Between 1886 and 1962 there was a railway line between Christchurch and Little River, a small town ½ way between Christchurch and Akaroa. The Little River Rail Trail has recently been developed and it is a refreshingly different way to enjoy the scenery!
The other day we checked it out. We rode from Motukarara to Little River which was 20kms. It took 2 ½ hours, hindered by a head wind in the first half and helped by a back wind in the second half.
Biking along the shore of Lake Ellesmere we were treated to a large range of birdlife but regretfully, lots of midges (a small fly like creature) to bike through made the scenery hard to see! A little further on we finally left them behind and it was oh so much more enjoyable!
At Little River we visited the craft/gift shop inside the old railway station to feel the history. It’s not all commercialised, there are a few historical displays to do some research on.
Then it was lunctime and we went to the Little River Café and Store. It is what it is called. There’s a café and store, but also an art gallery.
The display cabinet was a visual feast - we chose the bacon & egg tart, bacon and egg pie, a pinani and what turned out to be the best of all, soup of the day - Tomato and Coriander – delicious! They make almost everything there in the shop (the bread comes from Christchurch!)
A great place to drop into on the way to or back from Akaroa.
No comments:
Post a Comment