Headed to Skyscape

When Gayle and I started seriously planning this trip I told her I had found a place I wanted to stay on the South Island called Skyscape. (Actually we remember this differently.  She thinks she found Skyscape and I think I found Skyscape.  We have agreed to let each other believe their own story.)  Skyscape has a king bed, kitchenette and bathroom, all inside a small house with glass on the north, east and west sides.  The ceiling is also made of glass. Plus it is in the middle of nowhere so you can look out your glass ceiling at night and enjoy the stars.  I live in Los Angeles County.  It is rare indeed when I get to see stars.  Gayle lives on a farm in Kansas.  She gets to enjoy the night sky on a regular basis.  But she knows that the stars you see in the night sky here are different than the ones you get to see in Kansas.  She loved the idea.  So we planned our trip around being at Skyscape during a new moon so we could enjoy the night sky.

Today was the day…the day we headed for Skyscape near Twizel.  My friend, Jacki, recommended that we get an early start because there would be many sights to see along the way.  We had a long day yesterday but we were up early and checked out of the hotel by 7 a.m., each with a flat white in our hands.  We stopped at the Fairlie Bakehouse for a bite to eat, which repeatedly wins the award for best pie in New Zealand.  A pie in New Zealand is savory not sweet.  I got the steak and cheese pie and Gayle got the chicken pie.  I see why they win the award.  It was magnificent.

We stopped at Three Creeks in Burke’s Pass.  It seemed like a good place to stretch our legs.  We wondered past antiques and into the quirky gift shop.  We weren’t there long before we saw that they were selling Trump 2024 and MAGA paraphenalia.  We immediately walked back to our car. 

Not long after we left Burke’s Pass we turned the corner and there was an absolutely stunning view of  Lake Tekapo.  No photo can do justice to the turquoise of the lake and the stunning view of the Southern Alps (which extend almost the full length of the South Island).  

The Church of the Good Shepherd is situated on the shore of Lake Tekapo.  The church owns significant land around the building, which means that no other buildings are situated near it.  It is one of the most photographed buildings in New Zealand.  

Our next stop was the Dark Sky Project for a guided tour.  In case the rain that is promised for Twizel ruins our ability to see the night sky from our glass house we wanted to enjoy a simulated views of what we would have missed.  As I walked inside I wanted to change from my sunglasses to my prescription glasses but my glass case was not in my purse.  I searched the car to no avail.  I must have left them at Fairlie’s Bakehouse or they fell out of the car when I got out at Burke’s Pass or the Church of the Good Shepherd.  I was undone by the loss of my glasses. I was trying to pretend like I was not ruminating about it but Gayle knew I was worrying.

I tease my sister about leaving things behind while we are traveling.  I mean, I tease her a lot.  Here I had lost my glasses on the very night I wanted to study the night sky.  Gayle suggested we head back the way we came in search of my glasses.  I was still trying to pretend it wasn’t that big of a deal. “No, I still want to go on this tour,” I said.  We headed into the darkened theater to learn about the stars in the southern sky and how to locate them.  Mind you I was wearing sunglasses.  All of a sudden Gayle said, “I don’t have my phone.”  She left the theatre and returned four minutes later with her phone in hand.  What a pair we are!

Dark Sky Project is worth the stop.  We learned about the night sky and the Maori stories regarding the stars.  I enjoyed the room with the sun and Alpha Centauri.

I was fascinated with the concept that the reflection of the stars on the water tells the eels when to migrate.  It was demonstrated to us in another room by creating a pool of water on the floor.

The truth is that I was so overwrought about my glasses that I don’t remember much from this tour. After the tour we regrouped and made a plan.  We would head back to where we had parked at the Church of the Good Shepherd to see if they fell out of the car.  If they weren’t there we would call the places where we had stopped to see if someone had turned in my glasses.  As I got into the car I saw my glasses case in the pocket of the car door.  The color of the case matches the color of the door.  What a lot of energy I wasted worrying.  But it didn’t matter because relief flooded through me.  Gayle and I headed back inside to celebrate with mango milkshakes.  The view of Lake Tekapo and the mango milkshakes helped me enjoy the moment again.

Lake Pukaki was our next stop.  Another turquoise lake with a backdrop of the Southern Alps.  Gayle found a spot to sit and enjoy the wonder of this world.  New Zealand is one beautiful experience after another. 

