Monday 6th February (Day 1)
Tuesday 7th February (Day 2)
Two days merged into one. Flight from London (8.30pm - Day 1) to Singapore (12 hours 55 minutes). At Singapore, surely one of the nicest airports in the world, we had access to free entry to the Ambassador Lounge where there was a buffet and tea / coffee / soft drinks PLUS the best shower we have had in a longtime - hot and full of force. So Day 2 was 10 hours to Christchurch. A good flight. The man next to me checked his pulse several times and as we landed we had a conversation about several things and I mentioned hm checking his pulse. He informed me that only just over a week ago he had a quadruple bypass. (who let him fly?) We left London in the rain; arrived at Singapore in the rain; and at Christchurch it had just stopped.
Wednesday 8th February (Day 3)
We landed at just before 11.00am and soon were transfered to the Cotswolds Heartlands Hotel, a nice Elizabethan style place on the edge of the centre of town in Pananui Street. We had a few minutes wait for the room to be ready and then, having settled in, we walked the 20 minutes into town. Our first stop was the information centre where, through a chance conversation, we found the Tranz Alpine train we were due to go on this Friday would not run until April / May due to a major fire. So now both our train journeys have been affected). A bit despondently we walked around the town. We visited the main museum (Canterbury Museum) which had displays about the Maoris, the Antarctic expeditions and the 75th Anniversary of Air New Zealand. For the Antarctic expeditions, seeing the basic equipment they used the achievements they made were amazing. Also we visited a reproduction of house lived in by Fred and Myrtle Flutey, who died just after 2000. They had over 11,000 polished Paua shells on their walls and every day for over 35 years they had visitors to their house from all over the world to see the house. This 'decoration' occurred as Fred collected the shells and Myrtle complained she had problems hoovering the floor - so he banged nails into the wall and hung them up! Another milestone for them was being married for 72 years! Next a visit to the botanical gardens which, as it is summer here, was full of flowers in bloom. There was also some huge trees, many over 14 metres around the trunk and in the trees, although not seen, thousands of cicadas continually chirping. A walk through the gardens, ringing the 'World Peace Bell' and finishing at the Antigua Boat Sheds for a coffee. Here while drinking we could watch the punting trips along the River Avon. The walk continued back through the the town, stopping for a beer, and then back to the hotel to rest and plan what to do instead of the railway journey (nothing sorted yet). Then to the hotel restaurant for a great meal and an early night.
Thursday 9th February (Day 4)
A good nights sleep, despite a coach load of new guests arriving at 1.18am. Just before 8.00am we were up and showered for a short walk Into town to have breakfast before joining a 'free' walking tour (you tip him what you think he is worth). We met our guide at Cathedral Square and by just after 10.00am we were off. What a mine of information and eye opener the talk / walk was. Such devastation we see on TV but have never actually been present to see it, on the lighter side, is a 'Dance-O-Mat'. It is a sprung dance floor about 10m by 30m with speakers at each corner and a glitter ball in the middle. At the side is an old washing machine. You put $2 in the slot open the lid and plug your i-phone / phone / music player in and 'Hey Presto' your music plays 'instant disco' and, well, you dance. It is so well used and popular that it will be a permanent feature in the city. Anyway back to the earthquake: 1400 buildings needed to be knocked down; 80% of heritage buildings were destroyed; they did not have enough builders for the reconstruction so 45,000 builders have been brought in from around the world; it is the biggest single reconstruction in the Southern Hemisphere .... ever. 185 people died of which 115 were in one building, the CTV building, which was levelled (Just a handful got out of it). Just across the road from this building is a memorial - 185 white painted chairs on a small plot, one for each death. All different chairs were used / donated; one was a child's car seat representing the 5 month old who died. While there we met the artist who was really committed to the memorial, maintaining it and seeking to make it permanent. We also visited the Re:Start shopping precinct which is made of lorry containers as they are (a) quake proof (b) easy to erect and remove (c) quick and cheap to install. This was the first regeneration of the city, much of which was closed to the public for several months. Lunch was eaten here from a pop-up food vendor. We visited the 'cardboard cathedral' which had a lot of containers as its foundations and over 100 cardboard tubes making the 'A' shape of the building (hence the name). The front is a lot of glass windows each one a copy of the original cathedral's main stain glass window exploded in size. We were told about 'The New Zealand Wizard' who is officially recognised by the government. Well in New Regent Street we met him. Black gown, black pointy hat and a staff. He was drinking coffee! We had a chat and got a photo with him. An interesting person to talk to. He doesn't exist in records as when the census is taken every four years he gets in a boat and goes into international waters. He told us "if you are not known you cannot be controlled." The day continued with journeys on the 'hop-on hop-off' tram system. All of the trams are over 100 years old and the journey is accompanied by a commentary as you go around. The last stop before we made our way 'home' was in the Christchurch Art Gallery. It is an impressive glass structure but our stroll around the exhibits was, in the main, most disappointing. We are clearly Philistines. What someone sees in 24 empty Kodak paper boxes all painted the same and stuck on a wall is beyond me, The only thing we really found of interest was the room with a landscape projected onto it and you controlled your 'flight' over it by moving your hands. But we have something similar on our Wii at home. Returning to the hotel we stopped for a drink at the same place as yesterday and met a couple from Wellington who were really easy to get on with and this resulted in a second drink. At 7.30pm we were collected by some relatives of Chris' who, until a month ago she didn't know about. A takeaway Chinese and a good chat followed. We were dropped off about 11.20pm very tired - we still feel a bit jet lagged.
