CHRISTCHURCH

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Trish’s looking out enjoying the view[/caption]

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Akaroa a French influenced village area with many bays[/caption]

CHRISTCHURCH

Our journey started at Sydney Airport. We arrived for the 6pm flight and were met by a horrendous storm that closed down the airport and all flights diverted. We were told it would be 4 hours before our flight would depart which meant that we would arrive in Christchurch at 3am.

It was just great to see our cousin Pauline and Peter at the airport and we all went back to theirs and had tea and sandwiches and chatted until dawn. Needless to say the next day started late!

Pauline and Peter live in a beautiful home in a fabulous part of Christchurch with a beautiful English country garden maintained by Peter.

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This is the countryside 60 km from Christchurch with Pauline and Peter[/caption]

YOur late afternoon was spent in down town Christchurch city centre .What a devastation the 2011 Earthquake has left behind.

From the pictures around town of what used to be one can see how historical this city once was.

Now it is a mass of building cranes, boarded up buildings waiting for demolition and pop up shopping center’s formed by the use of containers.

On the north side of town some buildings have been built using a modern design of glass façade. For a Sunday afternoon this city centre was very quiet and devoid of people.

Christchurch is New Zealand’s gateway to the South Island. Bordered by hills and the Pacific Ocean, it is situated on the edge of the Canterbury Plains that stretch to the Southern Alps.

Renowned as the Garden City, Christchurch boasts a number of beautiful parks and gardens, tree-lined boulevards, the meandering Avon River and the delightful Botanic Gardens and Hagley Park.

People forecast it would be ten years before it is brought back to life. At present it is a builders contractors haven. (Anyone looking for a job?).

The following day Pauline and Peter took us to Hanmer Springs. This was 130 kilometers outside Christchurch. Surrounded by mountains and forests, great red wood trees, boutique shops, wine bars and coffee shops. The Thermal Pools and Spa sits at the heart of the village. With natural, mineral rich waters that are warmed by heat from the earth’s core — it takes 100 years or more to heat. Our bodies were shriveled up but felt fantastic by the time we left. What a great day with lots of breathtaking scenery all around in this beautiful South Island.

The next day was another great excursion. We traveled 75 kilometers to Akaroa and the Bays.

ZAkaroa was founded by the French and it still has it’s French character and names of the narrow streets still have their French names. What a quaint little place, also full of little coffee shops, wine bars and B and B’s. The big draw to Akaroa is the Dolphins as you can swim with them or kayak alongside them. Again the water is aqua blue and so clear you can see to the bottom. We could have spent a week here and just chilled out, walking the trails and explored the different bays. Great chill out spot!

Our final day was spent preparing for our early morning departure to Wellington with a final supper at Pauline’s favorite Thai restaurant together with Mark and Katie our second cousins.

It was fabulous to see Pauline again and meet Peter. We were thoroughly spoilt while there. Thank you to both. It was also great to meet Mark again and meet his lovely wife Katie and two beautiful children.

Later

M&T