Today is the worst day weather wise I have experienced since arriving. It's 9 degrees, raining and pretty miserable. Not far from Christchurch they are predicting snow at 300 metres, and Lewis Pass, which I drove through a couple of weeks back, is closed. So, today is a good day for "blog writing". I hadn't planned for last week to be a week of walking but that's how it turned out. The Port Hills is an area between Christchurch and Lytellton Harbour. They dominate the skyline behind the city and are very popular with walkers, cyclists and mountain bikers. I selected a walk which practically commenced in the suburbs and wound it's way around and over the Hills, finishing at the Sign of the Kiwi at Dyers Pass. The Sign of the Kiwi is actually a tea house that was constructed in 1916. There were a series of these built as resting points on the road between Christchurch and Lytellton. Some of the others are the Sign of the Takahe, Sign of the Bellbird, Sign of the Packhorse. I haven't been able to find out why they are called "Sign of ....." More research required! Many were damaged during the earthquake and remain closed to this day. However the Sign of the Kiwi has been repaired and today still operates as a coffee shop/cafe. It has great vantage point overlooking Christchurch and from the walking trails Lytellton Harbour is laid out before you as well. The walking was quite easy and the weather made it a great day to be outside.

My next venture was north to Kaikoura, which is a coastal town about 180kms north of Christchurch. Road distances in NZ are deceiving. I decided to take the inland route, and between the windy mountain roads and the seemingly never ending road works, it took me 3 hours to get to Kaikoura. Whilst the town itself has that seaside feel to it, the beach itself is something else. Black sand and pebbles as far as the eye can see. Obviously the result of the volcanic history of this part of the country. Kaikoura is a real eco tourism hotspot. Whales, seals, penguins and numerous bird species. And you can see them in almost any way you like. From planes and helicopters to boats, kayaks and swimming with them. No shortage of choices here. I opted to do the Kaikoura Peninsula Walk which takes you along the cliff top to South Bay and then you can come back via the beach. Again more great views and seals by the hundreds. They seemed to be very tolerant of human presence and although you are supposed to keep at 10 metres clear of them, they were not fussed by the goings on around them. In fact it seemed to be a good day for seal sunbathing. The drive back to Christchurch was a little like the Great Ocean Road or the drive across the northern coast of Tasmania between Burnie & Devonport. Ocean on one side, towering cliffs on the other and a railway line between the road and the cliffs. And numerous tunnels to drive through. It was slow going though as combination of earthquakes and rain have caused massive slippage of the cliffs and the road and railway line have actually been closed for some time. There is still an enormous amount of work being done to stabilise the cliffs and reinstate both road and railway. But a very scenic drive all the same.

And to round out my week of walking I headed to Halswell Quarry Park on Sunday. This is a former quarry that has now been turned into parkland and is criss crossed with walking paths. The weather was ideal and the quarry was a hive of activity. Family groups, joggers, people with dogs in a huge dog designated area. The quarry was the source of stone for many of Christchurch's early buildings such as the museum and the council chambers. It was a really pleasant place to spend some time.

Well, only a week left in Christchurch. I think I've covered the city and surrounding areas pretty well. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here but I am really looking forward to moving onto Dunedin. At this stage the likelihood of getting any more housesits in the South Island seems fairly unlikely. Whilst that is a little disappointing it does give me the opportunity to get to places I most probably would not have, had I been housesitting. The far south and the glaciers on the west coast are firmly in my sights.