12th February 2010

Up at 7.30am, had the remains of my curry for breakfast, heated up in the microwave. Dot picked me up and I swanned off leaving Mum & Fran to pay the bill. First Dot took me to Mona Vale house and gardens in Christchurch. It was the home of a first settler. We spent our time wandering round the rose beds and talking. Prizes were had for the most words per minute, any donkeys would have lost their hind legs. I would include a photo of Dot but she isn't mad keen on having her photo taken never mind posted on a website, so I won't. You'll just have to imagine her as drop dead gorgeous, blonde and fit. After having coffee and cake in the house we went off to the beach to Sumner Rock. This was blow out of the Port Hills when they were still an active volcano; not recently then. We walked on the beach, lovely, I love beaches. We had lunch at the Rock Cafe and Dot treated me. Then we drove over the Port Hills and stopped at the view point where I took these pictures of the wonderful view. This is the deep water port for Christchurch. The early settlers had to anchor here and port all their stuff over the top of the hills. By the time we got back to the car, it was 14.50 and I had said I would meet the terrible twosome at three, so we only just had time to rush over to Dot's via the Lyttleton Tunnel. Each year the tunnel is closed on a Sunday and a walk takes place through it. We just had time for a pot of tea at Dot's and then we left Christchurch. It was too short a stay. The day which had started out wet and miserable was now really hot and sunny, and the drive to Kaikoura was really lovely