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Timaru Passed
Jan. 4th, 2014 09:59 pmAfter sailing the night we were to wake at the port of Timaru. The seas were too rough so the ship bypassed Timaru and sailed on through the day. The hospitality staff quickly organized lectures and a trivia contest to fill the time. Our tours were canceled and the money refunded. Timaru is a very small town but it would have been fun to see it.
We sailed on the Akaroa which is the port for Christchurch. The bay is the caldera of an extinct volcano and has a very small mouth. The winds were still strong and we waited for a while outside in the ocean. They would not let us make an entrance if the wind was over 30 knots. About 3 pm the winds were low enough that we were allowed into the bay to spend the night.
Akaroa is a tender port. There are no big docks and no big town.It was acquired from the Maori under suspicious circumstance by a man named Banks. He sold the land on to French and German emigrants. Consequently there are many residents who fly the French flag. The ship started running tenders into town so we went in for an hour to see what the village was like as our tour the next day would be 9 hours so there wouldn't be time then. Our first mission was to find a bank. We had been in New Zealand for several days and had no local cash. As we walked by a pub we met some of the towns “old guys” holding court. When they found out we were from Colorado they ask about the sale of marijuna that had just been made legal on January 1st. We passed them again on our way back to the pier as well. One ask if we were going on the farm tour. I explained that I had seen a farm before. I fact I was still a farmer. Ron produced photographic evidence showing the aerial views and I started fielding questions to see what I knew. We bought a few postcards in town and took the tender back for supper. We made it an early night because the next day was a nine hour tour off the boat.
Akaroa is a tender port. There are no big docks and no big town.It was acquired from the Maori under suspicious circumstance by a man named Banks. He sold the land on to French and German emigrants. Consequently there are many residents who fly the French flag. The ship started running tenders into town so we went in for an hour to see what the village was like as our tour the next day would be 9 hours so there wouldn't be time then. Our first mission was to find a bank. We had been in New Zealand for several days and had no local cash. As we walked by a pub we met some of the towns “old guys” holding court. When they found out we were from Colorado they ask about the sale of marijuna that had just been made legal on January 1st. We passed them again on our way back to the pier as well. One ask if we were going on the farm tour. I explained that I had seen a farm before. I fact I was still a farmer. Ron produced photographic evidence showing the aerial views and I started fielding questions to see what I knew. We bought a few postcards in town and took the tender back for supper. We made it an early night because the next day was a nine hour tour off the boat.
