Apologies for the many late updates, but since last time I have successfully deployed to the ice and haven’t had enough internet time for the backlog of posts.
Anyway, three days ago turned out (surprinsingly) to be the last day we spent in Christchurch. A group of us (Annamarie, Stef, Elio, Juan, Nick, and I) took a bus trip out to Akaroa (MÄori for ‘Long Harbour’) which is, surprisingly, at the end of a very long harbour. While there we took a boat trip to see the harbour, some the world’s smallest dolphins, smallest penguins, and most normally-sized seals.
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- The first stop of our touristy bus trip, at an old train station. It had an old train
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- Playground and deer near the station
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- The first view of the long harbour, through the van window
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- Sheep. Still interesting enough to photograph every trip. Plus, one’s a baby
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- One of the best things about Annamarie is how excited she always is. Like here, about whatever she’s photographing (I don’t remember what)
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- Second stop of the trip, with a really good view of the harbour and coutryside
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- Group photo taken for me by our driver. Me, Elio, Annamarie, Stef, Nick, Juan
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- Murphy, the dolphin spotting dog. A feature of the boat ride we took
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- Blue Bus
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- The first dolphin sighting
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- Stef and Murphy, amidst the dolphin-induced excitement
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- Annamarie and Stef during dolphin photography (I was busy with dolphin photography too, but most of my original set didn’t turn out)
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- Juan, getting just the right angle
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- After a brief portrait interlude, I return to dolphins. Here’s a pair of fins
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- Dolphins, getting some air time around the boat
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- Frolicking in the water, in various postures
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- Elephant Rock. Can you see it?
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- Tiny Penguins (can you see them?)
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- Volcanic features. Akaroa was formed in a dormant volcano (as was downtown Christchurch)
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- Penguin swimming. This is the closest we got, and they’re really tiny
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- Palm trees above a small waterfall
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- A portrait of most of the group, featuring Elio
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- Portrait of Nick, the only one missing from the previous one (except me)
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- Murphy in the wind at the front of the boat
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- We find a bunch of seals in the sun. This one is tangled in the weeds
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- This seal poses proudly
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- Ridiculously adorable baby seal watches another dive in
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- But it’s too (adorably) scared to follow
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- Line of seals, up the sunny rocks
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- Annamarie parked at the bow. She convinced me the very front is better than the sides
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- A staircase and ladder up the cliff
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- Back into the port
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- Annamarie poses in a cute touristy sculpture
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- I make the painter paint himself
Hi! I have seen you post a picture of a waterfall in Akaroa, can you please send me directions or point location?
Cheers!
The waterfall was encountered during the boat trip out of Akaroa. I have no memory of it’s location, or even the direction in which we traveled.