Springfield Cottage Christchurch

We're
in X'mas time, and I'm homesick, that's why I want to give some news about
me to those I love. I'm in New Zealand and I'm having a great time. Happy
X'mas to everyone!
Estamos
en Navidad, estoy lejos de casa y echo de menos la familia. Es por esto
que he decidido dar senhales de vida ...

... in a new trendy hotel called Hotel So which had the smallest rooms I have ever stayed in.

It is very reminiscent of Cambridge, minus the millions of people/tourists. The punting thing is a bit of a con as they just opened that up to tourists in the last 20 years or so, no punting was there in olden times, but amusingly our "Puntiste" was a Londoner. I seem to remember Cambridge punts being driven by Yanks, Aussies and Kiwis moonlighting in the ...

... a room with a Polish chap called Martin. We got chatting and, as luck would have it, it turned out he had just purchased a car and was about to spend three weeks touring the South Island. Well, by lucky coincidence, I was also about to spend three weeks touring the South Island. This arrangement could be mutually beneficial. I get a free lift around New Zealand and Martin gets petrol money and my hilarious banter on tap. He would sleep in the back of his station wagon as ...

... some drinking games back at the hostel. After we went out to a couple of bars and played some pool and chilled out and we sort of said our goodbyes (the girls ran off, lol). Hopefully i will meet up with Lloyd and Peach in Thailand or Oz (going to extend my stay to a month now).

Day 69

Today I went out to explore the city of Christchurch. It is really nice to walk around, as the old buildings have fantastic looking architecture ...

... watch the match live!!!

Day Three:
A wonderful 6:30am start and a half an hour wait in the cold for the shuttle bus to the train station. (eventually we got a taxi as we were just not going to miss this train).
We were catching the TranzAlpine train from Christchurch to Greymouth on the west coast.
It takes you on a 4 and a half hour scenic journey through some of the most beautiful mountains i have even seen. Breathtaking. They even have an outdoor ...

... Hotel on Papanui Road. Very spacious rooms, but dated. Would have been in it's prime 30 years ago, but it was clean and reasonable value. Just reminded me of an old retirement home, complete with old hall stands with dust covered plastic floral arrangements. Decided to walk down the road towards village centre for a coffee & snack. A local pizza cafe' was open and we sat down. Thoughts of a feed vaporized with the discovery of the menu. $29 for a pizza. Welcome to NZ. Drank the ...

... of rusty beatle cars sprouting an array of tropical plants! anyway, so after being welcomed to the plot by the now caretaker of the premises, we were allowed free access to croc harry's home, a series of underground tunnels making up his once dug-out home cum museum, which, we are told via a series of photos, wall messages and newspaper clippings, he turned into a museum in order to make more money, meet women from all the over world, and bed them! well, that's how the story goes ...

From Ray- We felt like we needed to write the visitors bureau an apology for not spending a month in Christchurch.  We only had a morning and we did the proverbial city tour.  There was a lot going on including an international flower festival and with a name like Christchurch, I thought it would be interesting to visit the Anglican church in the town square ( admission 5 dollars). We didn't go inside the church, but had a sandwich at ...

... coming down to the coast. It took us about five hours because of all our many stops. We checked out some vineyards/gardens and stopped off to walk over NZ longest suspension bridge. After a nice swim in the river we continued to the coast and the next 100 or so km down to Greymouth was the best I've ever driven. Beautiful green cliffs dropping into crashing clear blue water was hard to ...

... for a group meal. The meal itself was delicious, but as for the company Laura Nicola and i would rather have been sat at the older table as the people at ours were so annoying and all couples blocking out the rest if the world. As my hostel was down a quiet little dirty track and it had gotten dark, the girls then saw me safely to my front door before heading to their YHA. Lake Takepo is just so picturesc, the hostel was right on the lake, its a small peaceful place but still ...