Kwilting with Kats: Day 9-Akaroa

Arrived in Akaroa early this morning. We have to be tendered ashore as they don't have a pier large enough for cruise ships. Before the earthquake the ships pulled into Lyttletown which is much closer to Christchurch (Akaroa is 85 km away.), but Lyttletown was destroyed by the second earthquake in 2011. Tanis and I decided to see what Akaroa had to offer, so only went into town.

Being tendered ashore
using lifeboats

Beautiful water
Wooden lighthouse in background

After being tendered ashore, we signed up for a double-decker tour of the surrounding area. It reminds me of both California and Costa Rica. California because we grow so many of the same flowers and the hills are such a golden brown, and Costa Rica because this harbour is a drowned volcanic crater, and the hillsides are as steep as any I've seen in Costa Rica. Tanis thinks it looks like Lake Osoyoos in the southern Okanagan Valley is Canada. We drove through town, which isn't big, through the English side and then into the French side (both only 4-5 blocks long). Akaroa means “long harbour,” and it certainly is a large expanse of water. There is a French side because French settlers came to this area in the 1840's.

Our chariot
Check out the license

After driving to the top of the surrounding hills and stopping for the view, we came back to town and walked the whole length, which would have only taken about 20 minutes except we stopped so often to look in shops. Tanis found Monteith's Lager, and since Monteith is her maiden name, we shared a bottle in honor of this. She also bought two beer glasses with the Monteith label. It was very warm today, so the lager went down very easily.

Beautiful Akaroa Harbour
Don't the hills look Californian

Check out the plate

Lovely shrimp cocktail

Tendered back to the ship, we collapsed for a while, then set out for our dinner, a gift from our tour director, Deb. The Diamond Princess has two speciality restaurants where there is a cover charge. Deb paid the cover charge and also gave us a bottle of wine...Sylvester chardonnay from Paso Robles. The Sterling Steakhouse specializes in, it's coming, it's coming, steak. We both had a New York strip, following shrimp cocktail, and I had crème brûlée while Tanis had a peach turnover. Yum!