Monday 26 December 2016 Albatross (Albert Ross?)

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Hannah Mathews
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Our first stop was at Shag Point which is actually famous for its seals, and indeed we could walk and be very close to a lot of seals basking on the rocks.

1 Monday 26 December 2016 Albatross (Albert Ross?) What a day! We headed out around 8 am going south on route 1. Remembering that this is the main route on South Island, it is of course two lane only with occasional passing places, but still not busy, so a pleasure to drive. Our first stop was at Shag Point which is actually famous for its seals, and indeed we could walk and be very close to a lot of seals basking on the rocks. We stopped and walked in a couple of places, and had great views. The wind had dropped so it was pleasant to be by the sea. Closer to Dunedin we took a lovely scenic drive along the beach and through small communities criss crossing the main railway line, up and down hills. It got even hillier as we approached Dunedin, and you really had great views of the city on the water for quite awhile. John navigated me to the Octagon and I could see Kim waiting at the Robert Burns statue. It was a busy shopping area but we found a place to park on a very steep street, and met Kim and Greg at the appointed place at the appointed time. Kim, Gregg and I were colleagues at Taipei American School from 1992 to 1999 when they returned to New Zealand. They have now been back in Taiwan for about sixteen years, but we had not seen one another in the interim. How good it was to see them, and during the day to catch up.

population is relatively large, there are lots of green spaces, and the ocean and huge harbour make it very desirable.

2 We started with a coffee in the Octagon area, and probably never stopped talking all day. They had planned a great day driving us around Dunedin to give us a good flavour of their home city, and what a fabulous place it appears to be with so much water and so many hills, so although the population is relatively large, there are lots of green spaces, and the ocean and huge harbour make it very desirable. As part of the journey we say the steepest street in the world Bladwin Street, and heard about Cadbury's Jaffa rolling competitions (see we saw the city and harbour from lots of angles, we visited the place they are staying over Christmas, then went for a pie by the water at Mac's Bay, and on up to the point where albatrosses might be seen. We saw four (or possibly the same bird four times) and have photos to prove it! (You may also enjoy the YouTube clip of Imran cycling up the steepest street - click here.) The town is really very Scottish with great connections with Edinburgh (and possibly also Dundee - Dun - Edin?!) with architecture, street names and history make people very aware of the pioneers that came here. It is the sort of place you could imagine settling (well, now anyway. Most tales of European

3 settlement make it sound rough at the beginning). We left around 5 pm and drove back by around 6:30pm. People are getting going after the day off. In Dunedin the shopping streets were packed for the sales - here in Oamaru it is much more low key, but the bar below is open. We had leftovers from Christmas with chicken, salad and potato salad which went down a treat. Although quiet, someone had to try their basic piano practice pieces on the out-of-tune piano downstairs around closing time! Tuesday 27th December 2016 Travel and trains Moving on day, and we had 270 kms to cover straight North to get to Christchurch, but there were a few diversions along the way. The traffic heading south was really heavy as folks were on the move for the summer holidays after spending Christmas at home. Lots of boats and caravans, which indicated locals rather than tourists. Our side of the road was pretty empty all morning, and we made it to our first destination at Pleasant Point for the first train of the day at 10:30. This was a preserved railway in a very rural setting, and we spent a pleasant hour riding the train, coming back in the engine cab, and then doing the whole line again in a Model T Ford railcar. It was all good fun, and John chatted to all the drivers and workers, so got more information. There was a museum at one end, so things to see and learn more about the railway that ran here.

It was all interesting, and we watched a plank being sawn using an old mechanical saw.

