QUAIL ISLAND/LITTLE RIVER: AN ADVENTUROUS BOAT RIDE AND A FESTIVAL OF GIANT PUMPKINS
- coupkovasvatava
- Apr 14, 2019
- 2 min read
Quail Island used to be a place where ill people were sent in the past and where Antarctic dogs and ponies were trained before going to the Ice. There are still ruins of old houses and kennels but nor people neither domestic animals live there anymore. I know it because on Saturday morning I took a ferry from Lyttleton harbour and went to spend a day there.
It was a cold and cloudy morning but the sun probably heard me when I called “wake up” and soon I was taking my layers off. The boat ride only took 10 minutes but it was super adventurous and great fun. I was standing outside all the time and was watching big bubbles that the engine was making and that we were leaving behind. Once we got off I joined the people who were coming with us and set off to walk and explore around. The track around the island is 4,5 kilometres long and it is not hard so I did most of it myself. It climbs up to the (very low) summit, goes along cliffs with beautiful views and stops on a few beaches.
On one of them there is an interesting ship wreck close to the shore. I had never seen a ship wreck before (apart from the one in Australia that was almost invisible due to high tide and that I do not remember at all because back then I was just a baby) but I knew straight away that it was a broken boat. I spent an hour throwing rocks and collecting shells in the sun and before it was time to board the ferry back to civilization I watched heron (that I decided to call fantail just for fun) catching small fish.
The ride back was even better because the sun was shining and the sea was nice and choppy. I look forward to going back to Quail Island already!
The weather after my Sunday swimming lesson didn´t look too bad but half way to Little River it changed so when I arrived it was raining. I didn´t mind though because I had my new rain jacket on and it pretty cool so I just put the hood on and that was it. There were small and huge pumpkins all over the place, funny scare crows and nicely decorated gumboots all over the place. I got to taste hot pumpkin soup and yummy waffles and then spent an hour climbing from one giant pumping to another.
Pretty good weekend full or sunshine and rain… autumn I guess.
Your Annie