Just up the road is the Visitor Centre for Lake Pukaki.  Inside is a beautiful glass area where you can sit and look out towards Aoraki (named Mt. Cook by the European settlers), which was cloud covered today.  The words on the window are, “If you must bow your head, then let it be to the lofty mountain, Aoraki.”  Gayle bowed her head.

The road to Skyscape is a gravel road leading to the middle of nowhere with horses and mountains providing the scenery.

Hidden among the landscape is our home for the next two nights.

We giggled when we entered.  It is perfect…even better than I imagined.   You can pull the blinds to blockout the sun or the prying eyes of any wildlife.  We opened all of them.  There is even a blind over the bed which is controlled by a remote.  We immediately pulled that blind back also.

I sat down next to the front window and blogged as it began to rain.

Dinner was waiting for us in the refrigerator.  Two large platters of cheese, crackers, bread, salami, salmon, vegetables, fruit, pistachios, chocolates, etc., etc.  We feasted.  Our weather apps said the rain would stop before 8 p.m. but it didn’t.  We will see no stars tonight.  I might be a tad bit disappointed but it is hard to regret anything about this place.  Plus, we are staying two nights.  Hopefully tomorrow will be cloudless. When we were done blogging we turned off all the lights and that is when we realized the stars were out, even on a rainy night.  We exclaimed and giggled; took photo after photo; and wondered if the sky would be even more glorious tomorrow night.

I lay in bed for a long time looking up through the glass ceiling to the twinkly lights above.

 

Akaroa

Gayle and I headed out at 9:30 a.m. (with our laundry in tow) to catch an Uber to the Ezi Rental Car company.  We will use this car for our grand adventure around the South Island.  

We were in our Toyota Rav 4 headed for a day trip to Akaroa by 10 a.m.  Akaroa is a tourist resort town on the Bay Peninsula, about 50 miles from Christchurch.  All the photos we saw of Akaroa were stunning and we knew we wanted to go.  We didn’t have any specific things to do, just beauty to see.  Gayle took the first driving stint.  Not far outside of Christchurch we came upon this fascinating square of trees on the hill, lovingly referred to as That Damn Square.

The road looks like a straight shot in that picture but soon after That Damn Square the road became extremely curvy, going up the side of one hill and then a steep turn down again.  It was challenging driving.  We stopped for a photo op once we saw the bay below us.  The bay is a gorgeous blue against the lush, green hills.  What we didn’t know at the time was that around every corner we would want to stop and take another photo.

Once we got down to sea level we stopped at Barry’s Bay Traditional Cheese shop.  We were desperately in need of a bathroom and something to drink.  We didn’t find a bathroom but we did taste some delicious cheese.

In desperate need of a bathroom we headed for Bully Hayes restaurant to eat lunch and avail ourselves of their restroom.  We were delighted to find a table with a bayside view.  Plus, the fish and chips were delicious.  Akaroa was just as beautiful as we heard it was.

After lunch we walked out onto the peer.

There were an abundance of King Shags (part of the cormorant family.)

A few blocks down from where we ate lunch is the Akaroa lighthouse. The lighthouse was staffed from 1880 to 1977 before it was replaced with an automatic light.  The lighthouse was then moved to Akaroa by a preservation group.  We stopped to get a photo.

I was followed around the lighthouse by a local woman who wanted to tell me about the dolphin excursion boat that wrecked this year, requiring the rescue of its 40 passengers.  Akaroa is the place to go if you want to see Hector’s dolphins.  They are the smallest dolphin species and endemic to the South Island.  As my new friend talked about the boat wreck two Hector’s dolphins swam by.  I only got a brief glimpse of two fins.  When I finally extricated myself from the woman she immediately found another willing, well maybe not willing, listener.  The site of the lighthouse is a truly lovely spot from which to admire the bay.

I had read about Onuku Marae and wanted to see it. A marae is a Maori building for sacred and community gatherings, often surrounded by a communal gathering space.  We drove down a very narrow, curvy road and found it.  I was amazed at how small it is.

On the way back to Akaroa we saw a little cemetery built on the side of a steep hill.  We pulled over.  Our grandfather was a sociologist/anthropologist and he liked to stop at cemeteries.  He said that you learned so much about a society by its cemetery.  This was a Catholic cemetery.

The sign at the cemetery said that the Dissenters’ cemetery was at the bottom of the hill.  I was fascinated by the use of the word “dissenters” and looked it up later.  I learned that the dissenters in the cemetery (at the bottom of the hill and behind a fence) were mainly Presbyterians.  As it turns out dissenters is just another name for Protestants….of course.  I’m glad I looked it up. 

