akaroa sunshine

Last weekend, we had the most wonderful weather for a day in Akaroa, a sweet little town about an hour’s drive from Christchurch. Honestly, it exceeded our expectations by far. The rolling hills surrounding this gorgeous little bay were just breathtaking. We were lucky to have the town all to ourselves too. Apparently there are plenty of cruise ships that make their stop here.

We started the day with a leisurely breakfast in Christchurch at Little Poms which has come highly recommended by locals. Totally worth it, plus, amazing coffee. We then took a slow drive to Akaroa where we spent the morning taking photos and just wandering around the waterfront; looking at the sweet little shops, drinking coffee and just taking in the views.

Basically, if there’s a winery/brewery anywhere nearby, you can count on us being there! There were two wineries in Akaroa. The first was Meniscus Wines, and seriously, the views from here were incredible. An Australian couple bought this little vineyard about 10 years ago after moving to New Zealand for a sea change. They had the sweetest little set up overlooking the bay, and we were treated to a lovely tasting from their small collection of wines, plus a cheeky glass of riesling on their terrace. We could have spent all day there!

The second was Akaroa Winery, where we’d actually stopped beforehand, but no one was home! We phoned the number on the door and got a friendly apology from Allan, the owner, saying him and the team were out celebrating after having picked the last of their grapes earlier that morning. He invited us to come back later, which we did! We had a lovely experience one-on-one with Allan, who showed us through their small factory and the process of pressing their freshly picked chardonnay grapes. A fully organic vineyard and a wonderful selection of wines. We accidentally came away with 3 bottles - oops!

We ended the day with one of Allan’s recommendations for fish and chips, Akaroa Fish & Chips, washed down with a New Zealand fizzy, L&P (Lemon & Paeroa).

Overall, a lovely afternoon spent in Akaroa. I can’t wait to go back!