Central Park Motor Lodge Christchurch

... 8220;while Mary was peeling carrots a big teddy bear from told her she would be with child. The Three kings came from Jamaica, Australia and Japan. They brought gifts of a golf ball, a purple Dinosaur and a can opener. When Hallelujah is sung the entire audience sings in chorus with the actors.

Well I need to get some sleep tomorrow I ride a jetboat, go 4 wheelin and come back to Christ church on the trans alpine train

... 3.50! bargain and it drops me at the end of my road. Im SO happy with my hotel! After living in student-esque digs in Auckland this is MUCH more like it- so trendy i cant describe- my room (free upgrade) has got a plasma tv, ipod dock, mood lighting, the best bed and shower ever- im so so happy and its only 40 quid a night! Even better its right in the heart of everything- again in Auckland i was a bit out of it and it got a bit tiring but this is excellent ...

... the global downturn by most airlines. The penalty for each 1kg overweight by Jetstar from Sydney to Phucket was £10. It made sense therefore, to post a 20kg box home by sea at £2.40/kg.
We were quite strict with ourselves and threw out worn items of clothing and any books or other weighty items we could do without.

One night we treated ourselves to a meal out in town and sampled the best ...

... solar system. It was really like sitting out in the night sky. LA Zoo was another stop on our LA tour. Not the nicest zoo i have ever been too but a good day out. In a very LA way, Loreta bought her toy poodle with her to the zoo and she was pushing it about in a pink stroller. Everyone was expecting to see a baby in there, but got the shock of their like when they saw it was her dog Bonnie.

Whilst i was in LA i took a weekend trip up to ...

... It's a small town of between 2 and 4 thousand people. If you aren't whale watching or swimming with dolphins, then there's not a whole lot to do there. It was my first glimpse of New Zealand's famous scenery and I wasn't disappointed. The bus journey was stunning and the views keep those tired eyes wide open. Even the hostel had a backdrop of mountains, tipped by low lying clouds. The kairkoura highlight was the pub quiz. Answers on a postcard: Who was ...

... I would call it a hike!). We cleaned up and then started heading to the airport for my early afternoon flight.  We stopped for brunch on the way to the airport and I was able to see more of the downtown Christchurch area. I had a great time in New Zealand, and as much as I could have stayed longer, I was ready to keep on the itinerary and was on my 1:30 flight bound for Melbourne. Till next time, from Australia!

... day trips into our otherwise hectic schedules. Christchurch is a 20 minute bus ride from the coast, so we have spent alot of time walking along it. We have been to two main spots..New Brighton, and today we went to Sumner (Sumner being particularly spectacular in that you have the beach to one side, and snow-capped mountains on the other!). It's great to go to a place, walk along an unspoilt beach (thats one massive thing we've both noticed...theres hardly any litter at all in ...

... Not a huge surprise of course but quite funny that he said it. Was very relaxing, and had to be done although it is a complete cliche. We then did quite a bit of shopping and got everything we needed for a decent price so were very pleased. We now have a driving map, wildlife and tree books of New Zealand, waterproofs, an essential LOTR location guide - and some lovely jewellry - yay!

... driving laws, including their unique left hand turn rule. Later in the afternoon I returned to the airport to say goodbye to Holly. Or was it goodbye? She was wearing dark tones on her slim figure, knee high boots and Prada sunglasses. The feature that stood out as I got closer were her lips. A strong shade of red. Not your usual 'I'm Miss Average shade of red', but an intense 'I'm so kissable' roses red. So we chatted for 15 or so minutes. Yes she too has repercussions from alcohol ...

... but the return short cut took about twice the time as the outward journey and we all needed a stiff drink when we got back (Dave had a stiff Coke and some stiff chocolate). We had a slightly later dinner than planned, at one of a number of cafes and restaurants opposite the river before returning to the apartment for s nightcap and bed. Tomorrow (Saturday) we hope to see more of Christchurch before heading off north towards nelson and the Malborough wine region on Sunday.