Daily Photo – Zed’s Shed at the Akaroa Farmers Market
The first morning I was in Akaroa, the farmers’ market was on, so I took the opportunity to stop in for a slow wander around the various stalls. There’s something about a small-town market that feels instantly reassuring. The trestle tables, the hum of polite conversation, the scent of baking and coffee drifting through the cool coastal air. It’s less about what you buy and more about the ritual of being there.
While I was making my unhurried circuit, I stopped at a food truck called Zed’s Shed and ordered a bacon butty for brunch. It arrived wrapped in paper, warm in the hands, unapologetically simple yet delivered with flair. And I must say, it was very good. So good, in fact, that I briefly considered going back for a second. I stood there weighing up the decision with the seriousness of a man facing a life choice. In the end, however, my need for coffee proved greater than my appetite, so I set off in search of caffeine.
Daily Photo – The Ellesmere Brass Band Hall
According to the internet, Leeston is a charming rural town in Canterbury, offering a quiet escape with quality schools, plenty of local dining and numerous fishing spots. It has an oversized longfin tuna sculpture and even a brass band that’s one of the oldest in the South Island. I know this because I looked it up.
What it doesn’t tell you is that some idiot, who has forgotten how to drive, will cut you off as they pull onto the high street, forcing you to stop suddenly at a pedestrian crossing while two gentlemen make their way across the road at the sort of pace that suggests this is the only thing they’ve got to do all day.
South Canterbury Farm Shed
I have to admit that there’s one thing I love discovering beyond perfect barbecuing weather, it’s old or abandoned houses, sheds or buildings. Whenever I’m driving somewhere, invariably I’ll find myself pulling over on the side of the road, next to an empty field that contains some time of derelict structure. When I’m with my family, this is usually accompanied with an audible groan from the rest of the car as it often entails waiting while I stare in amazement at the crumbling remains of a factory or homestead out of the car window.
However, on this occasion, being the only occupant in the car I could stop wherever I wanted. And, that’s exactly what I did.
… from a Small City. My daily musings from Ōtepoti to get you inspired. Read the blog, view the photos, embrace the creativity.
