Day 7--Christchurch

Leaving Hanmer Springs
River Waiau

Got up today and went to the Hanmer Springs Spa, where I was treated to an hour massage. Feeling good, my shoulders are in great shape. After this we got into the car again, only about 180 km today, unlike the close to 300 km yesterday. Drove down to the Canterbury plain, largest flat area in NZ, unfortunately in the rain shadow of the Southern Alps. Lots of irrigation, with sheep (of course) cattle and vineyards.

On the way to Christchurch
Frog Rock

Arrived in Christchurch around 2 PM. In the outskirts its hard to tell that there's been any kind of earthquake, but then as you get closer to the CBD the boarded up windows and cracked buildings with danger tape start appearing. More about this later.

One of Randi's favorite things
feeding ducks

On the River Avon

We immediately went to the Botanic Gardens because Randi had booked a session in a punt on the small river, the Avon, that runs through town. The Avon is a shallow stream with a bazillion mallard cross ducks on it. Apparently the mallards they brought here for shoots in the 1860 are breeding the local ducks out of existence. Interesting that all the crosses, both male and female, look like female mallards, with none of the color that a male mallard shows.  We also saw Pied Comorants and the Paradise shelduck.

Black Teal or Scaup
Crosses with Mallard

Paradise shelduck female

My favorite flower

Botanic gardens--don't know
what it is, but bumblebees love it

After we checked into the hotel, Randi and I walked back to the Botanical Garden and spent a lot of time walking though it. Non-native trees do really well here, even the Giant Sequoia, but also saw English lime trees, which I always thought were some kind of citrus, but no, the lime refers to the leaf color.

Looking into the CBD

Art gallery with
steeple on ground

Christchurch Cathedral

We walked through the center of town on our way to supper. Cathedral Square is unbelievable...totally flattened in some sections, bare earth in others, barricades and danger tape everywhere. The bombing disaster. Pictures cannot convey how desolate the center of town is. I refuse to take pictures of individual people's homes boarded up, but did take some pictures of public places. What a mess, but Christchurch promises to come back from the ruins.

We ate at a beer pub/pizza place tonight. Interesting pizza. We had pear-blue cheese-bacon pizza, really good, and 3-cheese, thyme pizza, more traditional I guess.

Lunch
Steak and bacon pie---yum

Off to bed...I have to get up at an unconscionable hour tomorrow.