New Zealand trip 2008

Christchurch ( 1 ▪ 2 ▪ 3 ▪ 4 )

So, on Wednesday 19th March, we took the 11pm flight from Wellington, located at the south of North Island, to Christchurch, which lies on the east coast of South Island.  The journey only took 45 minutes, but we saw some spectacular scenery during that short time.  Like this.

And this.

We were staying at the Quest Apartment Hotel, which was located right in the centre of Christchurch.  Lynne was pleased with the room.

We were right next to Cathedral Junction Tram Station, which was lined with shops, restaurants and cafes, with part of it being covered by a glass roof.  Here are some of those cafes.

This is a shot of Christchurch Cathedral from the side.

On the square in front of Christchurch Cathedral, there was a life-sized chess game.  I never quite managed to get a go on this - it was always occupied.  Nevertheless, I did watch some of the players - they all seemed so serious.

This is the front of the cathedral.

Note to self: never let Lynne loose in a sweet shop.  You can't see from this shot, but her eyes are widened.

In actual fact, it was called the Lolly Shop.

One is never that far from home...

Later that evening, I was pretty excited about the steak I had ordered.  I like the flag which confirms, yes, it is beef from a cow.

I was also pretty excited by my very own candy sticks.

After spending most of our time in Wellington sat on a grass mound or in a plastic chair at the cricket ground, we felt unleashed when we got to Christchurch, ready and willing to engage in all manner of activities.  On the Thursday, we took a trip up to Kalkoura, further up the east coast, for the obligatory whale-watching expedition.  It was another lovely day as we got to the coast.

It wasn't long before we saw a bit of the local wildlife, as this sealion poked its head above the rocks.

We spent quite some time trying to find a sperm whale.  For a while, it seemed that we might not be successful, but then suddenly we came across three or four in succession.  I haven't got any decent photos of the sperm whales surfacing - I switched to video to ensure that I got good footage of them - but here is a shot anyway.

Because we kept seeing whales, it means that we didn't have much time for dolphins, of which there were plenty.  That was a bit of a shame, as I don't think I have ever so many dolphins in one location, but we were on a whale-watching tour after all.  As usual, the dolphins were feeling playful and swam alongside our boat.

More wildlife!

It was time to stop for some food, which gave me a chance to indulge in a jaw-breakingly-sized burger.  I probably need to watch my red meat intake.  But I'm on holiday, right?

More shore-based photo opportunities.

This engraving says Ki Uta Ki Tai - the conservation and protection of the mountains to the sea.

A stream nearby.

Our next stop was the Kaikoura winery...

...which afforded a stunning view of the coastline.

We then travelled on a bit further, before stopping to walk down by the sea...

...to see if we could spot some sealions (or seals - I'm not really sure of the difference).  And we could.

We went for a curry that evening, our third in New Zealand, but the photos of our starters which I seem to have insisted on taking are not worth showing here.  The next day, Friday, it was time to explore Christchurch a bit more.  We were just walking (or occasionally taking the tram), but these individuals had a more fun of travelling.

We headed over by bus to the Christchurch cable car, and Lynne agreed to climb aboard.  She was so ruddy bloody brave.

She gripped on for dear life.  The cable car stopped halfway up, which prompted some mild emotion.

Needless to say there were some great views from the top.  Such as this.

Here was the view back whence we came.

Lynne had been so brave she had earned herself a piece of cake.

One more glorious shot before we head back down.

On the way back down, Lynne was feeling confident enough to use no hands.  I can assure you that it did not last.

More here.