We decided to stay out of Christchurch for the last night of our holiday and drove to Akaroa on the coast. It was a longer drive than expected, because the road is very windy as you pass over a mountain, but it was still worth the effort. It is a quaint, little French-influenced town, and although it is apparently very busy during summer, it was very quiet when we visited. My only complaint was that the restaurants were all open, nearly all had no customers or just one table of customers, and yet the prices were very high - good city restaurant prices. However, watching the amazing sunset over the bay made the drive there worthwhile.
From journal Wanaka Delights