4 We had a coffee before driving on to the next preserved line at Tinwald near Ashburton about 70 kms away. This was more of an open air museum called the Plains Museum, where a cottage, church, old shops, farm buildings etc had been moved to an open air space outside the town. It was all interesting, and we watched a plank being sawn using an old mechanical saw. We were recommended a dairy to buy a pie for lunch further down the village, and did just that before joining the busy road north again. It has taken many years and journeys to finally admit that John is best navigating, and Stephanie is best driving... (Or the John might be better at both?!) so we made it perfectly to the Backpackers right in the centre of Christchurch, and what a great place. It is called Dorset House, and is modern and well equipped with all levels of rooms. We have our own room near to the shared facilities, and there is a laundry and kitchen on site. We settled in late afternoon and went exploring on foot. Although the big earthquake was six years ago, there is evidence everywhere of condemned buildings, gaps where they have been torn down, and temporary buildings too, even in this neighbourhood. According to Greg talking to us yesterday, unlike some places (such as Taiwan), there are a lot of problems with insurance, health & safety and the need for public consultation, so it is taking a lot longer to sort out. We found a few places are closed until 9th January, but there are others open throughout the holiday season. We're close to the city's central park, and the city centre too, and my first impressions again were of low rise, green and spacious. We had a Japanese dinner at Hachi Hachi.

We got back in time to do the laundry and to sit in the lovely garden which is full of familiar English flowers like roses, centaurea, phlox, hollyhocks, alstroemerias, penstemon and hemerocallis.

5 We got back in time to do the laundry and to sit in the lovely garden which is full of familiar English flowers like roses, centaurea, phlox, hollyhocks, alstroemerias, penstemon and hemerocallis. (Our sundowner is a 50/50 mix of 5% red wine bought by mistake and decent white wine which was a Christmas present from the Criterion Hotel, Oamaru which failed to chill in the fridge here. It might be a rose but we are drinking it out of our camping mugs so we can't tell. It tastes OK.) Wednesday 28th December Le Mini Golf Today was the last full day with the car, so we made the most of it to explore the Bank's Peninsula, which is the most amazing place right next to Christchurch, and a good enough reason to just come back and spend time exploring this area alone. It was all formed by volcanic activity, and has two crater harbours on opposite sides. One is at Littleton, and the other at Akaroa on the further side 75 kms from Christchurch. Until the earthquake all cruise ships docked at Littleton, but since then they have had to go to Akaroa where the water depth can still take them. This is actually far more picturesque, and the small, local community have benefited from the tourism.

There is of course a great Lincolnshire connection as in 1770, Captain Cook, the first European to sight the land sailed by and named it in honour of his naturalist, Joseph Banks.

- a good enough treason to return one day. We went over the mountains out of Christchurch, and then along the Canterbury plain to another range in order to get to Akaroa.

6 There is of course a great Lincolnshire connection as in 1770, Captain Cook, the first European to sight the land sailed by and named it in honour of his naturalist, Joseph Banks. Roads wind high up onto the crater rims, and there are spectacular views and scary roads, but little or no traffic or trees make for wonderful scenery. We discovered there are great hiking trails. - a good enough treason to return one day. We went over the mountains out of Christchurch, and then along the Canterbury plain to another range in order to get to Akaroa. Akaroa has a French connection, which is milked by some of the street names and restaurants, but it has its own charm as a small tourist town, where many people from Christchurch have their weekend homes, the cruise ships are in for 24 hours, and passengers are boated over from the ship if they wish. The

Emerald Princess was moored while we were there. We bought a walking map, and followed the water to the end of the road, and headed up into the hills with our picnic.

7 Emerald Princess was moored while we were there. We bought a walking map, and followed the water to the end of the road, and headed up into the hills with our picnic. As such we managed to spend about three hours hiking around and getting a pretty good feel for the place. The views of the water are lovely, and you can see why so many people are into their water sports. We left around 3 pm and took the most wonderful route over the mountains called the Summit Route, and we climbed high and wound our way round the crater rims - I just loved it, and all the views it afforded of this fantastic volcanic landscape, which was not barren and black, but green with sheep grazing. Thursday 29th December What was Taylor's Mistake? We had a number of plans on the last day of the car hire, and were only thwarted a little by road closure due to earthquake damage. We see a great deal of earthquake impact here in Christchurch, but it is the first time we have seen it in the mountains. We climbed out of the city to head for a peninsula for some early morning hiking to be thwarted by the road closure on the high summit road, so we parked the car and hiked the road instead. We were in grass covered high mountain scenery with spectacular views one side down to the flooded crater bay on which Littleton is situated, on the other side we could see down to Christchurch and the coast heading north.

