Driving on the Wrong Side

So yesterday we went to Akaroa as a day trip. Akaroa is one of those stupefyingly beautiful places. On the drive up, I was wildly taking pictures out of the car window. At first, I was aiming, but after a while I just started sticking my arm out and clicking in every direction. It didn't matter. Everything was friggin' beautiful!

It was only slightly less enjoyable for Mike. I say slightly less enjoyable because he was the one driving.. on the wrong side of the rode... on the wrong side of the car. Things were crazy! It was soooo odd sitting in the driver's seat and facing nothing but the glove compartment. The rear-view window showed me nothing!



It was even worse for Mike. All of the shifting was on his left side (thank goodness it wasn't mirrored). The blinker was where the windshield wipers were. And vice verse! The rear-view mirror kept on staring at him, trying to tell him something. He's in the passenger side of the car! What could it have to say?

It was also awkward to keep the car in the middle of the road. Poor Mike was totally used to keeping a different part of it in line, so we kept on weaving a bit and I would have to let him know when the wheels on my side went off the road. (Don't panic, Mom -- we didn't die)

Anyhow, it was all so freaking beautiful. We rounded the top of a small mountain / large hill and saw Akaroa, and it was sooooo GORGEOUS. It was one of those breathless moments. It's on the shore of a bay, so it smells like the sea, but it's super calm. It's surrounded by those mountains / small hills and the clouds creep in over the top of them and cast large, swirly shadows over everything.

The coloration of everything was so vivid! They sky was extra blue somehow, so the water was brilliant. There are so many kinds of trees here, and each one has a distinct color and texture. Walking in this area is endlessly beautiful, and it was warm enough that we could take of our coats for most of the day (don't be too envious -- it's raining and freezing today).

The main attraction we went to see was the Giant's House. This place is kind of like a gallery / bed and breakfast owned by this one particular artist. The whole place was kind of magical. The entire property was one big installation that had the look of a still life Mad Hatter's tea party. She mingled her artwork and the natural foliage of the garden together beautifully so the whole thing blended in to this colorful, bizarre environment. I'm not going to tell you any more about it. You'll have to see pictures.

Mike got some fabulously greasy fish and chips, and I got some hush puppy variants for lunch (and then some sadly sub-par fudge). Then we walked and walked everywhere and came back to Christchurch again.

It was quite a day. Wish you could have seen it!