Christchurch - Done!

How great to get up at a normalish time! I had to check out by 10am but got up at 9.30am so actually felt rested. I then began to wander the streets on Christchurch laden with rucksack and laptop bag. First stop was the Botanical Gardens, which were deceptively large and actually very pleasant. There were some mega trees which looked prehistoric and it was nice to stroll around in such a chilled out place in the middle of a city.

Christchurch is very wierd, in a good way. There are some parts, particularly due to the architecture, which makes it look like an English city, like Oxford. Not surprising, as that was the intention (it is even named after one of the colleges of Oxford I think) but it feels strange walking around, and is very different to everywhere else in NZ so far.

Next up I got cultured and went to Canterbury Museum which was full of interesting things which appeal to me, like fossils, rocks and a mummy. I even took a picture with a stuffed Kiwi. It still counts though! My IQ went up by about 3 points just by visiting.

Finally I exlored an open air market, and a street with performers (including a fire juggler) and stalls. I have totally run out of cash, so I changed the last of my pounds. I now have 200 dollars to my name which I must try to eke out for a few days. Things are pretty expensive here, a pint is about 4 pounds, for example.

After going around some tourist shops I returned to the Internet Cafe for an hour before I have to get the shuttle to the airport. This is good as I needed to research exactly how to get back to Liz and Garys, a small detail of the trip I had left off. I think I have it sorted now!

I definitely feel like I have done a lot in the 4 days of this mini-trip and have lots of pictures to prove it; but I am looking forward to a chilled next few days in Auckland. I am keeping fingers crossed for beach weather as that is just what I need right now!