Christchurch

Day 8
We were at breakfast at 6:30am and had a very long travel day ahead of us. We got down to the ferry and once boarded, the ride was a little over 3 hours long. I got a little seasick on the ferry so it felt like longer but a bunch of us played card games to pass the time. The drive from the south port to Christchurch was a little of a 4 and a half hour drive but it was such a beautiful mountainous and coastal drive. We stopped for lunch in Kaikoura, a coastal town with the most breathtaking views of the mountains on a black sanded beach. This is what I pictured when I think about New Zealand. I was a little worried/ disappointed on the north island because the landscape and views wasn’t what I had expected but the minute we got to the south island I was relieved. IT WAS GORGEOUS! If you are a nature person and enjoy beautiful views, hikes and outdoor activities, then south island New Zealand is the place to go! We grabbed food and headed to the beach to take in the views and take pictures before getting back on the bus. From Kaikoura we had another 2 and a half hour drive left to go. If I was traveling alone instead of a group I totally would have flown. When we arrived in Christchurch, we went to the hotel, (Breakfree Hotel) and showered to get ready for the night. I was rooming with Gina, who is from LA. The rooms were small with 2 twin beds and the bathroom had no privacy, it was circular in the side of the room and it was like going into a spaceship. It kind of reminded me of Zenon the disney movie. We went to Little High Eatery in town for dinner which was similar to a food court but nicer with all different kinds of food to choose from. I got chicken pai thi and we met up with a bunch of the other girls. We had a couple people on the trip that were leaving the next day so we all met at Fat Eddie’s for farewell drinks. We were the only ones in the bar and there was nice live music playing. The city was literally a ghost town, it was a Monday but even walking to and from dinner we were the only people on the street. Christchurch used to have a great night life but after a huge 2011 earthquake (which resulted in a lot of deaths) the city has dramatically changed.Read more