Hunting for Easter eggs on Quail Island, Christchurch

Yesterday (Easter Monday), I embarked on another little adventure to Quail Island for an Easter egg hunt.

Hunting for Easter eggs is probably something a lot of people have done in their lifetime, although I’ve never done it! To me it always seemed to be very American.

Easter at home in Northern Ireland usually consisted of my parents buying us Easter eggs about 1 week before and stacking them up on the high wall unit in the living room (where little hands couldn’t reach). We would go to church in the morning, come back have a Sunday roast and then devour our eggs.

So to be able to do something different like this was good. I am aware however, it is extremely child focused, but it was great fun.

Quail Island, is located about 20 minutes, via ferry from Lyttelton, which is about a 30 minute drive from Christchurch. It was originally used as a quarantine measure for those coming off the ships into New Zealand, who were full of infections. The island had huts that they stayed in as well as a small hospital to treat them. One they were better, they were able to go onto the mainland.

We left fairly early, drove to Lyttelton and grabbed a coffee before setting off to the docks to catch the ferry. Very soon I realised that it may have been a good idea to have taken some children with me. The trip cost $15, and lasted about 3-4 hours in total.

Whilst on the hunt, we thought we’d have some fun and wear our rabbit ears and bunny tails. We stood on the front of the boat, watching the Island come closer … then heard an announcement from the captain who was explaining the hunt itself. At the end he said “hello to the four playboy bunnies at the front of the boat.” We cracked up laughing … he probably thought we were on a hen do!

The format of the hunt was to run around the island and collect three different coloured sticks, which were hidden in bunny baskets on the main track. At the end, you exchanged these for three Easter eggs.
There was also a golden stone, which if found got you a giant bunny Easter egg (we didn’t find it).

Fun in the sun (it was 30 degrees!) collecting orange sticks in the bunny basket (such a child!)

A view of Quail Island. Such a wonderful day.

As we walked around the island, a number of children (and adults) we a little bemused with our get up. Some kids just stared open mouthed at us, whilst others screamed “look mummy, its a bunny” (cute!).

The walk around the island was great; I really felt like I had done a lot of exercise, and loved seeing a new part of Christchurch.

At the end of the trip, we sat on the jetty area catching some sun. It was about 30 degrees, and I had NO SUNSCREEN (I did think I’d learn from this), but fortunately I did not burn.

I took this photo quickly before anyone else ran onto the jetty, and it is my absolute favourite.

The Easter eggs we got here are a little different to back home, they are little ones, with marshmallow filling, quite nice, but would get a bit sickening after a while.