It was a pretty beach, but having one narrow way in you can imagine the nightmare it is on a busy summer weekend - confirmed by a local resident we were chatting with!

8 Early morning drizzle disappeared, and we had a pleasant walk before heading down to try to find Taylor's Mistake. This is a small Bay with mainly holiday shacks, and apparently it is named for the Captain of a ship who mistakenly thought he was going into Sumner Bay which is next door. It was a pretty beach, but having one narrow way in you can imagine the nightmare it is on a busy summer weekend - confirmed by a local resident we were chatting with! We then drove on to Ferrymead Heritage Park on the outskirts of Christchurch, actually on the site of the first national railway of New Zealand. It brings together about twenty different conservation and preservation groups on one vast area, and has its own tram and railway. Neither of these were operating today (the tram was 'off' due repairs to a burst water pipe requiring the power to be turned off to the tram wires), but there was much of interest, as there is a whole Edwardian street with the shops and houses all laid out, and some were operating, including an extensive printing works where we chatted to a member of the society. We had a coffee and our own picnic in between wandering, and the only disappointing aspect was that there were not more people there to enjoy it. Speaking to the lady on the entrance they have a problem because of the many different organisations involved, all depending on volunteers, so there will only rarely if ever be a time when all will be open or operating. Our next stop was the Cardboard Cathedral, which was built after the 2011 earthquake, and is an amazing construction. The Cardboard Cathedral is the transitional cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch opened in August It was designed by architect Shigeru Ban and seats around 700 people. It is a beautiful building, very simple and peaceful, surrounded by gardens and sweet peas around the entrance. They are hoping to build a bell tower nearby as all but one of the bells survived the earthquake that destroyed the original cathedral and the damaged bell has now been recast.

Christchurch. Where a church once proudly stood, the 185 white chairs each represent one of the 185 lives lost in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

10 Nearby we found an artists installation of 185 white seats. 'Reflection of Loss of Lives, Livelihoods and Living in Neighbourhood' is an installation by Peter Majendie, standing on a vacant lot in the heart of Christchurch. Where a church once proudly stood, the 185 white chairs each represent one of the 185 lives lost in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Each chair is completely different, from a baby carriage to a deck chair but they are all painted white. It is a powerful reminder. Next stop we had to drop off the car near to the airport, so my expert navigator got me there, and we got a shuttle to the airport to pick up the city

bus back downtown. We embarked near to the huge downtown Central Park and the River Avon and walked across the park to the Christchurch Botanic Garden, our last stop of the day.

11 bus back downtown. We embarked near to the huge downtown Central Park and the River Avon and walked across the park to the Christchurch Botanic Garden, our last stop of the day. This is again a vast site, and we could only cover a small portion of it, but with a summer seasonal map, we did some of the highlights. The mature trees everywhere are stunning, but our eyes were drawn to the colourful herbaceous borders with familiar planting, the dahlia borders and rose garden to rival David Austins', then the New Zealand icon garden and water gardens got our attention. The lovely part is that there were many people of all ages really enjoying the gardens which are free for everyone. Slightly weary we returned to our Backpackers (photo below) late afternoon to catch up with the blog, and maybe even to relax a little! Friday 30 December Demolition and Reconstruction Our day exploring Christchurch on foot - I am pleased I had on my hiking boots as the first five hours were spent walking! We based our walk on the Avon River which winds its way through the city just as the Cam does in Cambridge and the Isis in Oxford, and it is used for punting in a similar manor. Some of the University colleges are alongside, so the atmosphere is set. The River itself was actually named after the Avon in Ayrshire. We began the walk in the enormous Hagley Park which is adjacent to where we are staying, and we could join the river here.

