It was the first genuinely sunny day we’ve had in Christchurch, which fortunately landed on a Saturday. We took a “tiki tour” to the Port Hills just south of Christchurch and after a bit of bumbling found ourselves some trails up in the grassy highlands where we could eat our lunch and gaze down at the bay by Lyttleton.
It’s a long way down a steep hillside to Lyttleton where the houses perch precariously on the side hill above the port. I think the residents feel particularly precarious after the earthquakes–all the trails that go down to Lyttleton are closed because of the danger of rock slides.
Yay, a familiar plant! Not that I know its name, but it looks just like the yellow blooming bushes in Bariloche (Patagonia, Argentina) that we saw almost 2 years ago. In the pea family I believe, and they have nasty thorns.
Give It A Burl 
Hi Molly, This bush looks like Gorse, similar to what we have in the UK. It is reported to blossom every month of the year in the UK. Cheers, John Feav.
Hey John, thanks! I looked up Gorse, and you’re right, that’s what we were seeing. Apparently it’s an invasive plant here, and spiny as all get-out, but I appreciated its bright yellow cheeriness.
I see you got a hat knitted. I thought you were going to knit one for you on the plane rides. Milo is very styling in it. Such a handsome boy he is. Hope all is well.
Linda
Yes, Molly your hat came out great. I should try to print out the picture & show it to the gal at the Soldotna knit shop. It is such a clever hat compared to the skull style so many wear. Great job! Glad you got out and about for the day. How’s the left sided driving going?
Yay, I like the hat too! Milo wears the red one I accidentally made too small for myself. Jeremiah thinks it looks like a girl’s hat, but the lady at the bank thinks it’s ok, and I could add a little gray to make it look more boyish.