Akaroa

So our first port of call was the small port town of Lyttleton, only a short drive from Christchurch. It was a lovely wee village to stroll around and has a number of very quirky and characterful bars and cafes. We only stayed for lunch before moving on towards Akaroa, which is right smack in the middle of the Banks Peninsula.

The scenic drive here was quite simply stunning, helped in no small measure by perfectly clear, sunny weather. According to the LP, the landscape here has been shaped by two gigantic volcanic explosions, which have generated numerous bays radiating out from the peninsula's centre, giving it a distinctive cogwheel shape. It was amazing to think that in less than an hours drive from the biggest city on the South Island we were travelling through such spectacular countryside.

It really was a cyclist's paradise around here, and there were plenty of them taking full advantage of the hills and the weather. Needless to say I felt quite envious being stuck in a boring old van, but I'd love to come back some day and experience this country properly from a saddle (we've met quite a few cyclists now who were doing just that - including two inspirational middle-aged ladies from Canada). But at last there were plenty of stopping points to get out of the van and soak up the views.

When we stopped later at a lovely winery in the area, as you do, I just had to buy this brilliant postcard for my Mum. It was a fold out one that became three times the size of a standard postcard, but the photo captured the scenery we'd just driven through perfectly.

Even though New Zealand is world famous for just this kind of scenery, and I've travelled enough to see plenty of stunning vistas, I was still blown away by the setting here. It's been a feeling repeated many times for me over the following two months travelling around the South Island, and certainly solidifies New Zealand's place as my second favorite destination in the world. Nepal definitely has it's work cut out for it when I return there later in the trip, if it's to retain it's vaulted number one position.

We only stayed one night in Akaroa town itself, in the Top 10 holiday park. The town has a lovely setting along the edge of a long harbour, and after a nice leisurely walk through the town's pretty streets and seafront in the morning, we were off again. We stopped off at the excellent Tree Crop Farm Park. The place is a bit mad really, with wild vegetation everywhere and yet more fantastic views and very individualistic accommodation options (like a tree house). It has a beautiful verdana to just relax after exploring all the windy pathways, and where you can sit back with an amazingly fresh and tasty berry juice straight from the garden, while you read all the quirky quotes writing all over the walls.

After a short stop at a boutique cheese maker, the fantastic scenery then pretty much followed us all the way to Methven, which was our next stopping point.