Sumner Sleep Out

Friday, 16th February
This evening, Anita and Steve (Luke's parents) are coming back from their adventure on a motor bike. So, we're moving round the corner to an Airb&b called Sumner Sleep out. We do lots of chores and make sure everything is ship shape for Steve & Anita.
We have lunch in Joe's Garage in the village and watch some of the Olympics on the tv there. We haven't seen any up to now! It is amazingly windy and things are being blown about everywhere - apparently, it is quite normal for the wind to get up like this for a few hours.
We pack our bags and move round the corner to our little shed in the garden

(very cleverly done with nice en suite shower room, huge bed and Sky TV! There's a big map of New Zealand on the wall so Tricia spends a long time getting her bearings of the two islands. The Sleep Out is owned by Tamsin & Daniel (originally from UK 20 years ago) with their son Jago.
Just 5 minutes from the beach, this area is an amazing variety of house styles, with old and new, beautiful and ugly sitting side by side, most with well tended gardens and vibrant flowers. Also running around at amazing regularity is the Purple Bus which goes to Christchurch centre and then to the airport. We would never be walking along without seeing the friendly Purple Bus.
Because of the friendliness and TV at Joe's Garage, we decide to return there for supper (we're letting Steve & Anita settle in with K&L). New Zealand are playing Australia in a T20 match, so we get great viewing seats. What a match - NZ broke a long standing record to score 243 runs during their innings with some incredible batting. We walk quickly home at the interval to watch the second half at Sleep Out. Australia do the unthinkable and score

even more runs than (NZ) partly due to too many wides and no balls by Kiwi bowlers), and they win the match. Great entertainment.

Saturday, 17th February
We enjoy Tamsin's delicious home-made granola and whilst we are eating it in the sunny garden, she appears with 2 warm croissants from the bakery. Such a friendly couple.
With the other 4 we drive over to Lyttleton weekly market - great bread, fresh fruit and veg and quirky crafts, as well as several second hand stalls. There's a lot of what you would call "alternative" people in Lyttleton and some very strange outfits being worn. We have coffee being entertained by buskers and then walk over the bridge to get the foot ferry to Diamond Harbour (which Tricia thought was an island but is, in fact, a peninsula but miles/hours away by car). Tricia & Jim being the only ones over 60, get to travel free! The ferry girl didn't even want to see our ID which was a bit disconcerting - do we look that old now? Karina needs ID to prove she is over 21!
We walk up the hill to Stoddart Point and visited Stoddart Cottage, a Victorian cottage overlooking a cricket pitch. We had lunch in the Preserved Cafe (one minute it was full sun, then it rained and vice versa). We followed the footpath round the contours taking in the fabulous views of the turquoise sea as we walked. Being early for the hourly ferry we sat on a seat overlooking the bay for about 20 minutes. It was very windy but very refreshing. There was an interesting black statue at this point which we think was a mother and child looking out to sea.
When we went down to the jetty to wait 20 minutes for our ferry, we were entertained by local youngsters clambering up on to a crane or roof and then jumping into the water. They could so easily have hurt themselves as it seemed dangerous to us (wouldn't have been allowed in UK - elf & safety) but they were all fine and having brilliant fun.
Back at Sumner Jim and Luke blew up the Stand Up Paddle boards and took them across to the water. We squeezed Jim into Luke's wet suit but he could hardly move until it loosened up. Then he did very well indeed and was even riding the waves. He fell off a few times but then, so did Karina and Luke. The rest of us were very brave and went swimming in the freezing sea - so

cold it felt like it was cutting your feet off, but you did get used to it.
Supper was quiche & salad and plenty of nice wine, before we had a reasonably early night.

Sunday, 18th February
It's a big day for Karina and Luke as they collect their new toy. We drive them into Christchurch where ADA is waiting outside the house for them. Jim and I leave them to it and go into Christchurch. We have tickets for the train that goes round the Botanical Gardens with the driver commentary. It's all very

relaxed as we learn lots about the history and plants/trees in the gardens and we stop for a visit in the magnificent Begonia glass house.
We went back into the town centre and after another walk around sat and had lunch in Regent's Street which is pedestrianised apart from the old trams.
We have another viewing of ADA which is cleverly parked round the back by the garages. We can tell they will have a lot of fun exploring New Zealand in ADA.
The farewell supper for the 6 of us was a BBQ at K&L's house - and delicious it was too. We have become quite used to eating vegetarian meals now and enjoy them. Steve & Anita are also leaving tomorrow. We say our fond and emotional farewells to K&L (it's sad but we know how happy they are together, so not too sad) before we head back round to Sleep Out where we watch the cricket between Eng & NZ.
We have to get up early in the morning and have our hired car back to the airport at 7.15, so we have our last night's sleep in Sumner.