Akaroa was one of my favorite places on the South Island. It's a little french town, with Rues instead of Streets, population 500. To get there, you drop down in from over these mini mountains, aka gigantic hills, and from the top you have a really cool view of the harbor. Also, Hector Dolphins, a rare, small (1.5 meters) dolphin, cruise around here. Oh, and so do Fur Seals, which is why this place exists in the first place. There is also a small cheese factory here, which we bought a sampler of deliciousness, and later found out from our glacier guide (who had also been a cheese maker prior to glacial guiding), that the cheese from Akaroa is some of the NZ's best.

AKAROA


Over the hills and through the woods to Akaroa we go.


Main Pier. We took a boat around the harbor, but not this boat.


Archie thinking deep thoughts.


Hector Dolphins doing their thing.


The colors here were really beautiful, despite the overcast sky.


There is a little penguin hiding in the hole. Can you see him, because I couldn't.


Salmon Farm

I am finally getting around to posting pictures from our South Island Trip. Rather than doing a day-by-day synopsis, I'm just going to post a few pictures from each city or region we were in. We flew from Tauranga to Christchurch, where we then proceeded traveling south in a clockwise and orderly fashion. The full set of pics will eventually make it onto Flickr, someday.

CHRISTCHURCH


The Church


Punting the Avon


A self portrait of someone else's self portrait.


Trolley Time

So, we are back in the motherland. Sorry for the lack of exciting posts, there has been a whirlwind of activity trying to get ourselves sorted out here. I for one am still struggling with using my left hand to flip on the turn indicator. We laughed when we first got to NZ and would activate the wipers instead of the blinker...but it's not funny anymore. My 16 years of driving in America has been erased in a mere 6 months. (If you are doing the math there, my dad let me start driving when I was 13, had a permit by 14, and fully licensed the day I turned 15.) Anyways, I really would like to recap our glorious South Island trip, and one of these days it will happen, I promise.


If this gives you any indication of our trip, don't say I didn't warn you. And yes, one morning I woke up and found Archie outside the van showering in the rain. 19 days in one Happy Camper Van starts messing with your mind (and your hygiene).