Akaroa

Akaroa (Dec 4. 2016)

Dec 4 (Sun) - Akaroa

         Today we stopped at Akaroa, the oldest town in Canterbury. It was settled by the French in 1840 at the head of Akaroa Harbor.

Entering the Akaroa Harbor

The Akaroa Harbor is too shallow for the cruise ship to come into the dock so we had take a small boat (tender) between the cruise ship and the dock.

Our tender

Akaroa is an attractive small town with a beautiful harbor front. We didn't stay there long since the tour was actually of Christchurch.

French-styled houses in Akaroa

Waiting for the tourbus

We took a tourbus to Christchurch about 45 minutes away. Cruise ships used to go directly to Christchurch, but the harbor was damaged in an earthquake about six years ago and hasn't been repaired. They now go to Akaroa instead.

Harbor between Akaroa and Christchurch

Marshmallow farm

 We had a bus tour through the city of Christchurch. There were many buildings being repaired from an earthquake six years ago. There were other more modern buildings that are new since the earthquake.

Christ Church Cathedral being repaired

A new building

We stopped at the Canterbury Museum, which displays Antarctic relics, a reconstruction of a 19th century Christchurch street, and a Maori cultural section.

Gothic style Canterbury Museum

Tucker "snow cat" used in Antarctica 

19th-century Christchurch street

Window shopping in the 19th century

Paua (mother of pearl) house

Traditional Maori musical instruments

 We then went out to look around the Botanic Gardens, which surrounds the museum. The Botanic Gardens contribute to the reputation of Christchurch as the "garden city".  It had a beautiful rose garden, a rock garden, heather garden, and more. It was created from a woodland in the loop of the Avon River that passes through the city.

Diane by the shores of the Avon

Rock garden

Resting in the garden

 From there we went to Willowbank Wildlife Reserve and had a lunch of finger sandwiches (some of which Paul could eat). Mammals are not native to New Zealand, but there are many types of birds. The kiwi is the best known, but is hard to see because it is nocturnal.

Can't pass up a waterwheel

Old settler's cabin

Kea - world's only alpine parrot

Look carefully and you will see a kiwi in the center of the picture

Part of Willowbank Wildlife Reserve is the Ko Tane Living Maori Village. We saw the "powhiri" the traditional Maori welcoming ceremony, watched some Maori music and dance, then participated in the "poi" dance for women and the "haha" for men. show.

Powiri welcoming ceremony

Maori music and dance

Diane performs the poi dance

Paul is now a true Maori warrior

We had a guide for the first part of our visit to Willowbank, but after the Maori village we had some free time to look at some of the other animals. We saw baby ducks and a joey in a momma wallaby's pouch.

No, this is not the joey

Wallabies are that they might have joeys

We hurried back to the bus and returned to Akaroa. New Zealand is a very green and beautiful country. It also has some types of housing we don't often see in the USA.

Rolling hills of New Zealand

And I thought apartment living was crowded

We stood in a long line to get on the tender back to the ship. We thought of emergency preparation as we saw the aftermath of a big earthquake.

To be continued: