Akaroa Fascination

I had to look it up – the meaning of the orange rose… fascination, attraction, falling in love… This particular rose is irresistible and just about perfect. And I am rather enamoured of its little friend, who is obviously attracted and possibly fascinated…

I shot this in Akaroa, a port town on the South Island about an hour away from Christchurch (more or less.) It’s rather a resort town now, but back in the day it was the first major settlement on the south island. The French had the idea of setting up a colony there and claiming the south island for France. Obviously that did not go according to plan – but Akaroa is an exceptionally charming town with a distinct French flavour. The main part of town is full of lovely old cottages, mostly well maintained, with amazing amazing gardens… All I really wanted to do was photograph the flowers. But I did manage to tuck into a few shops, buy a new hat, eat a few of the local delights… Sure, I took photos of the buildings and the water and snagged one of a Maori performance troupe just finishing up when I arrived. But really, when I think ‘Akaroa’ this is what I think of…