Swimming with the fishes, although they are actually mammals.

Happy Christmas to everyone!

On Christmas morning we went to the ‘Transitional Cathedral’, also known as the cardboard cathedral in Christchurch.  We accidentally went to the old one first – the earthquake damage is extensive.  The temporary replacement is not actually made from cardboard, but it was decorated with toilet roll tubes.

James on our walk

The day was blazing hot, which felt weird for Christmas.  Everyone who spoke in the service was a woman (including the bishop), but all of the choir were men.

We drove from there to the Banks Peninsula – if you look on a map, it looks like a wart sticking out of Christchurch.  We ended up at a campsite called French Farm.  Actually, campsite stretches it a bit – it was a picnic table and a toilet block.

Not the hill, but similar!

We attempted to go cycling in the afternoon, but accidentally broke James on an enormous hill.  We did manage to go for a little walk in the rain when his heart rate had returned to human levels.  Oh yes, it was no longer blazingly hot.

Dolphin

Yesterday we went swimming with dolphins from Akaroa.  They are really cute, small, rare Hector’s dolphins, and we had to go out into the raging tempestuous ocean to find them.  We were really blessed because we were the first in 6 boats that day to see any, and James fed them his lunch.  Let’s say he gained his sea legs, but not his sea stomach.

Chicken

From there we drove to Okains Bay along the summit road.  When the clouds broke it was pretty spectacular.  Okains Bay was beautiful, but wet and cold, so we left there today for Dunedin.  We stopped for lunch by Lake Forsyth, where for some reason there were chickens running around as well as ducks.  We’re currently camped up in Moeraki, and hope to see the famous Moeraki Boulders tomorrow.

Word of the day: hedgehog

Akaroa

Okains Bay

Moeraki Bay