We drove into Christchurch via the famous Sheffield Pie Shop, where the pies were so good we used it as an excuse to have double pie breakfast. (2 pies is ok right???)
There we did some van faff (the stove is finally fixed!) Then drove through Christchurch, as we were both a tad curious to see this apparently ‘recovering’ city since the earthquake 8 years ago. We passed the cardboard cathedral (a temporary installation while they repair the old one- you can’t tell) and lots of empty blocks. Christchurch may have lost a lot of its buildings (apparently 80% of buildings in the CBD were damaged to the point of requiring demolition) but on the plus side, it appears to be very easy to park here.
We drove out the other side to mount Cavendish and took the gondola up the hill for some aerial views of the city then a nice wander down along the old pack track from the harbour in Littleton. We then went for a quick afternoon swim before heading to the hilltop tavern, a pub with awesome views over Akaroa inlet, for pizza and a campsite for the night.
The next day (Eddie’s 8 month birthday!) we had awesome weather and plans to match- the skyline walk, with a little extension because why not? We headed up to the ridge above Akaroa via woodland then got to the top for stunning views on both sides of the peninsula. We returned to Akaroa town for a reward of ice creams, swimming and beer.
Parenting Responsibly 