Kia Ora! Today's forecast looks better than yesterday and hopefully, that remains true for the remainder of the week. We had another brief morning meeting to go over our schedule. Unfortunately, we won't be able to stay at the Takahanga Marae But we will be heading back to Kaikōura to spend a day whale watching. Fingers crossed for good weather and calm waves.
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| Candid zoom call #BeReal |
The quarantined bunch had a good day spending time outside and then working on their puzzle. Veronica, Ryan, and Ava headed to Riccarton Bush to get fresh air (we visited Riccarton earlier this month, July 1st blog for a recap). They took a trip to
Hagley Park as well, which is the largest urban open space in Christchurch. It has been a reserved public space since the 1850s as a public recreation area and is the heart of the city.
As for the rest of the group, Colin picked us up in the afternoon to start our travels to the coast. We had a quick teatime at The Tannery for coffee and treats and then we were off.
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The coastal views were amazing. Along our route, we saw the Avon river that leads to the nearby estuaries and tried to spot migratory birds that may be hanging in the tide. And there were many cliffs that collapsed during the quakes and there was a build-up of rumble along the edges of the drive. The hills were covered with Mediterranean species that are tolerate of the high stress environment that comes with neighboring the coast. Norfolk Island pines, yuccas, and alfalfa are the few plants we got to see on our hike.
 | | Pig's ears and ice plants across the hills |
 | | Nico with his favorite alfalfa |
Godley Head (Awaroa) is a part of the 360 trail. I forget if it was already mentioned but Colin headed the 360 trail project. The path connects numerous trails around Christchurch and presents the natural landscape while displaying the unique species of plants and birds. Godley head has restored sand dunes along its path and started other conservation projects run by local groups and partnerships with the city. As mentioned before, this region near the coast is a Mediterranean climate. This type of environment has steep hills, rocky soils, and low rains. With the addition of sheep grazing the land, there is high stress that limits the capability of the plant species that can grow here.
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| Cowabunga dude! |
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| Start of our hike |
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| 360 Trail check |
The high rains caused many floods, including the one pictured below along our path. There was a bridge a few minutes away, but we thought we could take the simpler path on the logs. Lucky for us the sand didn't give out and the trees held up. Everyone made it safely across!
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| Nico leading the way, Colin following along |
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| Charisse giving it a go |
After getting through the water and difficult path, we reached the hill and started our hike. The weather was windy but great. We came to face with a few slips but were able to get around and continue.
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| Stunning!!! |
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| Uh oh, a slip in the road but we persevered |
Our path lead us to a predator-proof fence with a gate that would take us down the steep edge of the coast. The fence keeps out mammal predators (rats and stoats) that could potentially harm the young penguins or eat the eggs. Down the stairs, we were greeted by a few sea lions that allowed us to slip past them to reach the penguin homes. The penguins are capable of nesting in the rocks and finding homes but constructing houses for them gives them a better chance of survival.
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| Maya heading down to look for a penguin |
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| Surprised visitor, a sea lion pup |
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| "Welcome to my crib..." - Penguin |
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| Sunset silhouettes <3 |
After visiting the Litlle Penguins, we made our way back to the gatorwaka. Our next stop was at Sumner Beach (Matuku-takotako) to have a quick look into a popular cave. Cave Rock (Tuawera) is a natural feature on the beach that we were able to walk through before the tide came up. We took many photos of the setting sun and climbed the rocks around the beach. All in all, it was a memorable time exploring a new place in New Zealand. and seeing Little Penguins. We are thankful the rain eased up and that Colin had the time to take us to the coast. We are looking forward to getting back on schedule and completing the course within the next week. And longing for our friends to finally get out of isolation in a few days.
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| Perfect shot |
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| & a perfect view of the bay |
Cheers to a grand day!
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