Our trip to New Zealand began in Christchurch. Christchurch is the jumping off point for touring the gorgeous South Island. Christchurch is similar to Victoria in many ways: population, climate, tourism, and its very Englishness. There are street names like Cambridge and Oxford and the main river that runs through the city is called Avon. There is a cathedral in the city square and a beautiful botanic garden.
Christchurch Cathedral
Art Centre (Old University of Christchurch) in Christchurch, New Zealand.
People still go punting on the Avon River.
At Willow Bank Nature Reserve - do you see the joey in the pouch?
We went to a Maori cultural experience - a show that begins in the Willow Bank Nature Reserve. We were getting a tour when the Maori "warriors" ambushed us. I was not expecting it to happen so I nearly jumped out of my skin when they appeared with a loud war cry. Quite effective!
After we made "peace", there was some singing and dancing and audience participation. Frank went up on stage with several other men from the audience and did the Haka (Maori dance). After the show we took a photo with them.
We found the cute Japanese Izakaya restaurant that we stumbled into 7 years ago. It's still there and as cute as ever. Jenn and Albert, do you remember?
Inside the restaurant. The food was really good too. We tried thinly sliced ox tongue. Adventure in dining!Mt. Cook
We rented a car from Christchurch and drove to Mt. Cook for one day of hiking. It was a beautiful drive with sheep everywhere along the way. The photo below was taken in Dunedin but you get the picture. We stopped in a little town on our way to Mt. Cook and, again, stumbled on to another restaurant where we had a memorable meal from 7 years ago. Frank claims that it was the best lamb he had ever tasted. Jenn and Albert may remember. We also took the same hike to Hooker Glacier/Lake that we did with Jenn and Albert. Although this time we did the entire route.
Sheep everywhere!
The Old Library Cafe
On a hike to Hooker Glacier/Lake in Mt. Cook.
Frank at Hooker Glacier/Lake
Sue standing on a suspension bridge on the hike in Mt. Cook.
View of the beautiful Lake Pukaki as we were leaving Mt. CookDunedin
Dunedin is apparently the most Scottish city outside of Scotland. Dunedin means Edinburgh in Gaelic. It was certainly very cold even in the middle of their summer. It's also very green and very hilly. They have a street in Dunedin that is in the Guiness Book of World Records for being the longest, steepest hill. I didn't go on it but I certainly got the idea walking around town.
Dunedin is also very near Otago Penninsula where there is an incredible array of wildlife. There is the only mainland colony of Northern Royal Albatross (kind of interesting that they are called Northern Royal Albatross since they are only found in the southern hemisphere). They have a wing span of 3 m. They are incredibly graceful birds. They just lift off with strong wind and glide. No flapping. We also saw the world's rarest penguins - the Yellow-eyed penguins. We didn't capture it on camera but we saw the father penguin feeding the chicks with fish just caught and brought back to land in his mouth. Both penguin parents take turns feeding the chicks, as do the Northern Royal Albatross.
Dunedin train station. Apparently, they have international fashion shows here using the platform as a runway.
A steep street in Dunedin. The building on the left is the Otago Girls' High School, the oldest girls' high school in New Zealand founded in 1871.
Parent Albatross sitting on the nest with the chick underneath - both parents take turns sitting on the nest and fishing for food.
Albatross in flight - most likely a juvenile bird showing off.
A colony of Shags. See the sealion below too?Dunedin is apparently the most Scottish city outside of Scotland. Dunedin means Edinburgh in Gaelic. It was certainly very cold even in the middle of their summer. It's also very green and very hilly. They have a street in Dunedin that is in the Guiness Book of World Records for being the longest, steepest hill. I didn't go on it but I certainly got the idea walking around town.
Dunedin is also very near Otago Penninsula where there is an incredible array of wildlife. There is the only mainland colony of Northern Royal Albatross (kind of interesting that they are called Northern Royal Albatross since they are only found in the southern hemisphere). They have a wing span of 3 m. They are incredibly graceful birds. They just lift off with strong wind and glide. No flapping. We also saw the world's rarest penguins - the Yellow-eyed penguins. We didn't capture it on camera but we saw the father penguin feeding the chicks with fish just caught and brought back to land in his mouth. Both penguin parents take turns feeding the chicks, as do the Northern Royal Albatross.
Dunedin train station. Apparently, they have international fashion shows here using the platform as a runway.
A steep street in Dunedin. The building on the left is the Otago Girls' High School, the oldest girls' high school in New Zealand founded in 1871.
Parent Albatross sitting on the nest with the chick underneath - both parents take turns sitting on the nest and fishing for food.
Albatross in flight - most likely a juvenile bird showing off.
A rare Yellow-eyed Penguin
Yellow-eyed Penguin chicks - they still have blue eyes.
A very cute sign. These are for the more prolific Little Blue Penguins - they are the equivalent of the Fairy Penguins that you can see from Philip Island, south of Melbourne.We did some indoor things as well, including a tour of the local brewery and a visit to the museum.
At the end of the brewery tour, we got to serve our own beer and sample the different kinds of beer.
Outside the brewery there is a tap where you can help yourself. Not the beer! It's just the spring water they use in making their beer.Napier
Napier is a cute seaside town located in Hawkes Bay wine country. It's called an Art Deco City because of many Art Deco buildings from the 1930s. There was a very big earthquake here followed by a fire in 1931 and, when they rebuilt the city, they rebuilt entire city streets in Art Deco style that was at its height of popularity. We arrived on the last day of their annual Art Deco week, when the city has its "not-so-serious" celebration. They were just finishing up their Gatsby picnic. People were sitting out on the grassy area with their picnic tents, tables and chairs, crystal glasses and champagne and goodies, dressed up in period costumes, with a jazz band playing and people doing the jive, and there was a singing group in boater hats and suspenders singing acapela.
A singing group serenading a group of people at Gatsby Picnic in Napier.
Picnicers strolling on the Marine Parade.
Not dressed for the occasion but couldn't resist posing next to this Studebaker.
One of the city's Art Deco buildings.
A mural on the street.