I had read a blog the night before we drove over the Bay Peninsula that said the most scenic route to and from Akaroa is along Summit Road. I convinced Gayle it would be a great way to leave Akaroa and I would drive.  Gayle has a fear of heights.  A twisty mountain road brings her fear to the forefront.  I had no idea just how treacherous this road would feel.  The road was narrow, the curves intense and many of the curves had no guardrails or if they did they were broken wooden guardrails.  Gayle sat next to me reminding herself to breathe.  When I would apologize she would said, “This is good for me.”  The blog I read was correct.  The views were absolutely stunning.  We realized that Summit Road is so named because while you mostly look down on the bay at other times you see the ocean on the other side of the hill. Gayle did jump out of the car a few times and capture photos for us, which in no way can truly capture just how stunning it was.  She was so brave.

I did convince her to reenact Titanic for me.

On the hill above us there were people rock climbing.  I am guessing they do not have a fear of heights.

Another thing I had read about in the same blog that sent us down Summit Road was the Shamarra Alpaca Farm.  At 11, 1 and 4 you can tour their alpaca farm. Everyone I know who was cuddled an alpaca has loved it.  It was 3:15 by the time we ended our trek on Summit Road and the alpacas were just ahead.  I batted my little sister pleading eyes at Gayle.  Cuddling alpacas was not on her bucket list.  She lives on a farm.  But she saw how badly I wanted to go and said, “Let’s do it.”  We headed up the one way narrow road to the alpaca farm.  After strict instructions on approaching alpacas slowly from the front and petting their necks (not the top of their heads or flanks) our tour began by visiting “the boys” as the guide called them.  Male alpacas are friendlier and more willing to be touched and hugged.

I was in absolute heaven, although I admit I was very timid.  I didn’t want to be kicked and, at that point, had not yet learned that alpacas do not have upper teeth and therefore cannot bite you.

While most of the people on our tour chased the alpacas around trying to get the best cuddling photos, Gayle put down the seat on her cane and just sat nearby.  It wasn’t long before the whole herd had moved down to stand around the sane woman sitting quietly in their midst, demanding nothing of them.

Our next stop was the pen where the mothers and babies were grazing.

The final part of the tour (and my absolute favorite) was to feed the alpacas.  It was a hike on uneven ground to the feeding pen.  Gayle opted out.  We were each given a large bowl of food with another bowl on top to hide the food on the bottom of the bowl.  This trick was to keep us from being mauled by hungry alpacas.  You can feed them by hand or from the bowl.  I tried both ways.  I could have stayed there and fed alpacas for hours.

By the time we left there and headed back to Christchurch it was closing in on 5:30 p.m.  We still had a winding road to navigate and laundry to do.  I had researched and found a laundromat on the edge of Christchurch with easy parking.  My plan was that we would load the washing machines and then find a place to eat in the mall beside the laundromat.  We arrived at 6:30 p.m. and most of the mall was already closed.  We threw our laundry in the washing machines and drove around the corner in search of food.  All we could find was a Pizza Hut but it would have to do.  We took our personal pan pizzas back to laundromat.  When our clothes were mostly dry we headed back to the hotel.  We were spent.  Gayle finished drying her panties on what she deemed the underwear chair.  

The day was filled with beauty, just as we hoped. But we were completely spent.  We didn’t blog.  We crawled into bed and called it a day.

Punting on the Avon River

Gayle and I had tickets today to go punting.  A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square cut bow.  A “punter” stands on the back part and navigates the river with a long pole.  A punt can navigate shallow water, which is exactly what the Avon River is in Christchurch.  It is named the Avon River by European settler, James Deans to honor his family heritage in Scotland.  It was originally named by the Maori people as Otakaro meaning “place of play”.  

Gayle read the FAQs on the punting website last night.  She read that the seats are so low it is like sitting on the floor.  “If you cannot get down and up from the floor without help you should not go punting”, it said. I fell asleep knowing that I would not be able to go punting.  Gayle really encouraged me to go anyway promising to help me up and down.  I even practiced squatting and getting back up this morning.  It wasn’t pretty.  

Before we headed out to the Antigua Boating Sheds to catch our punt, we enjoyed breakfast with flat whites (my new favorite coffee choice).  

When we checked in for punting I shared my worry about getting down so low and back up.  They put in a taller seat they called the throne.  Have I mentioned what a kind, gracious and civil country this is?  While we waited for our “throne” to be installed we watched one of the workers feed the black ducks (scaups).

Our punter was John.

Lucky us because he was a blast.

