Notes from Lyttelton Feb-May 2026
Some of you have heard that our sea-worthy and well-used Perkins engine finally gave up the ghost 40NM outside of our NZ South Island destination of Christchurch. Te Ana Marina is actually in Lyttelton, but this was to be our one-month base for visiting family.
We knew this was a likely possibility: the engine meeting its end of service. And also... we are so SO grateful the fail happened in an english speaking country with reliable transportation, regular exchange of goods with well stocked close neighbors and marine expertise. Honestly, could NOT have happened in a better place! Some aspects, however, reminded us we are still in Polynesia.
So we settled in to the mindset that we would be here for a while and thankful that this was already where we had planned to receive visitors.
Tanner and Hannah arrived first. Tanner has fantastic friends in Christchurch (Miles and Eva) who had graciously received packages for us as we worked to get things sorted. They are delightful, diligent outdoorsy people and Miles had planned an extraordinary tramp in the Southern Alps. I'll just say that Tanner has a propensity for collecting friends who seem to be determined to run each other off the stamina charts/ into the ground: hiking, kayaking, skiing, cycling... and Hannah is the loveliest of them all ;-) Hannah and Tanner returned to the boat/marina needing some well-earned rest. We enjoyed a hired boat trip out of nearby Akaroa. On our sailing voyage we heard about the natural and cultural history of the Banks Peninsula. We saw Hector's dolphins at the bow, NZ fur seals sunning themselves and frolicking in tide pools and a very special sighting of a Little Blue penguin resting and preening at the surface in the bay! It was just the right pace for the day.
Tanner and Hannah had another big outdoor adventure rafting and camping then it was time for the round up. There was one day overlap between T&H and Channing and Finn visits. So we gathered the Fun Youngs -- Tanner, Hannah, Miles, Eva, Channing and Finn -- for Waka on the Avon and dinner in Christchurch. NB Eva represented our group VERY well in the contest for front seat. We all had a blast paddling and keeping the beat.
Slide show of Tanner and Hannah's visit
Onward with Channing and Finn. With our yacht perma-parked at the Marina, a road trip seemed the next best thing. Finn finds things. It's just one of his well-cultivated practices and skills. So we had asked them to give us some ideas of what they would like to do while they were here. Funny thing! South Island looks small; the distances look short on a map but the DRIVING is an altogether different puzzle to solve. What looks like it would be a one hour drive will be easily two hours to two and a half. Two-lane roads, near vertical ascents with hairpin turns, tractors traveling, and one-lane bridges contribute to this drive time warp. So we had to pare back his itinerary by a third to half! Priority was Seals, Southern Alps Tramping and West Coast Glacier with perhaps some Wine. Seals are Finn's life-long interest and we got to see seals galore! At the Omauru Blue Penguin colony, we saw fur seals hanging with LIttle Blue penguins as the wee Blues surfed onto shore and made their way to nests. The next day we went to a lighthouse on a bluff and encountered so many more seals warming in the sun or practicing swim maneuvers in tide pools. Then up to Arthur's Pass for a tramp through beechwood forest to tundra terrain. West coast alluvial plains and funky towns brought us to the town of Franz Joseph. Or glacier flight was nabbed from the jaws of unpredictable weather, but no landing. Altogether it all worked out very well indeed. Boxes Ticked!
Slide show of Channing and Finn's visit
At this point we expected to come back to a plan for remove and replace boat engine. Something we could put on the near-dates calendar and then apply ourselves to next sea-going destinations. Furey was scheduled to join us on the North Island for some sailing fun and relaxation; we had heard stellar reports about cruising the Bay of Islands. This is where we were reminded that we are still in Polynesia :: Island Time. No muscle required. No American "die by the schedule" need apply. Circular conversations. Smiles. Follow Up in a couple days..scatch that... weeks. She'll be 'right.
Furey flew down to, you guessed it, Christchurch. And then, you guessed it, we headed out on a road trip that only South Island can serve up! It was different, it was chockers with wildlife, and it was further South than we had been before! Each of us agreed we would live in Dunedin if it were not for the winters... isn't that all of Scotland? We had a blast in that city and soaked ourselves in guided wildlife tours. Perfect weather days for each one, especially the Royal Albatross Center. The wind was up: three chicks in view, one being fed by a parent, a showy gathering of teenagers comparing talents, with flight lift-offs and landings happening all around. Extraordinary and truly special. We continued into the foothills of the East side of the Southern Alps. Cromwell was the staging area for us to have an awesome adventure on bikes. Cycling is THE reason for the season in this area Cromwell/Clyde and we nailed the Lake Dunstan ride. Kinda funny that this was Furey's first foray in to the world of e-bikes... I'm sure his take on it is uniquely his ;-) It's all S&Gs for Mike and me. I think we shocked the shorts off the guy when we returned because I think we returned to rental base in the shortest time EVAH! Next stop, Mt Cook...
Slide show of Furey's visit
