The first sightings of the Southern Alps were dour, there was a lot of cloud over them and as we got closer to our first "base" it started to rain and get colder - welcome to the other side of campervanning! We hooked up the electricity OK but found that we couldn't get the gas to work, so we had to use the kitchen facilities on site for our first cuppa! Nights are COOL on the road but thanks to electric hook ups and a good little heater in the van, we soon come...

Today, Friday, we booked ourselves onto the "Akaroa Shuttle" (which is a tourist cum working bus running the 80+ kilometres round to the little town on the OTHER massive natural harbour of Akaroa. In a straight line it would be only 22kms but three rather large volcanoes (part of an eruption which lasted for FOUR MILLION YEARS!) stand in the way. They form the Banks Peninsula, named after the botanist on Captain Cook's ship (Endeavour?). Cook originally called...

The leafy suburbs, an "Oxford" and "Cambridge" side to the River Avon, clean quiet streets, a massive park and botanical gardens, 18C and sunny - it must be Christchurch! What a place! Thursday we had a bit of a walkabout in the city (including the famous Hagley Park), walked by the River Avon but didn't do the punting bit they recommend. Then off to the Port Hills. We'd read up a bit but had not really prepared ourselves for the first view into the v...