South Island: Christchurch

We arrived in Christchurch early in the afternoon. It was so refreshing to step outdoors into a more temperate environment compared to the muggy suffocating heat of Thailand.

Despite Christchurch being the largest hub on South Island, it seems very chill and open despite being on a plain nestled near the mountains.

In short order we arrived in the historic CBD (Central Business District), but lots rebuilt since the earthquake of 2011. Once checked into the hotel, decided to head out to explore and enjoy the rest of the warm afternoon. We meandered through a few of the CBD streets east to the Avon River, then west to the city's Botanical gardens. Upon our return we stopped for a light dinner at a Smokehouse restaurant by the river.

Tuesday we decided to explore the surrounding area. We enjoyed a short walk to Grizzly Baked Goods 😋, for coffee and a donut. Next we jumped in the car and headed toward Lyttleton. The highway took us through the long tunnel to the port town. We then followed the meandering road up and over to Godley Head, an old defense battery site from WWII, and walked around.

We descended down into Redcliff, through Mount Pleasant, and into Ferrymead. A quick bite for lunch; our server Shelley was lovely. Then some fun shopping at a Op Shop nearby. Can't beat $2 dress shirts and $10 red suede shoes! We then headed into New Brighton and walked on the beach and along the impressive pier, where a number of people were fishing.

For dinner we popped a block over from the hotel to Earl. The Pasta and drink special on Tuesdays was a fabulous price. We weren't sure how busy it was going to be, so A found a back up just in case. Luckily they had room, and the meal was delicious! We decided to walk through Rauora park, on our way back to the hotel, and found a section of the Berlin Wall that had been relocated here as an art installation; Christchurch is known for its street art. Turns out there are many sections of the wall around the world! They repaint theirs annually with new art to keep it fresh🎨👌Read more