New Zealand - South Island
Luke and I drove the rental van back to Auckland and took a flight to Christchurch. Isa, Mack and Grace decided on a much more scenic approach. They bused down to Wellington and spent a couple nights, took the ferry across the Cook straight and bused down to meet us in Christchurch. Their journey sounded amazing, but Luke and I aren't suicidal enough to attempt a journey like that with these two! It did give us a couple of days alone in Christchurch which, to be honest, was amazing. No offence to our travel crew, but we haven't lived alone as a family for over 6 months now.
Our Airbnb is a cute and super cozy cottage like place too, with a giant clawfoot tub. Seriously, Luke can lie flat in it! Lots of room and a fenced in yard for the kids to play. Our host even left us fresh croissants, juice, coffee and jam. We spent our few alone days there just relaxing and exploring the neighborhood a bit. Luke made it out to a Super 8* rugby game and made friends with an Irish guy who is trying to set up a recreational lacrosse league in town. He ended up meeting up with him for a practice while we were here.
Our Airbnb is a cute and super cozy cottage like place too, with a giant clawfoot tub. Seriously, Luke can lie flat in it! Lots of room and a fenced in yard for the kids to play. Our host even left us fresh croissants, juice, coffee and jam. We spent our few alone days there just relaxing and exploring the neighborhood a bit. Luke made it out to a Super 8* rugby game and made friends with an Irish guy who is trying to set up a recreational lacrosse league in town. He ended up meeting up with him for a practice while we were here.
We picked up some wheels after the rest of the crew arrived. We decided to get out and take a tour of the city. It was devastated by an earthquake in the late 2000s which is evident by the heaps of construction throughout the city. It's also a much smaller city than I had pictured. It is perfectly placed however with a mix of beach/ocean and hills. You can also make out tall mountain ranges in the distance if you're facing west. We drove through downtown and out to the small town of Lyttelton. There were lots of twists and turns through the hills but also great views, even on an overcast day.
The next day we set out for more exploration and headed to New Brighton Pier. The beach is a long beautiful strip, but the water was quite cold. That doesn't stop the surfers from going out.
We headed downtown after that and hopped on the tour trolley. Isa managed to disguise herself as a 15 year old and got on for free. There isn't much to see in downtown Christchurch. A few parks and a couple old schools and residences. The cathrdral was badly damaged in the quake as well as a few other historical buildings awaiting restoration. Most of downtown is brand new or under construction and there is a heavy dose of restaurants and shopping. We topped the afternoon off with an adult beverage at Welles Street Brewery before heading home to the rest of the crew.
The following day Luke, Mack, Isa and I headed out early to hike Taylor's Mistake to Godley Head. We arrived just after sunrise. The small inlet was dotted with surfers. It was a beautiful and easy hike up and along the coast. The area was littered with sheep and military outposts from the second world war. If I lived here, I would hike this trail a few times a week. It's so peaceful.
In the afternoon we took the boys out to the Margaret Mahy playground. It's a massive place with equipment for all ages...even us adults ;) There is a small water park as well. The boys loved it and it tired them out big time, so bonus for us.
We headed downtown after that and hopped on the tour trolley. Isa managed to disguise herself as a 15 year old and got on for free. There isn't much to see in downtown Christchurch. A few parks and a couple old schools and residences. The cathrdral was badly damaged in the quake as well as a few other historical buildings awaiting restoration. Most of downtown is brand new or under construction and there is a heavy dose of restaurants and shopping. We topped the afternoon off with an adult beverage at Welles Street Brewery before heading home to the rest of the crew.
The following day Luke, Mack, Isa and I headed out early to hike Taylor's Mistake to Godley Head. We arrived just after sunrise. The small inlet was dotted with surfers. It was a beautiful and easy hike up and along the coast. The area was littered with sheep and military outposts from the second world war. If I lived here, I would hike this trail a few times a week. It's so peaceful.
In the afternoon we took the boys out to the Margaret Mahy playground. It's a massive place with equipment for all ages...even us adults ;) There is a small water park as well. The boys loved it and it tired them out big time, so bonus for us.
