We arrived in Christchurch and after a short deviation to the Arctic Centre where we started our photographic exploitation of New Zealand… 100 photos later… we caught a taxi into town.

After discussing our detailed itinerary with Malcolm our taxi driver, we were recommended against staying in Methven as its main attraction is as a ski resort, not so much a summertime holiday destination. Malcolm recommended instead that we take a short trip to Akaroa, a beautiful small town on the east coast.

As we pondered this decision, we again met up with another Akaroa enthusiast, the line they used to convince us was: there’s Spain, there’s Rome, there’s Melbourne, there’s Mexico and then there’s Akaroa. Their applause and accholades of the small town convinced us that it was worth a visit.

Arriving late into Akaroa, we were already taken by the beautiful sunset hovering over the still lake and our admiration for the small town was heightened when we checked into a beautiful bed and breakfast set in a beautiful colonial style heritage house on the waterfront.

We had dinner at a caravan on the side of the road which served up the most wonderful prawn & noodle curries and with the image of the setting sun, the memory of our experience was forever engraved in our minds.

There’s Italy, there’s London, there’s Sydney and then… there’s Akaroa