Friday 10th February (Day 5)
Another early start and after breakfast we made our way just down the road for a coach pick-up. We then toured Christchurch picking up many others and then off to Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula. This was formed by volcanic eruptions over millions of years. The volcano became extinct and the centre filled as a lake. Gradually the side on the Pacific edge was eroded making a safe harbour. It was a pleasant trip there over the mountains and Akoroa is a quaint town that is very French. Apparently the British were moored in the north island and a French fleet was intending to settle oil the South. The French Commander stopped to explain to the British Admiral what they were doing. Overnight some British ships slipped anchor and got to this place first. They then allowed the french to settle on British territory! We strolled around and had a coffee before boarding a boat for a two hour trip around the Sound. We saw Hector dolphins (the smallest in the world - 1.3m fully grown); fur seals; blue penguins (again the smallest) plus many different birds. Back at the harbour we were collected by the coach for the return journey, via Barry's Cheese Farm where we tasted a few cheeses but didn't buy any. Back at the hotel for 6.30pm where we packed for our move out tomorrow. We then sought some refreshment in town. We started at the 'Noodle Festival' in Hagley Park. The queues for food were forty deep so we decided to move on. However, there was a full orchestra playing on a stage which we listened to for a brief time, but that only feeds the soul. The stomach still needed something. Back in town we went to Cathedral Square where there were fifteen plus different nationality foods on offer and no queues - result. Stomach filled we stopped for a goodbye drink on the way back to the hotel. Our thoughts on Christchurch? Wide roads; lots of are parks (where buildings were); friendly people; and very clean (we have not seen one street cleaner since our arrival).
Saturday 11th February (Day 6)
After breakfast we checked out and waited for the cab to take us to Apollo Motorhome hire company. We were there by 9.45am and by 11.20 we were off. (They know how to make money as, although we were 'all inclusive', the extras came to another £120.) One extra was £40 to clean the van inside and out on its return; as if I was going to be able to clean the outside of a 3.1m high van that could not go through a car wash. Ah well, I will ensure it is a dirty as possible. We then drove about a mile for a stock up of food etc. It was then about 12.15pm and we were really off on our way - a three hour drive to Lake Tekapo near to Mount Cook. We stopped on the way for lunch but we still were parked up by 4.00pm at Lake Tekapo Motor Camp Site. We strolled into town (well town is stretching the point a bit). About ten stores in all, including the helicopter ride, plane flight and dark sky trips shops. We strolled down to a wee church with a lovely view over the lake and then back, stopping at a tavern to 'test the waters'. There was a hen party having a brief stop all dressed as pirates (except the bride to be who had a wedding dress on). When she was in the loo they explained that if we spoke in 'pirate talk' she had to have a drink. ("Shiver me timbers" and "Arrrrghh splice the mainbrace you landlubber" kept tripping out). She also had a list of tasks to complete on cards. One was to meet a 'Robert'. I duly became Robert Robert-Robertson from Dunedin, Scotland - she was delighted. Back to the MH and a cooked dinner which went down a treat. Then a short time planning for tomorrow.
