31/10/2016 Monday
Today woke up at 730am. After a cold shower (yes cold because Jou's shower is either extremely hot or freezing cold. Well, I rather freeze to
death wake up as today need to be on the road), and had our avocado breakfast (super cheap NZD1 for 1 big avocado), we started our journey to Akaroa at 9.30am.
From Christchurch to Akaroa takes about 1 hour. Of course, Jou drives very slowly so I can enjoy the view outside.
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| Blue Skies, green alps, clear long road |
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Halfway through our journey and near to Akaroa, Jou stopped by at this Silostay. Basically, the little tiny holiday apartments are made of silo. So creative. Would love to stay here one day.
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Our journey continued until I saw this :
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Is this place even real? Look like a wallpaper isn't it?
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More of this view.
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| This place is so scenic! |
Jou then continues to drive to this cheese factory.
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Barrys Bay Cheese
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Different types of fresh cheese
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Presenting you the 2016 New Zealand Champions of Cheese Awards.
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| Don't play play hor, they won 19 medals wan ok. |
Frankly speaking, this is my first time in a cheese factory.
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| Tried all the yummy cheese before deciding on THE ONE.. |
They even have an open space separated by this glass wall so all the visitors can see how they produce the cheese.
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| Of course we are not allowed to enter. Any tiny microbes from the visitor will just spoil the whole batch of cheese. |
Cannot enter the production area, never mind. They showed all the processes as below :
If not mistaken, I think we got this cheese. I let Jou to choose as I am not a pro in choosing the right cheese to pair with our wines.
Ok, enough of cheese and we were so full from all the samplings so, let's move on to our journey.
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| Bye Barry...till then. |
Barrys Bay Cheese
5807, Christchurct- Akaroa Rd.
Duvauchelle 7562
New Zealand
Phone Num: 03 304 5809
Open 7 days a week, 9am-5pm
Right after Barrys Cheese shop, we drove down this wonderful road. New Zealand oh why, are you so beautiful every road I take?
At about 12.15pm, we arrived at Akaroa French Village.
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| Hungry already even though we had cheese samplings earlier but they, samplings are not real meal. Jou said this is the best fish and chip shop in Akaroa. |
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| OMG again. The view right in front of the fish and chip shop. Akaroa, WHY? WHY are you so pretty? |
After we found a parking space, we quickly rush to the shop for our brunch. The smell of the crispy fish and chips is so fragrant and we can smell them right after we get out from our car.
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| Compulsory photo with the famous fish and chips signboard :) Wah, world renowned ? I just noticed it. |
After ordering our type of fish (I think we ordered white fish, if you know this type of fish, please let me know, appreciate), we ran outside to pick our seat. Even though the sun is scorching hot, the temperature is 11 degree celsius and it was freaking windy. So, I said to Jou, we better warm ourselves by sitting under the sun. I would only sit indoor back in Malaysia so for now, let's be a tourist and trying to 'tan' ourselves while eating.
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| This tiny jetty reminds me of Nicholas Sparks lovers-jump-into-the-lake-scene. I almost wanted to jump but the water was freezing cold, plus my lover was not with me, so ..let's keep it for some other day |
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| White seagull posing for me to take photos. |
Found a table and bench so I took out my little journal and pen down some of the details here.
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| Luckily I carry a small journal with me. See, now I am able to blog about the things I saw back in 2016. 2 years later. |
As we walked further down, we came across a jetty pier.
As I was walking, I vividly remember asking Jou if she have watched Finding Dory and suddenly we saw this on the floor :
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| Aw...Dory what a small world. What are you doing here? |
The whole pier has only me and Jou, probably it was a Monday, and hence, not many tourist and so, picture time.
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Sitting down on this lovely wooden beach admiring the scenery and thinking about life thinking nothing. |
After taking our own sweet time to enjoy the view, Jou said she wants to bring me up the hill at the lighthouse to see the whole of Akaroa.
Unfortunately, the lighthouse was close for renovation but still, look what we got here :
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| View just beside the lighthouse. Breathtaking scenery. |
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| I could sit here for the whole day doing nothing and just enjoying this view. |
We continued our journey back to the French Village for a coffee break.
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| Beautiful autumn trees |
We were kinda tired, hence, we stopped for a coffee break to restore our energy.
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| 2.05pm The Brasserie. Ordered Camomile Tea and while Jou had her cappuccino fixed. We shared a berlina which taste OK. |
It was still very windy hence the hot camomile tea really warm myself up.
