Christchurch

Had a look around the shipping container shops that have relocated into these containers when their buildings were ruined in the earthquake. The city centre was completely off limits for 8 months to assess, pull buildings down or make them safe. The extent of the damage and devastation is truly amazing with very little left from pre 2011, however a new and funky city is rising with high hopes and strength of the populous. We also saw the cardboard Cathedral which was light and bright inside. It has a plastic roof with pine support struts that are enclosed by cardboard tubes that lean in and lead your eyes towards the cross which is also made from cardboard tubes. Couldn't come to a city and not go around the Botanical Gardens! Dropped the car off and checked into a pod hostel, which has very funky individual plastic pods that you sleep in. It's also ideally situated near the airport for our early morning flight to Auckland tomorrow.Read more