Back to Christchurch

Trip Start Nov 03, 2007
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Trip End Dec 07, 2007


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Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Lots of busy repacking this morning - we are dropping off the camper van in Christchurch before 3pm. We left Methven (still closed) and headed off to drop off Colin the CamperVan. We worked our way back to Christchurch through the Mt Hutt ski area and Rakaia Gorge, a lovely blue river in picturesque surroundings. Found our new accommodation for the night. The Jailhouse. Yep - a real jail, finally decommissioned in November 1999. All the cells have been converted into rooms. Cool. They even took out the ensuite bucket (fiona was looking forward to this for some reason). One cell has been left as it was with all the criminal "art".
Checked in then went to the kitchen to make some grub. Was chopping away and gashed my thumb end open. Not pretty. Lots of plasters and care required. Fi wobbled and went pale. She will not make a first aider. Could be good as an aide to Doc Martin? (Richard is no longer allowed knives!!)
Got time off for our good behaviour and we had a look round Rakaia Gorge
Rakaia Gorge
 . The burbs of Christchurch are very different to the touristy centre. It's not really touristy as we know it, but in contrast to the outer it is. Took Colin back home, and we told the owners we were gonna walk back to the jailhouse. They looked at us real funny. "Do you know how far that is?" etc. We reckoned from our maps it was about an hours walk, direct. They looked at us funny again. "It's about 5 maybe 6 K's y'know?". Which is about an hour at our speed.
We ended up taking their advice and going for the bus, the Orbital which goes round the Christchurch ringroad. Me and Fi jumped on (she left me to pay) and when I looked at the ticket I got, it was for 1 adult and 1 child!!! Ha, Ha the bus driver thought Fi was a kid!
She was dead chuffed. We think it was more to do with the sunhat she was wearing, a dead ringer for what the smaller kids are wearing for sun protection.
Went out to a Chinese for tea. We were surprised when all the customers inside were Chinese! Must be good. We had Peking Duck between 2. Lovely with pancakes and the Hoi Sin sauce.
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