I bought some postcards and wrote to some good friends of mine here wishing they will come to Akaroa soon one day with their loved ones.
It was about 3 plus in the afternoon and we do not want to hang for so long, so we continue to drive to back to Christchurch. And again, I remember vividly that The Farm with cute Alpacas is just on the way back and Jou asked if I want to go, I said go for a while lah, then she immediately turned to the junction.
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| On the way to The Farm |
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| We managed to stop by the roadside just to take this photo with the view, thanks to the two tourists who stopped by as well. |
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| Basically this is the view everywhere you go in Akaroa. |
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| See, I told you it was very windy right. |
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| More of the view from Akaroa |
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| On the way up to The Farm |
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| Red light to stop for the sheeps or alpacas? |
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| ALPACAS !!!!! They are so cute, look at their cute little butts ehhehehehehheh |
The souvenir shop is open to the public but if you want to do the tour, you have to pay. As we were rushing, we can only stop by the souvenir shop and use their toilet and we saw these alpacas were just being shaved for their wools. We were not supposed to take picture but I can't resist, please forgive me.
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| After using the toilet, we thanked the shop owner and walked towards Jou's car. On the way walking, we saw these alpacas at the field looking at us like dogs waiting for their owners to return home. How could we resist not to take a picture with them. So I told Jou to ask the owner if we could just take a photo of the alpacas as we were rushing to join the tour. Guess what, he brought us INTO THE field and even helped us to take picture WITH the alpacas. |
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| 1,2,3 say cheese. See, he even can smile for the camera. |
My first time hugging an alpacas. The neck is so soft and fluffy, almost like a bolster. Jou told me before this she also never hug one before as she thinks that alpacas are dirty. Hello?
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| Look at their cute butts. |
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| If we still had some time, we will take up the farm tour. Next time. |
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| On the way back down the hill. |
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| These alpacas are damn lucky to have stayed there, enjoying the view. Good life huh buddy. |
On the way back to Christchurch, we decided to stop by the place we stopped when we first arrived earlier.
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| Sunny and yet so cold. |
At the hilltop with the wallpaper behind ☺️
This is the million dollar view.
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| Super windy at the hilltop and super love my hair colour at that time. |
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| Time to really go back |
I am 100% sure Jou is extremely tired driving a crazy girl who keep screaming WOW WOW WOW the whole day so I quickly offered to drive us back.
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| First time driving in the land of the long white clouds |
Saw many beautiful houses on the way back to Jou's place.
I want to stay in these houses in New Zealand!
So peaceful.
With such beautiful and natural view.
Hello, do you have a son?
How about you?
And you..?
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| Say HIE to Ryan GYK, our faithful transporter for the whole trip. |
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| Jou's place. SO nice right? She eventually moved to Hawera after I left. Too bad. |
Since we arrived quite early and the day is still bright, Jou bring me to a nearby garden, which is just behind her house.
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| So nice the park. |
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| Got mandarin ducks some more. |
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| Beautiful white flowers in a neighbour's pathway. |
After a short walk, we walked back to Jou's house and stumbled across lavender.
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| If not mistaken, this is the wild lavender. |
No need to go to Japan for Sakura, can find them here at the tepi jalan.
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| It is actually planted by a nearby neighbours and I was so excited with sakura |
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| Must take a photo with the house and car HEHE |
Dinner time! Jou fetched us to a korean restaurant at the Asian Market to have the best budaejigae.
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| So satisfying,,YUM YUM |
After dinner, we went to a nearby mini market to grab some snacks for upcoming trips tomorrow and the next few days!
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| Back to Jou's house. At her cozy and tidy kitchen .See all the NZD1 Avocado. My breakfast for the next few days! |
After shower, we had our 'romantic moments' together with red wine, strawberries, grapes and cheese that we got from Akaroa earlier. I never even have such romantic wine session with a men before huhuhuh
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| Romantic enough? |
And we had the best conversation and laughter together, picture proves everything here.
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| Happiness is easily sought just after few glasses of wine. |
Can't remember what we talked about but we laughed non stop till our tummy hurts. HAHA
And finally we just crawled back to Jou's bed and doze off easily.
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| Ending this post with an excitement jump at the hilltop :) |
Stay tuned for our next journey to Lake Pukaki, Base of Mount Cook, The Church of Good Shepard and my virgin experience staying in a backpackers lodge.
Discover the rest of my New Zealand Trip as follow :
New Zealand Day 15 : End of New Zealand Trip
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