Disaster movies always have a bunch of cities being destroyed, but then once the aliens/asteroid/sharknado have been dealt with, the hero is reunited with their family and the credits roll. You never see the aftermath when the city has to be rebuilt. Well, we’re in Christchuch, and we’re seeing it now. And obviously the best way to see that is through mini-golf.
We are at one with the ocean.
Sim explaining to a waiter why we enjoyed the salmon dishes at dinner so much, completely disregarding the queasiness we both experienced less than 12 hours earlier after being on the Pacific Ocean for 5 minutes.
Akaroa
We came to Akaroa on a recommendation from Kari and Niall, so I was like, BETTER BE WORTH IT. But to start at the beginning, yesterday morning we bid farewell to the North Island and flew in to Christchurch. For reasons clear to Sim, who developed our itinerary, it made more sense to go straight to Akaroa for a night, then return to Christchurch for a stay there.
North to South
Wellington ✈ Christchurch 🚘 Akaroa
Feathers, Fur and Finns
Well we’re only halfway through the trip, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that having front row seats to see Neil Finn perform at The Opera House with a band (featuring his wife and son) and string section (from the NZSO) is going to be tough to beat as the highlight.
We Just Blew In To the Windy City
Greetings from windy Wellington! We knew we wanted to come here, but were pretty much completely aimless when it came to any actual plans. Last night though, Sim noticed an interesting poster, so our first stop was a Ticketek office to book some VERY SPECIAL Kiwi entertainment (more tomorrow night!).
The McDeco Award
Not everything in Napier is Art Deco, however there are some businesses that are really trying to get in on that scene when they probably shouldn’t be. This post celebrates their attempts. The McDeco Award is named after the above puzzling scene we saw on our way out of Napier. Though I guess the golden arches does indeed have the symmetrical geometry and bold colours that so often appear in Deco.
Deco and Dining
Napier: a city pretty much destroyed by an earthquake in 1931, and then rebuilt in the style of the day, which just happened to be Art Deco. This is definitely the sort of place Miss Marple would be solving murders in. I mean, I’m writing this from the library of our hotel, with two decanters of port dangerously close to me, a saddle to the right of me, and a pump organ to the left. If I play the right notes I fully expect a bookcase to swing open to reveal a secret passage.
Walking in a Thermal Wonderland
The words “Thermal Wonderland” probably conjure different mental images depending on your upbringing. For me, my mind turns first to a fluffy quilt, knitted bed socks, and a glowing fireplace. Other more intrepid individuals might imagine a mountaineering supply store well-stocked with thermal underwear. Few among us, our geologist friends naturally excluded, would be likely to think of the almost literally infernal landscape I witnessed this morning.
Better living through geochemistry
So, let’s get this out of the way – yes, Rotorua does not smell pleasant. However it’s actually not as bad as I feared. I think it helps that the weather’s been reasonably good while we’ve been here.