“Come on, Aunty Katrina”, my nine-year-old twin grand-nieces called back to me as we were running for the ferry. “The ferry’s coming!” they urgently informed me, with a touch of panic on their faces. I really was trying to be as fleet of foot as possible, but to their nine-year-old young, fit, and athletic bodies, it wasn’t anywhere near fleet enough. Such is the gap of 57 years between us.

The afore-mentioned nine-year-old twins were in my care for the day, and I decided that a trip to Diamond Harbour on the ferry would be a fun thing to do. Diamond Harbour is a small settlement ten minutes across the water by ferry from the town of Lyttleton, which contains Christchurch’s main seaport. Lyttleton is located a smidgen south of Christchurch, and has always had its own unique ‘edge’. A few very convivial evenings were spent in pubs there in my younger and more daring days.

I laid out the plan for the day to the twins, and one immediately told me that she gets seasick. Upon further questioning, it turned out that the last time she was on a fishing trip on a yacht with her father and uncle, she got queasy. I assured her that the trip between Lyttleton and Diamond Harbour was quick, so she wouldn’t have time to feel sick. The other twin asked what there was to do there, and didn’t think that just having lunch sounded very exciting. Not to be thwarted – because, truth to tell, I had never crossed over to Diamond Harbour on the ferry before, and wanted to do it – I made promises that we didn’t have to stay long. They eventually agreed that if nothing else, going on a ferry for the first time could be interesting.

There’s a road to Diamond Harbour, too, which wends its way around Lyttleton Harbour, and is a lovely drive of about 60 mins from Christchurch, but I had a hankering for going there on the ferry at least once. The ferry is not a big one, but appears to be well patronised. Certainly, on the day we travelled in it, it carried a lot of passengers each way. Unsurprisingly, the girls – both young and old – enjoyed it.

When we disembarked at Diamond Harbour, there was an uphill hike of a little less than a kilometre to get to the town, the first half of which was pretty damn steep. I’m pleased to say I didn’t embarrass myself too much with an unseemly show of unfitness, even if I was decidedly shorter of breath upon arrival than the twins were. We ordered lunch, and then sat at an outside table to wait for it. Twenty minutes later, an interminable time for nine-year-olds, it still hadn’t arrived, and signs of agitation began to appear. I did what aunties do, and teased them about it.

Lunch was duly delivered and consumed, and then they asked if we could go. We had eight minutes to bolt for the ferry, otherwise we’d have to wait an hour for the next one. We took off. Well, the twins took off, and I did my best to take off. Going downhill was easier than coming up, but more deadly mortifying if I went arse over kite (Kiwi for tumbling head over heels), and unfortunately, more deadly certain I would do exactly that if I attempted to get too speedy. The very clear memory I had of confidently running down a much rougher hill, with no path, many moons ago was just that – a memory.

Hence the girls anxious urging-on of me not to tarry. I was torn between stepping up the pace, and having horrible visions of just what could happen if I did do that. But we made it – just as the ferry pulled up to the wharf. A quick ten minutes’ ride, and we were back in Lyttleton, and soon on our way home – where they exhibited rather more enthusiasm about watching a movie on my laptop than they had about riding the ferry.

Although they get mesmerised by movies, they’re actually very active girls. When the nephew turned up at my place the movie went on pause, and they spent the next hour having squealing rambunctious fun playing with him. I couldn’t help noting that it’s not only been a while since I was fleet of foot, but it’s also been a while since I had squealing rambunctious fun, too.

Food for thought – even if that’s all it ever ends up being😊