This (ANZAC) weekend we (Mrs Grumpy and me) spent away with a group of friends in Akaroa on Banks Peninsular. Banks Peninsular is formed by 3 long extinct volcanoes. The 2 largest have had 1 side blown away and their craters are open to the sea forming large harbours. The tops of these volcanoes, the crater rims, rise to just shy of 1,000m in places. The township of Akaroa is on the shore of Akaroa Harbour and to get to it you need go over the crater rim. The 'main' road into Akaroa takes the easiest route and is tar seal - but (having counted it today coming home) there's still 64 bends in the road to ascend it and 50 on the other decending to the harbour. For a Google map of it, have a look at...
https://www.google.co.nz/maps/@-43.7182294,172.7543988,47471m/data=!3m1!1e3
On Friday we took the 'back roads' from Little River over the rim to Wainui on the opposite side of the harbour to Akaroa, then drove round the harbour. These roads are basically gravel tracks that took us from sea level to over 650M (almost vertically!), around the crater rim and back down again. There were lots of 1st gear hairpins with traction control and ABS kicking in. It was a wonderful drive, super tracks and stunning views. Rather scarey at times, but by far the most frightening thing was a HUGE BULL - way taller than the Freelander and on the wrong side of a fence. He was just standing there by the side of the road - huge drop off to the side, no way or turning round and reversing back was not appealing. So we drove past him very slowly hoping he didn't push us off into oblivion! Luckily he didn't bat an eye lid - just stood there motionless. At the end of it Mrs Grumpy relaxed and opened her fists to see a line of fingernail imprints on her palms! Thinking back it was probably a b****y stupid thing to do - we should have just reversed all the way back home. Didn't get any pics of the bull, because a photo op was not high on our priorities at the time. But we did get some pics of the journey...
The starting point is Lake Forsythe. This encroaches into the peninsular for a few of Ks and is only separated from the sea by a gravel bank. This is the sea end of the lake taken on the beach at Birdlings Flat...
You can see from that pic that the lake bends round and goes up a valley between the hills. This pic was taken round that bend looking to the 'top' of the lake...
Little River is at the top of the lake there and the road we took to Wainui shoots off to the right, initially up Okuti Valley, then up the hills to the crater rim. This is taken at the rim by Saddle Hill looking east to the Pacific just visible over the roof of the Freelander...
This one's taken looking south back over the beach where the first pic was taken from, once again the sea is only just visible...
The 2nd most frightening bit of the trip was descending down and coming across a big lump of rock that had 1/2 fallen onto the track. I didn't see it until we were on it. I managed to avoid it, but in doing so almost went flying off the side of the hill. This is Akaroa Harbour once we were back down and just past Wainui...
And another for good measure...
Here's a topo map of the road up from Okuti Valley to the rim, Wainui is just off to the right...
It was a great way to start the weekend. The weekend panned out to be very enjoyable as well with plenty of merriment, fine wine and good food
