Banks Peninsula

I’ve just returned from a three day weekend in Christchurch. It’s my third trip across the Tasman in a single month. Definitely a personal record, one I doubt I’ll ever repeat. Why a third time?

Sadly my mother’s older brother, Uncle Rich, passed away last week after a brief illness. His death was caught everyone by surprise. Unlike my mother, Dick was still living semi-independently and was relatively high functioning despite the onset of dementia in recent years.

I got wind of his sudden illness while visiting Queenstown. He died the day after I returned to Sydney. After some reflection, I decided to cross the Tasman again for his funeral. In part, I wanted to honour the effort so many relatives made in attending my Mum’s funeral last year. I was also keen to support my Auntie Pam, Mum’s older sister, who’s lost two siblings in a single year.

The decision was easy to make thanks to a super cheap airfare. I cashed in some frequent flyer points and flew to Christchurch for less than $270. I also scored a great hotel deal via Amex, plus a discounted rental car for the weekend. Lo and behold, I found myself back in the Qantas First Class lounge at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning.

My flight landed shortly after 1:30pm. Within an hour I was in my rental car and heading for the city. I decided to make the most of the final hours of sunlight (sunset was at 5:05pm) and drove straight to the Port Hills. I drove up the Summit Road, taking time to stop and admire the view along the way.

I eventually came across a hilltop reserve offering an unrivalled view of Lyttelton. I arrived just in time to watch the hill’s lengthening shadow extinguish the sun’s final rays over the town. Chatteris Bay looked equally stunning in the distance. The view did come at a cost. The wind was bitterly cold. It left me shivering and I all but lost sensation in my hands. I finished the afternoon with an impromptu visit to Pam’s house before finally checking into my hotel shortly after 6:00pm.

Sunday dawned bright and clear, albeit with cold and crisp temperatures. I decided to make the most of my free day. After a hearty breakfast I drove out to Akaroa, stopping first for a brisk stroll a long the shore at Birdling Flats beach, the arcing spit that separates Lake Ellesmere from the Pacific Ocean. 

I’m so glad stopped at the spit. It’s an incredible formation. Much to my surprise I discovered the broad beach and expansive dunes consist entirely of smooth oval gravel pebbles. Incredibly they’ve all come from the Southern Alps, swept down to the coast by the braided Rakaia River, about 40km down the coast. Their smooth and rounded appearance reflects their origin as rubble ground smooth by glaciers grinding their way through the alps.

Akaroa was the same quaint town I vaguely remember from my last visit more than 30 years ago. I stopped to wander the village waterfront, including a cafe-filled esplanade at Main Wharf and a second stop near Daly’s Wharf. The harbour simply dazzled in the afternoon sun, but a bitter wind made for brisk walk.

On the edge of town I was lucky enough to find its relocated lighthouse open to visitors. Inside a volunteer guide showed me how its light was made to rotated by a falling weight. As the weight dropped it slowly spun a greased turntable. The weight had to be rewound with a hand crank every couple of hours. Apparently the lighthouse keeper did this every night for decades until a diesel generator relieved him of the burden.

The lighthouse was completed in 1879. However, its current location inside Akaroa Harbour isn’t its original home. It once stood 10km away on the wind-swept Akaroa Heads, at the entrance to the harbour. In 1980, after a new automated lighthouse was commissioned, it was dismantled into three sections, relocated and rebuilt.

I finished my tour of the Banks Peninsula with a road trip along the Akaroa Summit Road, before crossing to the opposite coast via Gebbies Pass. I drove through Governors Bay and Cass Bay as the sun was setting before returning to Christchurch via the Lyttelton tunnel. I then joined Pam’s children and grandchildren for a family dinner. The return journey was simply breathtaking. I lost count of how often I stopped to admire the view and take more Instagram worthy photos.

Early Monday morning I collected my brother Matt from the airport (shortly after 6:00am). We drove back to my hotel for breakfast. With a few hours to fill before the funeral we decided to ride the gondola up the Port Hills. As fate would have it we arrived shortly after a school load of schoolchildren. We queued more than half an hour for a gondola.

I’d climb a knoll next to gondola’s summit station on Saturday without appreciating it proximity. It was a surprise to discover it standing there as I crested the hill. I decided not to venture inside so it was still a new experience when we revisited it on Monday. Although, much like Saturday, the wind was still bitterly cold. Once again Chateris Bay glowed in the sunlight. 

The gondola’s base station is next to the mouth of the Lyttelton tunnel. Hence, after returning to the carpark we decided to drive through for a quick look around Lyttelton. I was keen to see the remnants of the town’s iconic Timeball Station. The original structure was destroyed by an earthquake in 2011. Its stone tower has subsequently been reconstructed amidst the station’s crumbling foundation. 

We finished our morning with a scenic drive along the coast to Sumner, before returning to my hotel to prepare for Dick’s funeral. The remainder of the day was taken up by the service, and subsequent reception, before returning to cousin Nicki’s home for a light supper. The service bought back fond childhood memories, as well as some sad moments reflecting on my mother’s death 12 months ago.

I took Matt and my cousin, Roanne, to the airport about 6:15pm, then returned to my hotel for an early night. My flight on Tuesday morning departed at the ungodly hour of 6:00am. As a result, my alarm woke me shortly after 3:00am. By 9:00am I was back home in Sydney.

It was lovely catching up with family again. I also enjoyed being outdoors and soaking up some stunning scenery. Despite the sad occasion, my weekend away was a perfect anecdote for this year’s stressful start. Sadly, our business is struggling in the current economic climate. As a result, most days feel like a bit of a slog. A little escapism was just what the doctor ordered.