It was time to head home. Home to Christchurch and back to The Chocs, my lovely lockdown family. I had missed them and was looking forward to seeing them again. The drive from Kaikoura to Christchurch was only 180km, so I started the day gently. With a drive to the edges of Kaikoura Town town to check out any places I might have missed.
It was a pretty grey day and there weren’t many people about at all. The combination of a holiday town in winter and post-Covid lockdown, I supposed. But whatever, it was too damp to wander without a plan for too long, so after another visit to the seal colony, I headed to the Beach Cafe for a blueberry pancake breakfast. And a long old yarn with a local called Jon. Travelling is not only about the places, no matter how beautiful, but the people too. I’ve missed the people.
State Highway 1 from Kaikoura to Christchurch is almost entirely coastal. And also runs alongside the train track that I had travelled down after my InterIslander ferry trip all those weeks ago. I had enjoyed that train ride so much, but it was even better to see the coast from the road. And be able to stop and gawp from time to time. Like I did when I saw five intrepid surfers out on the water. And when I turned and looked in the other direction to see an enormous rainbow.
When I reached Cheviot, I made a detour to visit Gore Bay. On the advice of Jon from the Beach Cafe. A descending, winding road from the town leads you to the bay. And there lies a 3km long, beautiful sand and shingle beach. In the summer it’s a popular surfing beach, but there was no such action here today. Just a couple of dog-walkers. And me. I parked up and walked along to the point.
The beach was full of curious shells, seaweeds, pine cones, and pebbles. And beautifully worn pieces of driftwood. I kept my head mostly down as I collected bits and pieces and put them in my pockets. I think I must have spent over an hour walking and beach combing and studying the treasures, as I saw them, that the tide had brought in. And when I was walking back I saw a fence where people had made offerings of stones. So I found a bit of dried sea grass and tied my stone to the fence as well. And laid down the other curios I’d collected on the grass in front. Once again, I remembered frangipani offerings at Cape Byron. And felt so grateful for all of the wonderful places I have found myself in over the last ten months.
Yorumlar