NZ 2023 Day 11: Akaroa to Christchurch
DAY 11: 4 DEC 2023
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| Flea Bay |
We were up early today as we booked a sea kayaking safari tour in the morning.
We had energy bars for breakfast at our Airbnb before checking out.
The tour company is called Pohatu Penguins and we got the tour at 110 NZD per person.
We arrived early at the tour office and completed our declarations.
We departed about 15 minutes late as a couple couldn't find the office and arrived late.
Our session had six people in total and a guide took care of us during the tour.
We were kayaking around Flea Bay which is on the Southeast side of Banks Pennisula.
A fun fact about Banks Pennisula is that it consists of two overlapping extinct volcanoes.
This explains the steep roads in Akaroa!
We hopped into the company van and our guide skilfully drove us to Flea Bay.
After many steep climbs and some road blocks by sheeps, we arrived at the bay 30 minutes later.
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| Penguin stuck in a stream |
We hung around while our guide prepared the equipment.
That was when we spotted a little penguin in a stream!
The poor penguin was still there in the stream when we came up shore.
Apparently, the penguin was trying to head out to the open sea to fish but got lost.
The volunteers managed to rescue the penguin out of the stream eventually.
Anyway, back to our kayaking tour!
Our guide called us when she was ready and we got some equipment:
Waterproof jacket, spray skirt, life jacket, water booties and camera case
Zhi Sheng and I brought our own water shoes so we didn't use theirs.
Before kayaking, our guide also taught basic paddling techniques, how to secure the spray skirts on the kayak and how to steer the boat using foot paddles.
Thereafter, off we went in our double kayaks!
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| Seals lazing on the rocks |
We kayaked around the Flea Bay in a clockwise direction.
There were so many fur seals at Flea Bay!
We kayaked as close as we could to see them up close.
The ladies took the front seat while the men steered the boat using the foot paddles haha.
Other than fur seals, we also saw the Pohatu penguins!
Some were hiding in little caves while some were in the waters trying to cross the bay.
While kayaking, we encountered this friendly seal who wanted to check us out in close proximity.
So, it started swimming towards our boats and was right in front of us!
Thank goodness the seal just wanted to say hi without climbing up on our boats.
The kayaking around the bay took about 1.5 hours.
We returned all equipment and our guide had to clean them for the next tour group.
So, she said "go and pet the sheeps".
I think I was the first to pet them!
There was a particular sheep that was so friendly and loved the human touch.
This sheep obviously got a lot of attention.
I loved the black faced sheep, so cute!
Shortly after that, we hopped on the van again and headed back to the office.
As we have checked out of our Airbnb, we cleaned up at a nearby public toilet.
This was when I said goodbye to my 9 year old water booties.
If you visit New Zealand and are comfortable kayaking at sea, then I highly recommend you to sign up for a kayaking tour!
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| Fish and chips |
The alpaca farm owner recommended us to have fish and chips in Akaroa.
So, we dined at Akaroa fish and chips and got a set for four pax at 50 NZD.
The set consists of battered elephant fish, hot dogs, chips and 1.5 litres of soft drinks.
This set was very value for money and we were stuffed from lunch.
We casted a final glance at the main wharf as we bid farewell to Akaroa.
It was also then that moment that we parted ways with Zhi Sheng's friends.
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| Governors Bay Jetty |
We were driving to Christchurch and Zhi Sheng took the scenic driving route there.
Amidst the struggle against the food coma, we opted for a brief pause to freshen up at Governors Bay.
We were greeted by a cute Jack Russell on our way to the jetty.
The jetty was so long and we almost walked to the other end.
After visiting the jetty, we continued our drive to Christchurch.
Our accommodation for the night was Colombo in the City.
This motel is 15 minutes walk away from the main shopping streets.
We paid S$130 for one night and it came with free parking.
Parking is expensive in Christchurch CBD and we managed to park at the motel the next day before heading to the airport.
It was close to 4.30pm and we realised that most shops were closing at 5.30pm.
So, we took a walk to the main shopping streets and did some shopping at Kathmandu!
Zhi Sheng got a heli puffer jacket for 99 NZD which is a steal!
We returned the next day as I had to get one for my dad but conveniently got one for myself too (:
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| Bridge of Remembrance |
We explored the CBD and shops for some time before getting dinner at Ramen Ria.
Japanese food can never go wrong.
We dined at Ramen Ria which had very cool, hipster vibes.
We both got a bowl of ramen each.
I got tonkotsu ramen and the taste of the broth was light and not as strong as I wanted it to be.
How could we not have ice cream?
We had a double ice cream scoop at Rollickin Gelato.
The ice cream was not bad but Patagonia Chocolate wins hands down!
And that marks the end of day 11!
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