Our last day out was to Okains Bay on the Banks Peninsula, mainly to see a museum recommended to us.
We started out towards Akaroa, drove the 7km twisty uphill...and the 7km twisty downhill..and headed left and uphill again.
The museum is 11km from the main road, up more twisty fairly steep roads to a crossroads with Summit Road....the name says it all!!..at about 500+ metres above sea level..at a saddle between higher summits...then down a very steep and twisty road to Okains Valley..you can see where the road starts from, right dead centre in the picture
There is a campground behind the dunes, with impeccable public toilets...Britain certainly could learn a few lessons here....clean, tidy, accessible...
Then a walk on the beach
A beautiful beach with practically no litter...a fair number of shells...but only bivalves....and a dead seal!
I couldn't get near enough to the black birds with red beaks and legs.....
And then we went round the museum.....
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11 comments:
and now you are home with lots of lovely memories. Hope the flight was good.
I suspect those birds are oystercatchers. I have enjoyed your adventure in New Zealand.
That certainly was a winding and twisting road!
Lovely to see Okains Bay, and it was really nice that the weather was good and you were able to enjoy sand, sea and sunshine before your long trip back to Scotland. I'm assuming from the fact that you have posted this that you are now safely back home and are busy recovering from many hours of sitting on an aeroplane and in airports! All the Best from us to you both :-)
Nothing like a good long walk on the beach.
Did you know one of the early Mayors of Akaroa was a convict first to Australia then to Norfolk Island, he was first the police chief then became Mayor.
He was sent from England with a brother and uncle all convicted for minor offenses, the uncle died on Norfolk Island, later the brothers became successful farmers around Canterbury.
Thanks you for all the wonderful tours, with photos!
A lot of interesting flotsam and jetsam. Is that a Red Admiral butterfly? Sure looks like one.
Re. the public toilets, I'm guessing they get a lot less traffic than the ones in the much more densely populated UK?
I was surprised to see that bug. He put me in mind of a lantern fly. I had to google him. New Zealand Red Admiral.
Thanks. I needed a walk on the beach! It is snowing here.
Steve yes, the NZ variety. Toilets are spotless, open all hours and free, be they rural or city, in NZ.
Wow, that looks like a wonderful trip. I used to want to go to NZ but I think we've left it too late. I'm happy just to see the photos (happier than I was to see lots of Caribbean beaches...).
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