Pigeon Bay

Wow, another sunny weekend in Christchurch and another new beach adventure. Last weekend, we traveled to Pigeon Bay on Banks Peninsula. Located 77km from Christchurch, Pigeon Bay feels lost in another decade. The houses are still proper Kiwi baches, tourists don't venture down the steep winding road, and the people are local and down to earth. On a windy day, too, the bay has a nice sheltered swimming area with dolphins, a pier and a giant rope swing. Anna loved sailing out over the water!

While Anna is nowhere near as adventurous as me, she has plenty of spunk. The trait she has that I treasure the most is her ability to make good observations. To me, being observant is more important than knowing how to read at age 3, winning prizes at school, excelling at athletics, etc. Anna notices things in nature, how people are feeling, beautiful pieces of beach glass, how to construct an outfit out of fabric scraps, the list goes on. I feel like no matter what she chooses to do, if she takes the time to make good observations, she will find success.

Speaking of observations, I also observed some good looking bikes at Pigeon Bay. What a treat to bike along as a family enjoying the sunshine!

Awesome Awaroa

Godley Head is the headland located between Christchurch and its port at Lyttleton. It was originally named Awaroa by the Maori, meaning "Long River," but it was renamed Godley Head in 1900 after Englishman John Robert Godley, the founder of the Christchurch settlement. Rocky volcanic cliffs and brown rolling grassland give the ancient (10 million year old) volcano its beauty. It's a recreational playground crisscrossed with mountain biking tracks, walking trails, and picnic areas. During World War II, extensive armaments were constructed around the headland to ward off German submarines. Soldiers excavated a 110-metre tunnel to the beach adjacent to the harbour mouth, and we spent Sunday afternoon on an adventure through the tunnel.

I really hoped we didn't have an earthquake while in the tunnel! Happily, I didn't see any signs of loose or unstable rocks. Andesitic porphyries, ancient soil horizons, waves crashing on boulders, and jumping Hector's dolphins greeted us on the other side. We had a wonderful picnic lunch admiring the rocks and wildlife and then spent a while exploring the old fortifications.

Anna's attire is self-designed. She has been turning all sorts of fabric scraps and scarves into skirts and dresses. Her creativity is refreshing, but sometimes the safety pins slip, exposing underwear and other parts. I laugh and encourage her to think a bit more about design :-) The above picture illustrates her Australia scarf-turned-skirt. Except the skirt is only 1-sided! At the sandy beach afterwards, we were fully clothed! With a water temperature of 60F and an air temperature of 70F, our beach swim required wetsuits. I kind of remember those warm Florida beaches and burning hot sand, but it seems like another lifetime....

Summer Again!

Christmas in Cromwell came replete with a giant parcel from America. With the sun shining and mountains of presents from home, I started the morning by laying out a treasure hunt all over the house and garden. A clue linked each pile of presents, and Anna had to use her nature skills to navigate to the next stash. A self confessed "sleep-later," Anna had to be woken up at 9am to get the party started. I loved that each present smelled like home and had shiny American wrapping paper.

Back in Christchurch for New Year's, I was elated to get back to enjoying a snowflake-free summer. We had a nice BBQ with friends Bronwyn, Ben and Olivia followed by 3 days of mountain biking bliss. Our city has amazing single track trails weaving through our pine plantations. I cannot resist putting in a picture of my new bike jewelry, a Hope hydraulic disc brake with braided hose and floating rotor, CNC made in England:

Maybe you won't marvel at my brake as much as I do, but our night at the beach was marvelous! After sweltering in 89.5F heat all day (how can I say that? I grew up in Florida!), we went to Corsair Bay for a late evening swim. The lighting was fantastic, and the beach was still crowded with revelers. Sand castles, sand rivers, seashells, volcanic rocks and tranquil saltwater all mingled to make it a memorable family event.

Sure enough, a cold southerly blew through the following day and I am now staring at wet gray skies. But for a moment, the air was warm and still and we played until sunset.