Okains Bay, Akaroa & Pigeon Bay

We spent the day in or around Okains Bay on Friday. The weather was sunny and warm so we walked round the headland to Little Okains Bay where we sat and read our books and I tried taking some 'arty' photos of the wet sand and reflections. The tide was going out so we didn't swim. Later we walked back to have a smoked salmon sandwich with a glass of wine at the van. Very civilised! I spent much the afternoon making lace while M took himself off for another walk. I swam in the river again as the tide came in but it was colder than yesterday because as the tide turned a breeze got up.
Yesterday we woke up to grey skies ! We drove up to the summit road and along and down to Akaroa. This is a charming little town with some very pretty colonial cottages. The French made their one and only attempt to colonise N Z here on Banks Peninsula, and the town retains a French feel to it. We did a bit of shopping and walked right through the town to the main wharf. No cruise ships in the bay today, thank goodness, or we might not have been able to move!! We got back to the van just before lunchtime and decided to drive a little way round the harbour to find a picnic spot...... And we did.....in Robinson's Bay ( have to mention this for Sally & Jonny) and blue sky started to appear ;).
We drove along the harbour to Duvauchelle , where we were sorry to see that the old hotel has had to be demolished due to the earthquake. Then over the hill we went again to Pigeon Bay where there is a small and incredibly cheap campsite ( with v basic facilities) at the waters edge. We walked out along the bay with more great views of coastal landscape,. Pigeon Bay is where the French first came ashore but it was really settled by two Scottish families, the Sinclairs and the Hays. I wonder if the Hays are related to Andrew & Amanda's friend, Sylvia ...apparently descendants of the two families still farm here today. There is a sheltered bay here suitable for swimming when the tide is in. This is our last campsite ' in the wild ' back to so called civilisation tomorrow!
Finished another piece of lace this piece was easier :)