchurch. About 10 kilometers into the drive down it clouded over and began to rain again. I was really pissed, but I drove on. Drove another 40 kilometers or so in the gloom and on and off light rain. The already narrow road narrowed to a skinny little path as we headed up a mountain. It was a rather steep climb and this piece of crap car they gave me wasn't handling it too well. As we climbed higher it looked like we were about to disappear into the low hanging clouds. My mood was getting worse at this point. I went over the summit and just started down the other side and it front of me was one of the most beautiful scenes I have ever seen. Rolling green hills full of sheep, the green waters of Akaroa Harbour far below surrounded by mountains and relatively clear skies on this side of the mountain. My mood picked right up. That is the attached picture. Unfortunately the pictures did not come out as good as I would have liked. The hills with sheep look good but the water below and the sky is kind of bleached out.  I spent too long admiring the view and got into Akaroa just a few minutes before my cruise. Akaroa is a small little village full of people and about two parking spaces. I finally found a space but then noticed it had a ten minute parking limit. There was no way that I could find another space and make my cruise so I left it there. The cruise was great. The scenery was beautiful and we saw lots of dolphins, seals, penguins and birds of all kinds. After the cruise, some three hours later, I walked back to the car hoping they just ticketed it and not towed it away. To my surprise it was still there and not even a ticket. I drove back the same way I came and sure enough when I went over the mountain and started down the other side it clouded back up and rained most of the way back. This time I didn't care though. I will write more later, although I don't know what kind of Internet connection I will have the next few nights as I will be staying in small motels in small towns as I cross over and through the Southern Alps. So if I miss a day or two I either didn't have an Internet connection or this car with a one horse power engine didn't make it through the mountains. Tim |
Click above to continue to my next adventure, ARTHUR'S PASS, NEW ZEALAND.
Custom Search
|
| TIM'S HOME PAGE SITE INDEX | ||
|---|---|---|
| Areas | Description | # of Pages |
| About Me | Current Picture of me and my home. Information about myself. | 2 |
| Biography | Pictorial biography of myself. Pictures range from birth to adulthood. | 4 |
| Family File | Pictures of my family and a little information about them. | 11 |
| Local Spotlight | Pictures, Links, and Information for Indianapolis, Richmond, Plainfield, and Mooresville, Indiana. | 6 |
| Tim's Travels | Pictures, videos and travelogs from my travels around the world. | 200+ |
| Vacation Videos | Over 1100 videos from my travels around the world. | 1 |
 |  |  |
 | ||