Thursday we all packed into the car and headed out to the Tannery. A Victorian building repurposed as a boutique shopping destination / special events building. They had some beautiful locally made things, but most of it was out of our price range, at least for this year. Luke and Mack bought a bag of toasted crickets that they managed to get some of us to try. The boys loved them. Vander was crying "more bugs" in the car. We sat and had a pint at Cassels & Sons Brewing. The beer there was some of the best we've had in a while, so we took a growler home (and hopefully it survives and makes it back to Canada with us).
After the Tannery, we headed over to the gondola to get a view over Christchurch. We made it with 30 mins to spare, so we managed to ride up, take in the view and get back down before they closed for the night. We had better luck shopping at the gift store at the top of the gondola than at the boutique shops.
After much debating, we decided to make a trek out to Mt Cook, just Luke, Grace and I. We had contemplated taking the whole gang to the National Park, or to Queenstown and possibly trying for the infamous Milford Sound. In the end, less is more and we decided we would get a better experience if we focused on Mount Cook and left the children at home, What a great decision that was!! We left early in the morning and drove along the coast to Timaru, a small seaside town. We stopped there for a delicious breakfast before heading inland towards the National Park.
We made a pit stop at Lake Tekapo an indigo colored lake with the southern Alps as a backdrop. On the shores of the lake sits the first church in the area, built in the 1930s. We were a little overwhelmed with a few bus loads of Chinese tourist, but they thinned out eventually and we were able to enjoy a calm and beautiful shoreline.
Our next pit stop as just a short drive down the road at lake Pukaki, a stunning glacial lake fed by the Tasman and Hooker Glaciers close to Mt Cook. It is here the you turn north and follow the lake to catch your first real glimpse of Mt Cook (Aoraki). The entire scene is jaw dropping gorgeous. Having not yet visited Lake Louise or Banff, I can only imagine this could compare.
We pulled into the National Park and arrived quickly to our fancy hotel, the Hermitage. Every time I see a stand alone hotel in a mountain setting, the Shining automatically comes to mind. We checked in an opened the door to our room to find the view of a life time.
After soaking in the sights, we unpacked our charcuterie fixins and jug of beer. Cheers to New Zealand and to great decisions ;) Luke and Grace headed down to the Edmund Hillary Center to watch some documentaries. The man is incredibly fascinating and makes you question what you have been doing with your life. I would highly recommend looking him up.
We enjoyed a rest in the evening, then we spruced ourselves up and headed to the dining room for a fancy dinner. We ordered a seafood appetizer to start. Luke and Grace had the steak, while I opted for the venison. We all shared some dessert and wine too. It was delicious! We wandered outside in hopes to see some stars. With the light pollution in the mountains being kept to the minimum, you only needed to walk a few feet from the hotel for some great views of the sky.
The next day we had breakfast and headed out for a hike on the Hooker Valley track. It's an easy trail that follows the river out to a glacial lake with a great view of Mt Cook.
After rehydrating, we headed back to Christchurch. Everyone had survived...
Sunday morning was a big day for Luke and I. Our consolation half marathon! We really only signed up for a half marathon to begin with as motivation to run a few days a week and keep the beer belly at bay. What I'm getting at is that neither of us were aiming for a PB here, just the run itself. We started out together and Luke took off ahead at the halfway mark. It was a flat course and some people were motoring! I maintained a slow and steady pace. It was hot, we didn't start running until 9 ish. Partway through the run, I realized my watch wasn't synching to the distance on the course. Something was amiss. We both crossed the finish line in one piece. It was here we found out the organizers had messed up the course. We only ran 19.5km, we were 1.7km short of a true half marathon. Personally, we didn't care, but we did feel bad for all of the people who had trained hard for a first half marathon or maybe a PB and were short changed. We hobbled over to a local Irish pub for a celebratory beer before heading home and heading out for brunch.
The next day we sent grandma home. Luke took Grace to the airport. The boys keep asking for ice cream, they are told no, then they ask for grandma. haha They miss you Grace!
Our last day in New Zealand saw us road tripping down to Akaroa. This small seaside town has a heavy French colonial influence. The boys were hoping to get out and swim with the Hector's dolphins there and Isa and I would trade the boys off for a paddle around the bay. Unfortunately, none of that happened. The dolphin swims were sold out and Isa and I missed the paddleboard rental man. The area was inundated with tourists from a cruise ship, something we did not anticipate. We ate at another over priced mediocre restaurant, wandered through the over priced shops, got some ice cream (an ode to grandma) and contemplated driving out of the bay to find a beach before admitting defeat and heading home.
