A Grandma Day Out

Our niece/grand-daughter Sam organised us to go to Akaroa today. This was a great thing to do at Winter Solstice, a moody time of year with dramatic clouds, hazy light over Lake Ellesmere, patches of sunlight on the hills, and a rainbow. Then there’s the breath-taking view over Akaroa (long harbour) from the summit before the road winds back down to sea level.

We stopped at the Little River Gallery which Sam and I explored. It was great to see the work of Robin Slow again, which I’d seen at CoCA recently in the pop-up museum exhibition Ngā Hau Ngākau.

We arrived in Akaroa in time for lunch. A whitebait omelette for Mum, seafood chowder for me and vegetarian quesadilla for Sam.

Afterwards, we took a look at The Giant’s House, but Mum would never manage to climb the steps. Instead, we headed for the museum. Mum decided to stay in the car (really??) – even though we found a park right outside. Oh well, maybe if I get to Mum’s age I’ll be reluctant to go into the past yet again – or perhaps I’ll worry that I’ll be mistaken for an exhibit! Sam and I enjoyed the extensive collections including the oldest cottage in Akaroa on one side of the museum and the court house on the other.

My sister-in-law recommended The Cake Room. Again, Mum declined to join us (sigh!) even though we got a park directly opposite (see photo below – that’s our red car) so Sam and I took a quick look and bought some cakes to take away. There was a bookshop in the same restored villa – with a resident dog.

A gallery took up another part of the house, with the delightful Cake Room in another part.

It was time to head home. Google maps invited us to to take the scenic stock route, but we took the more direct road and enjoyed spotting all sorts of stock anyway: sheep, horses, belted galloways, goats, shetland ponies, alpacas and chooks. A great day out, thanks Sam!

Finally, the day is topped off with The Cake Room lamingtons for dessert. They are delicious, lightly dipped in raspberry syrup and finished with shredded coconut, a dab of cream and a pansy flower. Sweet!