I have been in Christchurch for ten days.
We have done lots of things and been
lots of places. One place was Birdlings Flat
on the Kaitorete Spit on Banks Peninsula...
On the way to Akaroa.
It's a wild desolate place... Why did I want to go there?
To gather these beautiful coloured stones.
The road into Birdlings Flat beach and residential area.
Even the road in looks desolate...
It's a wild stony beach on the East Coast of the South Island.
This is the beginning of Lake Forsyth...
It's fed both from a channel at the far end of the beach
which is dredged out from time to time and also the
water seeps under all the stones.
Stones... Stones...
And more stones as far as you can see.
The waves are wild and strong. They crash onto the stones...
And suck out again...
Get caught in them and you would be history.
Many dogs have drowned here chasing sticks.
Over time the sea has made high banks of stones.
Walking up them is a mission... One step up...
Two down again... But there are millions
of coloured stones to be found.
These are the few I picked up... To take home to my bus!
This is some of the residential area.
People live here for the fishing...
I'm told it's good surf casting... Kahawai to be caught...
I'll come back in my bus and find out how they do it
in such rough surf.
It was bitterly cold... The wind was piercing and
lovely as it was to visit and re-live some old memories
of going there over the years...
I was pleased to get back into the car and turn up the heater!
