#dailyat6am, Akaroa, Canterbury, South Island, Wild Horses

Akaroa War Memorial

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Daily Photo – Akaroa War Memorial

When at last I arrived in Akaroa, I checked in at the Grand Central Hotel, where I was booked for several nights. I dropped my bags on the bed, had a quick rummage around the room, then headed straight back out onto the main street for a wander.

It was late afternoon, that in-between hour when the hospitality world quietly shifts from day to evening. Tables were being cleared, chairs nudged into place, menus swapped over, and family groups gathered on corners, pointing in various directions as they tried, with mixed success, to agree on dinner.

At the end of Rue Lavaud the shops gave way, replaced by a large garden reserve. At its centre stands the Akaroa war memorial, surrounded by benches and carefully tended gardens. Rising from the middle is an elaborate, free-standing cupola, complete with a granite spire and flying buttresses, proudly displaying the names of those remembered from war. As far as war memorials go, it’s a rather impressive one, the sort of structure that seems to have been designed with great confidence and then left to quietly get on with the job ever since.

#dailyat6am, Akaroa, Canterbury, New Zealand, South Island, Wild Horses

Akaroa Farmers Market

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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.

#dailyat6am, #fromtheroad, Canterbury, Leeston, Wild Horses

The Ellesmere Brass Band Hall

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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.

Aotearoa, Canterbury, South Canterbury

South Canterbury Farm Shed

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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.