MONDAY 11TH MAY
We’re off to pick up Dot and Flash today. However, we have to go and pick up a bigger van as a 3-berth is going to be a bit of a squeeze. The new van’s massive and it’s got a shower and toilet so that’s a bonus, plus its diesel and manual; this means we’ll get around quicker and cheaper. We arrived at Christchurch International Terminal and after not too long out stroll Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle –Dee with grins as big as Cheshire Cats; which is ironic as they’re from Macclesfield (for those of you with little or no English geographical knowledge: Its in Cheshire). After the pleasantries are done with we load them into the van and head to the local PAK’nSAVE to pick up enough groceries to feed the British Army. Not before too long the jet-lag kicks in and Dot and Flash are asleep. I’m not really surprised though as they’ve flown in from Manchester with a twelve hour stopover in Singapore and they only got about three hours kip. I know I’d be knackered; at least we did ours in stages. We head back to the campsite for our final night in Christchurch. We don’t know where we’re going to tomorrow; as far as I can tell we’re going south.
TUESDAY 12TH MAY
Apparently we not going anywhere fast. The van’s got a leak somewhere so we’ve had to take it back. The people at the hire place were very apologetic and gave us a car for the day for our troubles while they fixed our van.With only a car that we have to return today we head off east to Lyttleton. Lyttleton is a little town just outside Christchurch that gives you spectacular views of Christchurch harbour from the top of a hill. We were only there about two hours and then the phone rang: our van was ready and waiting to be picked up so we could head on with our trip. Having picked up our van we headed back east to Akoroa, a little town famous for its French influences and it’s also home to the world’s smallest dolphin: Hector’s Dolphin. For some reason our map doesn’t show difference in altitude very clearly, so it took us over two hours to go sixty or so miles (note to self: purchase new map). This meant we got there and it was dark. All we could do under the circumstances was sit about and play board games. Not for too long mind as Flash and Dot, still jet-lagged, were asleep by 21:00p.m.
WEDNESDAY 13TH MAY
We managed not to get clamped for staying in a car park, so that was a good start to the day. Louise, Dot and Flash ‘Arry are off to swim with Hector’s dolphins today. I’m not really in to all that, and seeing as I don’t have a terminal illness, I don’t think I deserve to swim with dolphins. While the three stooges were out with flipper I just bummed around the town for a bit. Apart from the dolphin swimming, there isn’t much to see. There is quite a big French influence about the place. There would have been more had they bothered to stop eating horses for long enough to realise that the British had sneaked in under cover of darkness and declared New Zealand a British colony. Sadly they were still eating Red Rum’s knackers. Later on in the day we drove to Ashburton and parked up for the night. More board games ensued and then like good grownups we went to bed early.
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