Christchurch reloaded
Trip Start
Sep 10, 2008
1
46
71
Trip End
Sep 03, 2009
Christchurch,
South Island,
New Zealand
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Luckily for me (and perhaps unluckily for my wallet!) I managed to time my visit with both a big craft market and an international flower show. I decided that a ride on the tram was in order; it was only fair, as the trams had blatantly been stolen from Blackpool! Getting off at the art gallery and then accidentally walking to the next stop, which was all of 10 metres away, I did ponder at why exactly it was necessary to have the tram in the first place and why you could only buy a 2 day pass, considering the tiny distance the tram actually covers. The craft market had so many nice things. Handmade things. I started drooling
Elerslie Flower show 1
. One thing was clear, my self-control was not going to last long here and sure enough I ended up buying a ring, opps!Getting back on the tram for a couple of minutes, I made it to the Botanical Gardens. I grudgingly paid the steep entrance fee, and joined the throngs of people walking through the flower show, watching as a sunflower on stilts made her way through the crowds. I'm sure that's perfectly normal for these events. I bumped into a family for the who I had first met in a hostel a couple of weeks ago, but my tummy was rumbling so I excused myself and made my way to what looked like a food market to join a long queue. Thankfully, the line of people moved quickly and it was worth it, for inside there were free samples galore. So many free samples of gourmet food, that you could pretty much get a full meal while walking round. Maybe that entrance fee was worth it after all!
After thoroughly stuffing myself in the food tent and deciding that I still really don't like the taste of wine, I started walking around the show. I both impressed and disappointed, I had thought there would be more outside gardens set up, but what was there was good, and the indoor displays of flowers and floral things more than made up for it.
Sunflower with legs
But it was soon time to leave. Looking at my freshly packed bag, I felt quite pleased with myself. I'd managed to fit my new work shoes, newly acquired hoody and even a couple of extra books into my bag with little trouble. That was until I turned round and saw the huge pile lying on my bed waiting to go into my hand luggage. Hmmm, I think this is going to take a bit longer.
It's always a balancing act when travelling. Getting a plane is usually fairly inexpensive and certainly a lot quicker, but you miss towns along the way, and therefore miss seeing things. So what you make up in time, you loose in experience. I had promised Liz and her family that I would be back for my birthday, and so I needed those few days. Getting a plane also means having to fit everything that had been carried in 4 bags into 2 bags. Always a struggle.
