South Island - New Zealand

2nd/3rd Feb..... Christchurch

Christchurch -

I am back again - hope you missed my comments etc! Having flown from Sydney to Christchurch I picked up a hire car and found my way to the Camelot Motel - a very nice place which my NZ friend Jason had already booked for me for 2 nights - Catherine was arriving the next morning to join me from the UK. The motel was very convenient for the city and had all the amenities I needed including, very helpful owners Brian and Penny. They set me up with advice, maps and guidance on Christchurch and the South Island - like which side to explore first - weather being the deciding factor! Jason had also been so kind as to leave me a nice bottle of Sauv. Blanc - what a surprise! After dinner, I did some homework on the pending trip and had a couple of glasses of NZ SB.

Catherine (my daughter) arrived at 8.30 the next morning and I was there to meet her. We spent the day touring around Christchurch - the focal point is Cathedral Square and everything leads off this square. You can go for a punt on the river Avon but having done that in Oxford we declined. It is very easy to walk around this city as much of it is pedestrian friendly. We visited Christchurch Cathedral (1864) but, we did not go up the Bell Tower - 134 steps - instead, we visited Hagley Park for a lovely walk and the Botanic Gardens - Catherine needed to stretch her legs after a 23-hour flight!! There is a free yellow Shuttle bus which takes you around the city, and there is also a tram system. We were recommended to visit the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve and have dinner there - we tried to book this but it was fully booked all the time we were there - you can see the kiwi bird there but, as we could not combine it with dinner we decided to give it a miss - another time!! A restaurant called Dux de Lux was recommended in all the guide books but, we were not impressed and found nothing on the menu to our liking.

We then took a drive out to New Brighton where the beaches are to be found and we also went up Summit Road to the top - this is well worth the effort - there are magnificent views of the city from here and of the shores in the surrounding area Governors Bay and Littleton. This drive was a real gem and there were very few cars on the route.

Christchurch is very English in appearance and has tried to emulate Oxford. Oxford Terrace is where all the cafes, coffee houses and smart restaurants are to be found - we had lunch in Coyote - an excellent find offering interesting salads. One can take a Gondola to the crater rim of Mt. Cavendish but, it was too cloudy when we were there so there was no point.