For a half hour we floated down the river, passed beautiful ducks…

…under the weeping willow that promises you luck if you touch its leaves…

…and made room for other people punting on the Avon River.

With a feeling of zen, we bid farewell to the best punter in Christchurch.

We headed over to the Christchurch Botanical Gardens which is close to the punting dock.  This huge garden is free to the public.  Have I mentioned how civil and public minded they are here?  Free botanical gardens, who knew that was possible?  Their website says you can take a tour of the garden on a small tram. So we headed over and enjoyed the beauty around us as we looked for the garden tram  I ducked under the branches of this tree to see if it was one or two trees.

It is one tree.  

Gayle’s happy place is any garden.  She was loving every second of the place.  Here she is sitting down on her cane stool waiting for the Peacock fountain to show off….as peacock’s are known to do.

It didn’t disappoint.  

When we got to the place where we could meet the garden tram we learned that the next available spot would be at 1:30 p.m.  It was only 10:30 a.m.  So we headed off in search of a tram stop.  We have an all day pass for the tram that makes 18 stops around the city.  (I could call it a trolley but I got corrected by the locals everytime I referred to it as a trolley).  We found stop 13 and realized that we were right next to the Arts Centre, which used to be the campus of the University of Canterbury.  The university is now in the suburbs and their neo-Gothic buildings host art galleries, performances, movies, restaurants and cafes.  We decided to step inside to the quad in search of the Great Hall which boasts a 4,000 piece stained glass window.  This is the clock tower.

In this photo you can see a piece of art suspended so that it appears to be floating on its own.  There is a large screen below it because they regularly show outdoor movies here.  

Unfortunately the Great Hall was closed for maintenance.  We wandered back to stop 13 and realized we had been sitting directly in front of the Great Hall stained glass window.  It is not very stunning from this side.

The trams operate in the city center (CBD) every day until 6 p.m.  Every tram we rode today was packed.  It is apparent that they are currently having a student holiday.  We got off at stop 7, where the bronze corgis are.  They were installed to coincide with Queen Elizabeth’s 50th jubilee. 

We walked past the new stadium that seats 30,000.  It will open to the public this month.  I think it will be on the day we have tickets for rugby here.  The new stadium was needed because of damage to the old stadium during the earthquake of 2011.  On the tram we learned that 80% of the buildings in the CBD were damaged or destroyed by the earthquake. 

We were on an our way to see the Cardboard Cathedral, as it is nicknamed here.  It is where the members of the Christchurch Cathedral have been worshipping because the Anglican Cathedral in the CBD was destroyed by the earthquake.  “The whole cathedral cracked like a plate” as it is described in the Cathedral brochure we were handed.  The cathedral seems to be taking longer to rebuild than all other building recoveries.  A few weeks after the earthquake, one of the Cathedral staff saw an article in a design magazine about a Japanese “emergency architect” named Shigeru Ban, who designed a cardboard church to replace one that had been damaged during the Kobe earthquake.  Ban offered to design them a transitional church and two years later it was finished.  

It is made of cardboard, wood and steel. The large tubes that point your eye upward or made of cardboard.  The building meets the current New Zealand earthquake code by 130%.  It seats 700 people.  You can see the cardboard construction most clearly in the pulpit.

The stained glass looking windows at the back of the sanctuary are actually made using a glass printing technology.

We headed on our way and found another tram stop.  We were headed to Regent Street, which promised an array of places to eat.  We settled on Thai food and had a delicious lunch.  Not only has Gayle become a fan of Pad Thai she now knows that she likes a good mango lassi.

After lunch we hopped (actually I slowly pulled myself) onto another tram to head back to our hotel.  This driver had to make two unexpected stops:  once to make sure he could get the tram past a poorly parked car and another time to move a Lime scooter out of the path of the tram.  Stop 8 is directly across the street from our hotel.  We were ready for a rest.

When we roused ourselves and finished watching the evening news, I gave Gayle three options for dinner:  C1Espresso where your order and your food and it is delivered to you through a pneumatic tube;  the Indian restaurant a half block from our hotel; or I walk to the grocery store around the corner and get a baguette and real butter.  I was pretty sure I knew which one she would choose and she did not disappoint.  I walked around the corner to the grocery store for the baguette and butter.  It was when we were traveling in France together that Gayle realized that a dinner of a baguette and butter made her smile.   I do enjoy visiting a grocery store when I travel to a different country.

We spent the rest the evening making plans to pick up a car rental and drive out the Banks Peninsula to Akaroa.