Autumn Hike

A few weeks ago, while Cameron was away for the weekend at Scout camp, I took the other boys on a hike with the cubs from Taylor's Mistake to Boulder Bay and Godley Head. It's a really good track that has been upgraded since the earthquakes. After a snack at Boulder Bay and throwing some stones in the ocean, we went up the hill to the gun emplacements before heading back to the car park for sausages and winding down on the beach.

Pirate Golf

Recently I took the boys to play crazy golf at a pirate-themed course. Of course in keeping with the theme there is a lot of water around which meant I spent a lot of time fishing balls while the boys whacked the ball all over the course, and even further afield for Cameron!
















I'm not sure about Finlay's scoring here but I can see a future as a tax accountant!

Christmas Road Trip

Vicky's sister Felicity and her youngest son Callum have been staying with us for December so once the boys had finished school we jumped in the car and headed south to show them some of NZ.

First we went to the Peel Forest for a couple of nights. There's lots of great walks, long and short, through the bush. The boys coped really well with the walking and I took the chance to get a run up the nearest small mountain.

The Canterbury Plains stretching below

 Near the summit of Little Mt Peel

After a couple of nights there we headed south to Lake Tekapo. In the past we have just passed through here on the way south to Queenstown or Wanaka but after a few friends had said good things about it we decided to stay a night. The weather was poor on the way there but it stopped raining when we got there and after a trip to the hot pools the sun came out giving fantastic views up the lake.

Callum and Ewan explore the lakeshore at Tekapo

 

Brightening skies over the lake



After a few photos it was back to the hot pools where the boys played in the lower pools and I took advantage of the peace in the adult only pool.

Next we went to Mt Cook National Park. Again somewhere we'd never been before but can't believe we haven't because it's stunning. The mountains are amazing and it is so accessible with well-made paths and bridges making it easy for us to walk in with the boys right up to a glacial lake below Mt Cook. A great place to visit before the long drive home.

Mt Cook from the bottom of Lake Pukaki

The view from the hotel window

 

 

 

Ewan finding out that water with ice floating in it is really cold

Aoraki/Mt Cook

Otepatotu

Spring is well and truly here and the mercury soared past 20 today so we packed the boys in the car and set off. After an hour of near-vomit-inducing driving on winding, twisty hill-top roads we turned into the car park of the Otepatotu reserve.

Akaroa Harbour from the Summit Road

 

 
 


After a quick picnic lunch in the sun we climbed a short steep track to a lookout with glorious views out over Akaroa harbour.

 

The last of the winter snow clings to the distant Alps

Then we climbed further up to the summit of Laverick's Peak with more stunning views. Although a little hazy we could clearly see all the way to the snow-capped Kaikouras, a few hours to the north.

Weeping moss hanging down from the trees in the 'goblin forest' part of the walk. The rough translation for Otepatotu is 'place of the fairies'

Okains Bay

 

After descending back down to the car park we drove round the Summit Road and down the hill to Akaroa to play on the beach before fish and chips for tea.

On the way down to Akaroa

Playing on the beach at Akaroa

Lantern Festival

The same weekend as our bike ride there was the annual Lantern Festival. Held for the last two years in Hagley Park as the usual site of Victoria Square has been out of action since the quakes, it's a really colourful and popular festival, if a bit of a late night for the boys.

 

The Year of the Snake

 

 

Some hippos in the river