Christchurch

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Hello all, well I reluctantly said goodbye to Kaikoura to get the bus to Christchurch. Have to admit to being a little anxious about meeting up with my trip. All I'd been told was to make it to Christchurch airport and to look out for my tour group who would be there. Once again the scenery from Kaikoura to Christchurch was stunning and the trip was uneventful. I'd asked the driver if there were any buses running in Christchurch yet and he said he didn't think so, after all it was only 4 days after a massive quake had ruined the city. The bus would stop just outside the cordoned off area. It was strange coming into town - the damage was clear to see and there were piles of liquifaction everywhere. Liquifaction is a new word for me and it is the silt that bubbled up through the ground when the earthquake hit. Christchurch is built on a swamp and this goo comes from the swamps and it got everywhere. Trouble is when it dries it is like ash and blows everywhere at the slightest bit of breeze. I adopted my sister's tactic of asking if anyone from the bus was heading to the airport so we could share a taxi and found 2 other girls who were trying to head there. Not that we had any idea how to get one! I wondered up the road to a motel thinking they would have a number but it was closed. As I glanced up the road I saw a white car with a taxi sign on the top so I stuck my hand out and flagged it. Luckily it stopped and we were all relieved to hear it would be relatively cheap between the 3 of us to get to the airport. The driver told us we were lucky to get a cab as not many people were working - too scared to be out and about. Someone must be looking out for me! So I made it to the aiport and eventually found my tour group. Christchurch airport was in chaos as thousands of residents were desparately trying to leave the city and there were a lot of distraught people there, very sad to see.

Have to say that the demographics of my fellow tourists was pretty much the same as the other group but I figured that there was no reason this group wouldn't be fun like the last lot - even if they are all in bed by 9pm with their Ovaltine! I was one of the last to arrive and when we were all present we made our way to the coach. We were supposed to start our tour in Christchurch but the itinerary was changed and we headed to the West Coast to start our tour....bye for now

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Comments

[Tiemekangaroo down]

Men with camel hoof
Not long before you come back to the cold of England..... Enjoy your last week. N & C xx