Due to the earthquakes in Christchurch a few years ago, cruise ships are anchoring in nearby Akaroa until the port of Christchurch is able to handle cruise ships again. The captain warned us that due to high winds, we might not be able to tender into Akaroa, but in the morning I guess things looked good enough for passengers to go ashore. Valerie booked us a tour yesterday via the Internet and after disembarking we had about an hour to burn before the tour started. We wandered around the main beachfront promenade and then to the library which was surrounded by cruise passengers, a sign of free WiFi. We checked our email before heading to the meeting place for the tour.

The tour bus drove us into the nearby hills surrounding Akaroa. The bus driver mentioned that the land and harbor around Akaroa were formed by an ancient volcano. He speculated that the rocky soil allowed it to withstand the earthquake much better than the sandy soil of Christchurch. Along the way, we stopped at a cheese factory, but didn’t buy any cheese.

After the tour, the winds picked up considerably. Valerie was worried that the weather would get worse, so we headed back to the ship early. She was right. When we returned, the captain had decided to stop passengers from disembarking. Other passengers returning later in the day reported that their tenders were pummeled by waves and flooded during the return trip. According to some reports, one of the tenders experienced some engine problem during a return voyage, stranding several passengers for hours.