The evening was spent doing the usual, tidying, washing, packing. How did our bags get so heavy?! Staying in an area so long is dangerous for accumulating stuff. Tomorrow is a quick flight to Australia before heading out to Vietnam.
New Zealand, I have dreamed of visiting you for many years... you did not disappoint! I liked the feel of the South Island more than the North. It seems a little quieter with much more dramatic scenery. I am on Luke's case to get aggressive in organizing a work exchange here. Hopefully I can persuade him. I can't tell you how many times I've Googled how to immigrate here....I think we could do it, but I wouldn't be able to convince Luke to leave his position in Toronto. We will be back, some way or another. Next time, we want to spend a couple of months and do the camper van thing. I really think it's the best way to make the most of the country.
After much debating, we decided to make a trek out to Mt Cook, just Luke, Grace and I. We had contemplated taking the whole gang to the National Park, or to Queenstown and possibly trying for the infamous Milford Sound. In the end, less is more and we decided we would get a better experience if we focused on Mount Cook and left the children at home, What a great decision that was!! We left early in the morning and drove along the coast to Timaru, a small seaside town. We stopped there for a delicious breakfast before heading inland towards the National Park.
We made a pit stop at Lake Tekapo an indigo colored lake with the southern Alps as a backdrop. On the shores of the lake sits the first church in the area, built in the 1930s. We were a little overwhelmed with a few bus loads of Chinese tourist, but they thinned out eventually and we were able to enjoy a calm and beautiful shoreline.
We enjoyed a rest in the evening, then we spruced ourselves up and headed to the dining room for a fancy dinner. We ordered a seafood appetizer to start. Luke and Grace had the steak, while I opted for the venison. We all shared some dessert and wine too. It was delicious! We wandered outside in hopes to see some stars. With the light pollution in the mountains being kept to the minimum, you only needed to walk a few feet from the hotel for some great views of the sky.
The next day we had breakfast and headed out for a hike on the Hooker Valley track. It's an easy trail that follows the river out to a glacial lake with a great view of Mt Cook.
Sunday morning was a big day for Luke and I. Our consolation half marathon! We really only signed up for a half marathon to begin with as motivation to run a few days a week and keep the beer belly at bay. What I'm getting at is that neither of us were aiming for a PB here, just the run itself. We started out together and Luke took off ahead at the halfway mark. It was a flat course and some people were motoring! I maintained a slow and steady pace. It was hot, we didn't start running until 9 ish. Partway through the run, I realized my watch wasn't synching to the distance on the course. Something was amiss. We both crossed the finish line in one piece. It was here we found out the organizers had messed up the course. We only ran 19.5km, we were 1.7km short of a true half marathon. Personally, we didn't care, but we did feel bad for all of the people who had trained hard for a first half marathon or maybe a PB and were short changed. We hobbled over to a local Irish pub for a celebratory beer before heading home and heading out for brunch.
The next day we sent grandma home. Luke took Grace to the airport. The boys keep asking for ice cream, they are told no, then they ask for grandma. haha They miss you Grace!
Our last day in New Zealand saw us road tripping down to Akaroa. This small seaside town has a heavy French colonial influence. The boys were hoping to get out and swim with the Hector's dolphins there and Isa and I would trade the boys off for a paddle around the bay. Unfortunately, none of that happened. The dolphin swims were sold out and Isa and I missed the paddleboard rental man. The area was inundated with tourists from a cruise ship, something we did not anticipate. We ate at another over priced mediocre restaurant, wandered through the over priced shops, got some ice cream (an ode to grandma) and contemplated driving out of the bay to find a beach before admitting defeat and heading home.
New Zealand, I have dreamed of visiting you for many years... you did not disappoint! I liked the feel of the South Island more than the North. It seems a little quieter with much more dramatic scenery. I am on Luke's case to get aggressive in organizing a work exchange here. Hopefully I can persuade him. I can't tell you how many times I've Googled how to immigrate here....I think we could do it, but I wouldn't be able to convince Luke to leave his position in Toronto. We will be back, some way or another. Next time, we want to spend a couple of months and do the camper van thing. I really think it's the best way to make the most of the country.
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