Day 69 - Monday 13th August - Akaroa to Christchurch

During the night we were buffeted by the stormy weather and it did not stop pelting it down all night.

When we awoke in the morning the weather was just the same, so we headed straight back to Christchurch. We are very glad we made this decision as any later and we may have been stranded.

Along the roadside were many small landslips which blocked a lane of the road and huge amounts of water gushing down the steep volcanic landscape of the peninsular.

Maintenance lorry and half flooded road

Washed down mud

Landslide

Just outside the town of Duvauchelle we were stopped by a road maintenance lorry who told us there had been a large landslide blocking the whole road. This was the only road out of the peninsular!!

We were advised to wait for an hour or two as they were clearing it as we spoke, so we parked up and started watching a film. After about 20 minutes a number of cars passed us in the other direction so figured that the road was passable.

At the landslide it was like a whole field just above the road had burst its guts all over the road and down the hillside below the road. It was huge muddy, gushing torrent of water. There was a big digger trying to fight against the huge torrent of mud and water.

Onward we drove quite glad to have passed and be back on the road. The flood waters in the fields on either side of the road were becoming larger and more frequent, which worried us slightly as the next part of the road was very close to a large lake.

Flooding getting worse

As we entered the village of Little River there was lots of activity and flashing lights, then we noticed the little river had grown creating a huge ford over the road and was lapping at the doors of the houses. Thankfully there was a detour avoiding the metre deep water on the road, although there was a car stuck in the water.

Little River village

Stranded car in the flooded road

Once past Little River we drove past the hundreds of flooded fields with very wet and sad looking cows and sheep but there was not much flooding on the road.

The wet drive back to Christchurch

A few rather flooded fields

A very flooded field near the lake...

...more floods...

...and more...

...and more!

Passing a road sign for "Rossendale Winery" reminded me of home.

A reminder of home

Back in Christchurch we breathed a sigh of relief as we had wondered whether we would get stranded and miss our flight.

Fed up of being out in this weather we found a nice, dry and warm shopping centre to wander around in.

Early afternoon with not much to do and the gale still blowing we went to our campsite and enjoyed relaxing in the campervan with a few games of Carcassonne.

Tomorrow we have to return our home for the last 10 weeks so we are now considering packing and cleaning.