NZ 2023 Day 10: Arthur's Pass to Akaroa

  DAY 10: 3 DEC 2023

Cave Stream Scenic Reserve

It was still raining when we got up this morning.

We were driving to Akaroa today and we had two places to visit before meeting up with Zhi Sheng's friends.

As we drove on the SH73 highway, the sun rays began to peek through the clouds and massive rainbows started to form!

Drive along the SH73 highway

It finally stopped raining and the bright blue skies appeared once again.

We marveled at the stunning mountains unfolding before us as we drove.

Finally, we arrived at our first stop of the day.

The cave stream scenic reserve had a short loop walk and a trail down to a 594m long cave.

The loop walk alone had stunning views of the mountains and valleys.

Although the cave was the main attraction there, we chose not to head down to visit it.

Thanks to my poor physical fitness towards the end of the trip haha.

Castle Hill

After the loop walk, we drove to our next attraction.

Castle Hill is the filming location for Chronicles of the Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

From afar, we could spot the array of limestone boulders.

These gigantic boulders loom high above us.

The walk is pretty easy with some steep slopes and flights of stairs.

Castle Hill is unique in its own ways and I highly recommend a stop here!

Sherlin Alpaca Stud

When in New Zealand, you must visit an animal farm.

Zhi Sheng and I wanted to visit an alpaca farm and shortlisted two farms:

Sherlin Alpaca Stud and Shamarra Alpacas

oth farms had good reviews but we eventually settled for Sherlin Alpaca Stud as the tour costs 25 NZD per person and is half the price of Shamarra Alpacas tour.

We met up Zhi Sheng's friends at the alpaca stud and the owner greeted us at the entrance.

We were the only ones at the farm and the tour commenced immediately.

I was a little confused because I knew we had to pay for the tour.

But we just went with the flow and enjoyed the tour first.

The owner gave us a tray filled with hay to feed the alpacas.

The alpacas were so cute!

The extroverted or greedy ones willingly ate from our trays or palms.

The introverted ones were afraid of us and moved away from us as we approached them. 

After feeding our first group of alpacas, we headed over to the next group.

Baby black alpaca

We were lucky to see a baby alpaca!

The alpaca was 7 days old and the owner allowed us to carry the baby in our arms.

Super awesome!

We also got to see a grey alpaca!

The owner shared about how difficult it is to breed a grey alpaca which makes them rare amongst the others.

As it was shearing season, some alpacas were sheared and they look strange without their fur coat.

The tour was informative and we enjoyed spending time with the alpacas.

We paid for the tour when it ended and off we went, to our lunch place!

We had lunch at The Pedal Pusher in Rolleston.

Zhi Sheng ordered burger with chips while I ordered poached eggs on toast.

The four of us got nachos to share too!

After lunch, we drove to Countdown to get our dinner groceries before heading to Barry's Bay Cheese Shop.

At the shop, we sampled four cheese varieties, and one, in particular, caught our attention with its unique flavour.

So, we bought a wedge back to share.

After cheese shopping, we checked into our lovely Airbnb at Robinsons Bay.

 For four pax, we paid S$250 for one night.

The apartment is gorgeous and huge.

It features two bedrooms, one of which has an ensuite bathroom.

We had clear views of Robinsons Bay from the living room.

The best accommodation in this trip!

Akaroa main wharf

After checking in, we explored Akaroa town.

Unfortunately, the Akaroa lighthouse underwent maintenance during our visit.

Something that caught our attention was the ice blue colour of the waters!

Akaroa is famous for its French influence which can be seen in the architecture around town.

This small town also has a library and a cinema!

Private beach next to our airbnb

After exploring the town, we headed back to our airbnb to explore the private beach mentioned by the airbnb host.

It was a short walk to the beach from our apartment.

Enjoying tea with a view

We started to prepare dinner once we arrived back at the apartment.

Home-cooked dinner

Ribeye steaks

For our mains, we seared two steak fillets and an elephant fish fillet.

It took some time to cook the fish as we didn't realise that the fish was undercooked when we first removed it from the pan.

So, we baked it in the oven together with our potatoes.

Portobello mushrooms topped with brie cheese

The supermarket was selling a pack of 5 portobello mushrooms for a low price and we had to get it.

The portobello mushrooms topped with brie cheese was so good.

Juicy and flavourful!

Caesar salad with avocado and cherry tomatoes

We also prepared salad to pair with our mains.

To my surprise, Zhi Sheng ate the salad which was full of raw veggies and avocado haha.

The dinner was sumptuous and we were super stuffed!

As we had a morning activity the next day, we quickly washed up and rested for the night.

And that marks the end of day 10!

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Click here for our Day 11 adventures

or retrace our steps here for our Day 9 adventures!

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