Hospital to Chch via Akaroa

Our plans for today had an interesting turn when Dad bumped his head on the corner of the car boot - we were about ten minutes away from leaving for a mini-holiday to Akaroa and Christchurch, and from my bedroom window I heard "oh no" and the boys giving some sort of response.  First Aid to the rescue...there was so much blood gushing out Dad's head though that I got Nick to phone for an ambulance straight away.  The paramedics were lovely, and got the bleeding to stop.  Since we couldn't get a doctors' appointment until the afternoon, they took him to the hospital in the ambulance where we waited for about an hour.  The doctor on duty gave him a tetanus injection and applied medical glue to the opening - a much more efficient dressing than stitches and bandages. 

Pleased to say that Dad is none the worse and was still keen and ready for travel - certainly an unforeseen diversion! 
Stopping at the top of the hill before the descent into Akaroa itself is a must-do, especially on a clear day, and more so when you have spent a few hours in a hot car in summer (which apparently started today)!

Our plans for Akaroa initially were to spent the night and attend one of the International Music Festival concerts, but accommodation didn't pan out so we simply parked the car and spent an hour or two meandering the main streets and playground, stopping at the fudge shop of course.

 Mouse Choir set up in the church above...unusual idea!

 We were desperate for shade and refreshment, so found a spot on a bench under a tree to enjoy cold drinks.  Pity that the powers that be hadn't realized that the hedge right in front of the bench was a bit of a view blocker!

Arrived at our Top 10 destination in Christchurch early evening, and after a quick unpack, got back in the car and drove around looking for a suitable takeaway venue for tea.  We accidentally ended up cruising around the red zone area and even took a look at Re:Start, the container mall.  Lovely spot and quite ingenious.