Day 29 Wednesday

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Day 29 Wednesday

Our last full day in NZ: we spent it in Christchurch, strolling around the main square (buskers, street chess, a launch of some cut price air tickets, groups singing carols to raise funds).The cathedral and the museum is worth a visit. A lot on the early settlers to the area (this area is known as Canterbury) and some interesting bits on Christchurch from about 100 years ago. There was also a good exhibition on the Antarctic and the early explorers like Scott and Shackleton. They have a good collection of various bits they had used, books and photographs. Christchurch was an important base for these explorers.

Wandering slowly back to our house for the night we passed many examples of the damage done by the earthquake – walls cracked and now behind barriers, chimneys shattered etc. Several old houses are now behind safety barriers. In Eliza’s they are repairing the damage – this has included checking foundations which in some of the old buildings are no longer secure. We learnt of the neighbouring house – a grade 1 listed building where the damage may cost in excess of £1 million to put right.

Emailed home to tell them to turn the heating up at night, schools closed and temperatures dropping. We are off to Singapore in the morning where it is 27 degrees but it’s raining!!!!

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