Lord of the Rings

Following in Frodo's footsteps we've landed in Christchurch NZ and are looking for mount doom. Plenty of hiking trips planned, although the kiwis prefer to call it tramping. However it being autumn we're unlikely to do them all. The temperature is hovering above ten degrees so we bought ourselves some warm sleeping bags, macpac guarantee them for life which is good to know since we plan to tramp with them :)

Autumn View

Visited the Cantebury museum to see some original Maori costumes and lifestyle artifacts, their culture is much better preserved than the Australian aboriginal one. The museum also has some good environmental displays, explaining glaciers, weather conditions amongst other stuff.

Our first night out in Christchurch introduced us to some extreme drunkeness - the level where you cannot understand anything the person is staying. The first bar the kiwi was trying to give us money to buy ourselves a beer and the second one the guy was trying to chat Dom up by proposing a french kiss!!

Botanic Gardens - Victoria Lake

We hired a little vehicle for a good deal of travelling and decided to start of by visiting Banks Penisula (Akoroa), this town was almost run by the French who thought they'd bought it from the Maori, but the British discovered this and put their flag in first. The town does try to play up to its "frenchness" though by selling cheese and having such cute names as Chez ma mere, la rue jolie....

Dom at the Heritage Park

Maori Totem Sculpture

Misty Lake

Peacock Fountain (botanique gardens)

River view

Typical Christchurch street