Back to Oz

Trip Start Dec 31, 2008
1
9
40
Trip End Mar 27, 2009


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Where I stayed
Parade Lodge
(Christchurch hotels)

Flag of New Zealand  , South Island,
Wednesday, January 7, 2009

My last day in New Zealand was fairly boring.  I got up to get on an 8 am bus that would drive me back to Christchurch, where my flight was leaving from at 6:45.  My bus ride was approximately 8 hours, although at least the scenery was nice, once again.  For the first half of the ride, I had a seat by myself, making it comfortable.  The bad thing was, I ran out of reading material- I finished my Saturday Night Live book and you can only read the New Zealand guide book so  many times.  At one of the stops along the way, I found an issue of Time to tide me over.   Where is The Economist when you need it?  I could read that for two days straight an not get through an entire issue. 

Again, the trip was pretty uneventful, although we did get a look at Mt. Cook along the way, the tallest peak in New Zealand (which is a good trivia question found in the new Trivial Pursuit game that my brother Brady gave me for Christmas).  Additionally, we stopped in a few towns along the way, but basically it was more of the same mountains, lots of sheep on the side of the road, etc.  I arrived in Christchurch around 4, and the girl sitting next to me on the bus happened to be going to the airport and had a friend who was driving her, so I was able to hitch a ride with her, which was really great of them.  I arrived in Sydney, went to the Parade Lodge, a dump of a hotel where I had a reservation, and I found that the reception was closed and I couldn't get into the hotel.  Fortunately, they had a number on the door and I went to the mini-mart next door and used their phone, and the hotel owner came over and let me in.  After I grabbed a bite to eat, I crashed and went to bed.  From here on out, I'll probably only be giving periodic updates to my blog, since daily life in Sydney will probably be far less adventurous than my time in New Zealand. 
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