Eastern Banks Peninsula

Today woke up with the sun. The morning bird songs sound quite different here. The alpacas are lazily chewing and only a couple of mosquitoes are bothering me on the porch. It's 7 o'clock. Perfect timing for the sports show! Thanks to the VPN via the home Fritzbox, no problem.
For me, adjusting my sleep schedule at home (awake until 6 in the morning) along with the flight seems to have worked out really well.
BreakfastThe bread in New Zealand is generally quite soft, but available with all sorts of seeds. What is sold here as German sourdough bread actually tastes good, you just have to forgo a crust.
Around 11 o'clock, we then set off to the local farmer's market in Little River. A sweet, small market consisting of about 10 stalls and live music.
Then we continued to Akaroa, the largest town on the peninsula. The buildings are predominantly built in the French colonial style and give the town a special atmosphere. The boat tour we booked was postponed to tomorrow due to technical issues. As consolation, we had an ice cream. More pictures probably tomorrow when we stay longer in the city.
After that, things got adventurous. Julia wanted to visit various viewpoints. And here you suddenly feel transported to another world. A yellow sign - road goes down to one lane, speed 40. One lane means ONE LANE. Coincidentally, the road is wider at some points and you can pass each other. And then at some point the road consists only of gravel. Important and noteworthy signs: Signs stating 'Road not suitable for camping trailers and camper vans' should be heeded. Only suitable for 4-wheel drives - yes, they mean it that way. So important tip, if you don't want to miss anything, take an SUV. Of the 6 planned points, we only managed to visit 2.
Stony Bay SaddleAs mentioned, the drive was adventurous, but the view along the way and at the viewpoint was definitely worth it.
Le Bons
Beautiful bay with rocky cliffs. The sand is phenomenally fine. The water in the bay also seems to be quite shallow, making it inviting for swimming. During the walk, a sea lion also appeared on the beach. They apparently have little respect for humans and are unbothered.
The return journey on the 'Tourist Drive' offered numerous wonderful views of the bay.

Burgers at Little River Inn.

End of the day at Birdlings Flat Beach. The beach consists of countless river pebbles that often have the ideal shape for skipping on the water. Here you should also be able to simply find fossils. However, on the two previous days, it was always very windy and uncomfortable here.