Banks Peninsula

Relaxing
with Dolphins

Just south of the big city of Christchurch is a rural little getaway, beautiful Banks Peninsula. The peninsula was formed by the eruptions of 3 separate volcanoes millions of years ago. It has steep hills with large bays the spread out in an array from the center of the peninsula. The entire area is lush and green with lots of grassland and plenty of sheep to keep it well mowed.

Near the center of the peninsula along the shore of the largest bay in the quaint little town of Akaroa [ABOVE: Me overlooking Akaroa]. I spent a numerous hours there just relaxing in a hammock and relishing the wonderful views. I took a small bike ride out along the road that traversed the edge of the bay, and saw only a handful of cars. The whole area is just quiet and tranquil, a perfect place to unwind.

Around midday the second day I caught a ride over the hill to the East and down into the smaller Le Bons bay. There I stayed at a rural hostel with lots of charm, and no neighbors to speak of (save the sheep of course). Le Bons Bay Backpackers was wonderful. It was a single long house with a family living in one end and a hostel in the other end. Garry and his wife Heidi ran the place like a cozy vacation home.

Each evening there was a superb gourmet dinner, which was hand cooked by Garry himself. The first night we had delicious Groper fish with muscles, and the second an amazing chicken dish [RIGHT: Our second meal with the entire hostel gathered at one table]. Both meals were complemented with numerous side dishes ranging from delectable pumpkin salad, to broccoli in cheese sauce, to artichokes with dipping sauce. Both meals were a genuine treat after eating out of grocery store delis for the past several week.

Garry also ran morning boat trips out into Le Bons bay to see the abundant marine wildlife. It started out raining the morning I decided to go, but cleared off just as we got out on the water and became a beautiful day. We cruised up the shore of the bay and saw a seal and a pair of yellow headed penguins who were grooming each other. A behavior which Garry had never scene before. At the end of the bay we arc out around the opening through deeper water, and after a little while we happened across a small white headed penguin and then a big school of 8 to 12 Hector dolphins.

The Hector dolphins are one the the smallest and rarest species of dolphin in the world [BOTTOM: A Hector dolphin that was swimming in front of the boat]. They had a contrasting dark head and fins with a light colored body. The group of them raced back and forth and played around and below the boat for almost half an hour. It was amazing how fast and agile the little dolphins were. They are such skilled swimmers and have such fun too. I think it would be cool to be a dolphin for a day.

On the way back to the bay we checked out a large lava tube that opened up into the shoreline. Garry eased the boat right into it. A tricky maneuver considering the tight quarters and large waves, but he did it masterfully. Overall it was an excellent boat tour of the bay, and the best part was that we had the entire bay to ourselves to peacefully observe the diverse fauna in the bay.

My time on the peninsula was a perfect recharging break from full out traveling. I enjoyed it throughly, but I needed to move on once again. So after the boat tour I got a ride back to Akaroa and then hitchhiked back into Christchurch.

As always,
-Russ

[Pictures from
BANKS PENINSULA]