Banks Peninsula

The night in Kaiapoi was really quiet and we left before 9am and headed in to Hornby to bank some money. We also did some shopping and then moved on towards Banks Peninsula. We stoppped for lunch at Birdlings Flat - a gravel beach on the seaward side of Lake Ellesmere although it is actually the outlet for Lake Forsyth. We then drove on towards Akaroa. After climbing up and over a moderately steep hill we turned left and followed the coast of Akaroa harbour to Wainui Bay because we had seen a sign for motor camp. When we got there it was an outdoor pusuits type place with no appeal to a couple of geriatric gypsies. We retraced our steps to French Farm Bay and set up for the night on the side of the road. A little later on a Maui van joined us. The Nor West wind became really strong with some gusts shaking the bus. I turned round so that the wind was striking us head on. Soon after that there were no more big gusts. After we rose this morning we drove to Akaroa and had lunch. Akaroa is, as they say, a quaint little town with a distinctly French feel. After lunch we drove to Onuku where there is a lovely little church as part of a marae settlement. We then set out to drive over to one of the Northern bays on the peninsula. This was over the steepest and windiest roads we have been on yet. There were a lot of cyclists on the route practicing for "Le Race" which is on soon. We dropped down into Okains Bay with the transmission locked in 2nd and the engine brake working hard. Owryot still amazes us how easily she handles steep roads. After another steep drop we arrived back in Duvauchelle for a drink at the oldest pub in new Zealand. We are now set up in the motor camp and have done a load of washing. Lorna's foot is less swollen and her right eye looks as though it belongs to a racoon. Mike has been asked to do some coaching at Charteris Bay on Monday and Tuesday so we will be staying at another yacht club for a couple of nights before moving further south.