Early morning walkers, joggers and cyclists were also enjoying the park and paths, and I appreciated the enormous

The park and gardens really do have the most amazing collection of mature trees.

the sacrifice of those who served in the First World War, but now a place where later conflicts are also commemorated.

which we saw people using - I have to say they were mainly Chinese.

12 Early morning walkers, joggers and cyclists were also enjoying the park and paths, and I appreciated the enormous Botanic Gardens from the opposite side of the river. The park and gardens really do have the most amazing collection of mature trees. We came across punters on the river, and crossed into the 'downtown area' at the Bridge of Remembrance built to mark the sacrifice of those who served in the First World War, but now a place where later conflicts are also commemorated. In the pedestrian precinct nearby there are permanent concrete table tennis tables and (with bats and balls provided) which we saw people using - I have to say they were mainly Chinese. By here is Re:Start, which is the first central city retail hub to open post February 2011, and the brightly coloured shipping containers house banks, post office, coffee shops and retail shops. We stopped and had a coffee there before continuing our riverside meandering.

We began to see huge open spaces, demolition

Square where so much damage was done and

moving, and the fact that almost six years

13 We began to see huge open spaces, demolition and cranes as we approached the Cathedral Square where so much damage was done and lives lost. Some spaces have art installations and temporary gardens, but the emptiness is very moving, and the fact that almost six years on so little has been rebuilt. The cathedral without its tower, and billboards and fencing around so many structures is a powerful reminder of the impact on downtown Christchurch too.

14 The tram has been reinstated and is a very positive feature running around from the cathedral. The junction is behind the cathedral, and there is a picturesque street called New Regent Street with Spanish style houses which it runs down the centre. We followed the tram streets when not on the river. One thing we did see in the river was an Antony Gormley sculpture of a man looking down - there was another one in the city, which we later also discovered, but this one had a nice reflection in the water. We turned round at

the Firefighters Reserve, where there was a structure made from steel from the World Trade Centre gifted from the city of New York to acknowledge firefighters worldwide.

15 the Firefighters Reserve, where there was a structure made from steel from the World Trade Centre gifted from the city of New York to acknowledge firefighters worldwide. Our return route took us to the beautiful glass structure of the Christchurch Art Gallery which has recently reopened. We had a picnic by an outside installation of a piano with a cow on top, and then went in. There were some very modern interactive exhibitions downstairs and more traditional exhibitions upstairs. I had a good wander through, and then we headed in search of the second Gormley, which was nearby in the courtyard of the Arts centre which is in a Gothic revival building undergoing restoration. It was here that I realised I had lost my mini ipad with a retina screen and pink cover! Minor panic as we retraced our steps to the piano with the cow on top. I went into the art gallery and enquired, and believe it or not someone had found it and handed it in - phew. What a relief. We headed back along the river in recovery mode. Packing needs to be done tonight as we are off to Tasmania tomorrow early, and our amazing New Zealand adventures are over for this time. John adds: Rob Dickinson and I stayed in a backpackers near the location in the photo below when we visited Christchurch around Around the corner was a street with covered pavements and a pub and the tram route was somewhere nearby. Things have changes so much that it was impossible to work out where we went today in relation to where we stayed then. Stephanie & John

16 30 December 2016 So ends our New Zealand blog and it's almost the end of On to Tasmania tomorrow to welcome in 2017 (probably with an early night!). I won't be able to upload the mass of South Island photos to the South Island 2 Flickr Album until we have faster internet - maybe in Tasmania?

We were near the station and the dock lands, and had a very noisy night, but no mosquitoes and it was cooler than Sydney!

We were near the station and the dock lands, and had a very noisy night, but no mosquitoes and it was cooler than Sydney! Tuesday 24th January 2017 - On the train The train journey took almost 12 hours, and was a pleasant way to see the countryside, but nothing especially exciting, mainly sheep and cattle with the odd kangaroo