Akaroa, New Zealand

From the tender port of Akaroa, the primary destination is considered to be Christchurch, which is about an hour and a half away by tour bus along scenic roads. In addition to the usual tourist appeal of a great New Zealand city and the beautiful churches which its name implies, Christchurch had also recently survived a major 7.0 earthquake, which further inspired curiosity.

However, Julie and I decided to spend a relaxing day in beautiful Akaroa, a village of about 600 residents, most of whom seemed to be shopkeepers or retirees. The beautiful views and peaceful atmosphere creates a zen-like calm.

In contrast, there is a war memorial centered by a cupola that pays homage to the brave sacrifice of soldiers from Akaroa who died in distant wars to protect freedom. Thinking about this brings to mind that in the cliffside by the albatross colony in Dunedin, there were dormant gun nests aiming at the sea to protect New Zealand from a Russian attack that never materialized. Even on the edge of the civilization, it's impossible to be isolationist, a good reminder that peace through strength is the only sensible strategy for a country that values its freedom.

As in most places in New Zealand, we felt very connected to the fragile eco-system along the bay, which itself is the crater of a volcano. The volcanic sediment apparently helps enrich the soil that creates lovely green pastures and brightly colored foliage that reminded me of the beautiful screensaver that influenced my decision on which computer to buy.

Kayaking and other recreational boating is readily available, but we just walked to the far end of town and then back past the lighthouse to the studio of an artist before returning to the middle, frequently stopping to enjoy the views and soak in the serenity.

I am usually not someone who buys souvenirs beyond the odd t-shirt or coffee cup, but the story of Maori fishing necklace had me looking through shops in both Dunedin and Akaroa. I saw one I really liked at the Faultline Gallery, a gift shop with a deep crack in the concrete floor, so we bought it for our son, along with a New Zealand logo nail clipper to replace the one from Paris he had confiscated upon boarding a plane a couple of years ago. The Faultline had a great selection at reasonable prices.

For meals, there are lots of terrific choices in Akaroa. The arrival of the ship easily doubled the headcount in town, and many dined in the cafes and adjacent patios along the main drag. Julie and I decided to take a tender back to the ship for a late lunch. At about the point where the music ends in the video, we were back on the ship, enjoying the views of the beautiful hills and village from there. In fact, we liked ship location so much that we didn't go back to shore, instead enjoying the deserted hot tub, pool and deck with the panoramic views.



By the way, because there are legal complications to using most songs to accompany videos, I have started choosing some songs that are available if I include ads at the bottom, but you can close the ads as soon as the video starts.