So the next day it's off exploring again. I've got myself a NZ sim with voice and data, so I can continue to keep in touch with operations back in Australia. Vodafone was the go. Walked in and 5min later I'm ready to go with a prepaid SIM for $35 which gave something like $25 credit, and 10MB/day of data costing $1/day.
Tracey at Charlie B's suggested catching a bus out towards the coast and go and check out Lyttleton and Sumner. With a short walk into town, I found a bus leaving out to Sumner. About 20 minutes later and noticing again how friendly the locals are (everybody shouts out thanks to the bus driver as they get off), I arrive at the seaside town of Sumner. A tiny place that has a main road a few hundred meters long with a nice beach and mountains surrounding. Naturally, it was no problem locating the accomodation there, and so booked in here which of course was the place I'd found in the Lonely Planet guide - Marine Bar and Backpackers.
Tracey at Charlie B's suggested catching a bus out towards the coast and go and check out Lyttleton and Sumner. With a short walk into town, I found a bus leaving out to Sumner. About 20 minutes later and noticing again how friendly the locals are (everybody shouts out thanks to the bus driver as they get off), I arrive at the seaside town of Sumner. A tiny place that has a main road a few hundred meters long with a nice beach and mountains surrounding. Naturally, it was no problem locating the accomodation there, and so booked in here which of course was the place I'd found in the Lonely Planet guide - Marine Bar and Backpackers.
And so off to adventure around the place. Caught a bus on the same $2.80 going back towards Christchurch for a few minutes to get over towards Lyttleton. No bus actually going there, but would be a bit less to walk. After a few kilometers, I was at the Gondola which goes to the top of the mount there. I didn't quite know where that went exactly, all I could see that it went up quite a steep mountain. The road towards Lyttleton is only via a tunnel, and pedestrians are not allowed, so I assumed the gondola or climbing over the mountain was the way there. So it was, but not really directly. After spending about an hour climbing to the top, the other side showed a view to Lyttleton, but no obvious way of getting down.
The gondola was more about a tourist view of Christchurch in the distance and a restaurant. I located some tracks that go around the crater borderlining Lyttleton below, and several hours later after an unexpected and very nice hike I find my way down to the town.
The gondola was more about a tourist view of Christchurch in the distance and a restaurant. I located some tracks that go around the crater borderlining Lyttleton below, and several hours later after an unexpected and very nice hike I find my way down to the town.
By this time it was getting dark. I met some other backpackers at the bus stop there that had found themselves there by accident (caught the wrong bus). The options were to catch another bus back in the general direction (back through the tunnel) and walk back, or walk the coast road back to Sumner (7km). I started walking for a few kilometers, and then decided I needed an express route back, so I put out my thumb, and within seconds the first car stopped. I jumped in and Elissa said she was on her way to Sumner to work. It turns out she works at the Marine Bar & Backpackers and is just going there to socialise. Perfect!
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