Sunday 12th February (Day 7)
A good first night in the motorhome. We woke around 8.00am and went for a shower (the site shower being better than the motorhome one). After breakfast we packed the few bits up and were off by about 9.30am. The plan was to visit Aoraki (Mount Cook) then on to a place called Twizel for the night. It was about a 2 hour journey to Aoraki and stunning views were had. On the way we heard on the radio that where we were in Christchurch had suffered an earthquake (5.3 on the Richter scale - little damage and no casualties) but as we were in the mountains we felt nothing. At one point on the journey we came over a hill and there was a lake so brilliantly blue that we both said "Wow" together. This lake and the colour of water was to be with us all day. We stopped for the obligatory photos (although they hardly do the colour of the water any justice) and eventually parked up at the end of the road by Aoraki. Aoraki is one of four mountains and the biggest. Maori history states that four Maoris were waiting for the island to return to be a canoe (don't ask) and while waiting they turned to stone with the chieftain being Aoraki the biggest. What a disappointment on our arrival though. We knew where the mountain was but the cloud and mist meant that even the base of it was not visible, and then it started to rain. Not to be deterred we went off on a walk of about 90 minutes before returning for lunch. Then It was a slow drive back along the valley to a site we had chosen. Again a disappointment as it was scruffy and unkempt looking, piles of stones around and very unappealing. There were three other sites around and eventually the last one we tried, which was in Twizel town itself and not by the lake, Twizel Holiday Park, was a little gem. Small, tidy, clean, green grass and very welcoming. By now it was blazing hot, the temperature around 25 degrees. So a quick wash out of a few items of clothing was undertaken before a nice laze in the sun. Everyone is so friendly that we had no chance to doze - I am not complaining. After a while we went for a short walk before cooking in the site kitchen and having the odd glass of vino. Having finished an Australian came up and gave us a large piece of freshly caught salmon as he was flying home tomorrow!
Monday 13th February (Day 8)
It rained through the night and continued during most of the morning. After a breakfast and a wash we were off, just before 10.00am. Oamaru is our destination, again about two hours drive. It was a good run, despite the rain, and by just after midday we were in the i-site (tourist office). We had selected a stop over already, but they suggested an alternative by the harbour, called originally Harbour Tourist Camp Site. We drove there and found it small, compact, pleasant and overlooking the harbour (not surprisingly). It was also near the penguins 'experience' and close to the town centre. Lunch was followed by a stroll to the penguin centre. This is where a colony of blue penguins nest and every morning and evening go to, or come from, the sea to their nesting grounds. (They are the smallest at about 30cm and weigh around 1kg.) A site to be seen (?) we thought. However it was going to cost over £30 to watch sixty or seventy penquins stroll (do they stroll) up a concrete ramp and disappear into their nests. We made our way back to town and looked around. There is an old (original) part of town, wharfs, wool stores, chandlers etc and the 'newer' part built mid-1800's, all built with covered walkways up along either side of the main street (Thames Street). Oamaru is the town that on 10th February 1913 the SS Terra Nova arrived in port to announce the death of Scott of the Antarctic and his fellow adventurers. We visited the public gardens which were a pleasant walk and saw the camp site we had originally decided to go to, which was, average, and quite a way out of town. We then walked along Thames Street window shopping before imbibing in the 'Old Post House, circa 1824. A second drink at the Criterion Hotel - an original in the older part of town - before having a cooked dinner in the MH. A decision was then taken that £30+ to watch the Penguins could be better spent on other things so a quiet evening in the MH was the order of the day; which was finishing with lovely sunshine and the forecast suggests it is due to get even better. However, 'never say never'; 8.00pm saw us quickly putting on some warm clothes and 'quick marching' along the harbour to see........... the penguins. We sat on a raised bank of (stone) seats and had a brief introduction / natural history lesson before the rafts of penquins came in. (A raft is what a group of penguins on the sea is called.) They leave the nests around 5.00am swim / fish all day up to 15km from their nest and return around sunset. We saw several rafts come ashore and they do not stroll; I would call it more of a hippity-hoppity-floppity walk. By 10.00pm we were walking back to the motorhome, with a huge orange hued moon just rising over the horizon. As we got back we discovered that opposite our site some yellow-eyed penguins were settling down for the night; settling down does not explain the racket they were making.
