Today we pick up our camper van. We are given one Escape have dubbed ‘Gollum’ and is painted with scenes from Lord of the Rings, complete with a child frightening large headed portrait of Gollum on one side, though it could just as easily be called Gandalf as his portrait covers the other side. After driving it for a while to test its character, myself and Caz decide it is just a big softy, so we call her Olive.
Our first stop is the Pak’n’Save to stock up on supplies, before heading off to Akaroa, a wealthy looking village on a harbour on the peninsula to the south east of Christchurch. I find somewhere offering a swimming with dolphins trip in the harbour and I book one for the next morning.
We bush camp at Purple Peak, which is a private and empty camping ground, though there is also a house where we can lodge for the night. However, we decide to choose the cheaper option and find a space at the top of the hill overlooking the bay on one side and lakes amongst the mountain peaks on the other. It’s a bit gusty up there, but the scene beats any we had during our camping experiences on the journey from London to Sydney.
After cooking dinner over a camper gas hob, I sleep on the van while the girls set up their tents.
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| the views from Purple Peaks |
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| Olive, our van |
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