Christchurch Botanic Gardens

My flight arrived in Christchurch at 1 am. I was prepared and had previously booked a hostel and an airport shuttle to pick me up.

First I was pleased to discover there were two woman speaking Mandarin in the shuttle with me. I was happy because I now know enough of the language that I can recognize the key sayings to determine what …

"Ef yo do not git thet, I well nut gev you fush and chups end I will slep you iverywhere."
"If you slep me I will kek you so herd you well go ep unto the ear, whech you wull net lake."

This is not a drunken argument between me and Jon, but an imaginary conversation I made up between two New Zealanders. Now, I know it is not a typical …

Getting to New Zealand starts with a headache, to get to Sydney Airport we needed to leave at 6 in the morning to get to the airport on time but with another no show on our pre booked taxi we started to worry, after a bit of a ring around we manage to get another taxi so running late as usual and running around like mad men we do not miss our train …

Well after a fantastic time in Oz it was time to move on and head for New Zealand. Air New Zealand provided an excellent flight - best airline yet, let you watch the TV during take off and landing with free wine as well (it's the small things you notice when you're taking 5 flights in the space of two weeks).

Arriving in Christchurch to be …

After a lesurely morning and a visit to the local Oxford farmers markets we headed to Christchurch. Navigating is easy as the roads are well layed out.

After a drive into the town center which was baracaded off due to the earthquake damage we headed
for the Botanic gardens and the Cantebury Museum.

Both well worth the visit!< …

חג פסח שמח!
כרגיל, אפתח בהתנצ 00;ות על ההעדר 93;ת הארוכ 92; מהבלו 90;. &# …

I started this morning with some internet research before I headed off to the center, or better what's left from the center. I visited the Canterbury Museum, the only building in Victorian style that survived the Feb. 2011 earthquake and is still open for public. The museum offers a quite broad spectrum from an Egyptian mummy, to the compulsory …

Trouble at the airport: check (visa silliness and contact lens solution setting off the x-ray machine); weather: check (overcast and the feel of rain); heavy bags: check! Time to set out into my new home for the year! The shuttle area was clearly marked and there was a shuttle waiting already for a couple of girls from the same flight as me. He …

... little bridges over the River Avon, and punting. We hired a punt to glide along the river beside some of the many parks and the botanic gardens. The punt chauffer was only too happy to let Rick and I see if we still had the knack from all our practice in ...

... - the final stop on our South Island trip! Chrischurch was actually a lot nicer than expected with real nice city square, river and botanic gardens. The weather was good and hot so we did a punt down the river (how romantic) and also kayaked on it ...

... . We headed back to Christchurch and had a wander around the town. It is such a lovely city. We went to look around the Botanic Gardens and the nearby Christs College begore heading back to Vinnie to get warm and read some more. We both had crappy colds ...

... fully booked on Saturday but we may have a hope of contacting a friend of Sophies who now lives in Melbourne - otherwise I hear the Botanic Gardens are nice this time of year! So here is the latest for you - happy reading! Sunday 19th October We got ...

... layout and stopped for some al fresco dinner at a restaurant alongside the Avon River. Our first full New Zealand day saw us wander around to the Botanic Gardens (pretty much the same as any other botanic garden - lawns and plants!) and then crossed ...

... with NZ and European paintings. Found another market nearby and then met Dave back in town before we headed up to Heggley Park/Botanic Gardens to have a picnic by the duck pond there. Forgot to say also rang Dave's sister, Jane in Mull (for her ...

... all my gear. I decided to store my main back pack in a locker near the Information Centre so I could go for a walk to the Botanic Gardens. I'd never been before so I was surprised by their size and beauty, and I was sure that my Mum would like them too. ...

... it could really get. After seeing my first Kiwi Bird, albeit stuffed in a glass case, I took a walk around the botanic gardens with the beautiful day completing the perfect picture postcard scene with the punters and canoes on the river. Feeling ...

... glorious sunshine, a very rare occurrence here at the moment so I made the most of it. I walked along the River Avon through the Botanic Gardens which were full of the most amazing old trees. I went to listen to The Wizard; an old guy dressed up as a ...

... covered most of the major sights including Captain Cook's statue (he came a long way for a 'Boro lad), the Arts centre and the botanic gardens. As an added bonus there wasn't a cloud in the sky, although as soon as the sun disappears it gets pretty ...