Blogs from Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 10

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Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Christchurch November 21st 2015

Es ist wirklich krass wie schnell die Zeit vergeht. Heute geht mein Flug schon nach Australien und ich habe es nicht wirklich geschafft einen Blogeintrag über Neuseeland zu schreiben. Es gab hier so viel zu erleben und zu entdecken, dass ich auf jeden Fall noch mal wieder hierher zurück kommen werde. Ich bin so überwältigt und habe so viel erlebt, dass ich das jetzt alles gar nicht so schnell zusammenfassen kann. Muss ich in Ruhe erzählen, wenn ich wieder zurück bin, zusammen mit vielen Bildern! ;-) Mir geht es sehr sehr gut. Ich habe die tollen Wanderungen und die Natur um mich herum sehr genossen. Was mir etwas gefehlt hat, außer Christoph natürlich, ist meine Privatsphäre. Um nicht zu teuer zu leben, war ich viel in gemischten Mehrbettzimmern und das war auf die Dauer ziemlich anstrengend. ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Christchurch September 28th 2015

Retracing our steps along the highway out of Kaikoura, we spent time admiring the scenery: an avenue of wattle trees, winding roads, little lambs running in paddocks and daffodils blooming - well, I did. Eleanor and Dayna were singing along to Justin Bieber (oblivious to anything), Dean was muttering about the slow drivers in front of us and I just enjoyed the beginning of another marvellous, sunny day on the south island. We had seen the weather report this morning and it was wet and horrible on the west coast, so we have been literally following the sun (or has it been following us??). Driving into Christchurch through the suburbs was just like driving into any other city. It wasn't until we walked around the city centre that we noticed the extent of the 2011 earthquake's ... read more
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Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Christchurch September 12th 2015

So...I have finally finished my 1st week as a Swim Coach in New Zealand and what a week it's been! In this one short week, I have learn't so many new things with regards to teaching swimming! Teaching swimming here is COMPLETELY different to teaching swimming back home in the UK. If anyone gets a chance to experience teaching out here, then I highly recommend it! Here's why... 1. In the UK you are strongly advised not to "touch" the children you teach in any way. This includes holding their hands/arms/legs/anything even if it helps them to learn to swim! (well so the STA advise anyway). This is due to child protection which I completely understand but as teachers we are fully trained professionals just doing a job that we love doing and want to help ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Christchurch September 12th 2015

As mentioned in my previous blog on my route to Kaikoura, I passed the "Inland scenic route" and I mentioned I wanted to drive this, so today this is exactly what I did! I started off in Russley, Christchurch (where I am currently based) and headed to Rangiora, this was roughly a 30minute drive on a motorway doing 100km. I stopped off on this route to fill the car up and then off I went to my next stop! I didn't use a satnav for this journey, just followed the brown road signs with the number 72 on! The route then went through...CUST then OXFORD then over a river to Glentunnel. So far the views were amazing! To my right were farmers fields with sheep, cows and machinery whereas to my left were the amazing snowy ... read more
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Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Christchurch August 29th 2015

So my previous blog told you a little a bit about what we have been up to in the past month. So we've been travelling for 4 months now and have decided to stop in Christchurch for a few months to work and then continue our travels around the south Island. I am currently working in a preschool the children are much younger then I'm used to but i'm really enjoying it and getting to understand New Zealand's philosophy of education. Christchurch is very much still under development after the devastating earthquake that destroyed the city. I have never seen a city like it before, but you can tell that it used to be a beautiful city by the beauty that still exists. The botanical gardens are fantastic to walk around and as spring is upon ... read more
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Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Christchurch August 14th 2015

Friday 14 August 2015 Long haul flights are there to be endured, especially in Economy Class. Sleeping is hard, seat in front is reclined so you can't see the entertainment screen, you are kicked from behind by a restless passenger, and leg room is almost non existent. But this seems to be a small price to pay after such a wonderful holiday. The cabin crew are run off their feet by some very demanding passengers. One senior flight attendant was so stressed that a whole row of passengers missed their breakfast. We wondered how some passengers were going to cope while passing through Immigration and Customs. Approaching the South Island we wondered if we would get a chance to see the Southern Alps. The captain came on and confirmed that the Alps would be covered in ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Christchurch July 31st 2015

The skyline lingers with hundreds of cranes maneuvering, their necks through the clouds in a methodological fashion. The sidewalks downtown are in shambles, as pedestrian paths are barricaded, rerouted, and covered in construction zones by repurposed connex boxes. Buildings hunch over, innards exposed as theirs bricks pile on the ground below, as if the quake had shaken the city the day prior. Behind wooden fences, chain-linked fences, and green mesh barriers, cathedrals and churches stand devastated and forgotten as if the apocalypse had come and gone. "Don't waste your time on Christchurch," I overheard one traveler tell another on a boat in Kaikoura. In a cafe in Lake Tekapo, I heard a German traveler telling another not to bother stopping in Christchurch, "It is just a city demolished by the earthquake," He said. "It will be ... read more
Sheep: They're What's for Dinner.
Faces of Regret in the Botanical Gardens
Re:Start Mall

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Christchurch July 29th 2015

I'd been hearing my entire trip that the centre of Christchurch is still a disaster area because of the earthquake they experienced over 5 years ago. The skyline now consists of hundreds of cranes and the sound of demolition and reconstruction is always in the background. Light tremors still shake the city, and you can feel and hear them pretty often if you sit still. But there are a few reasons to visit: Sights While most of the traditional sights have been destroyed, they've given rise to some new places worth seeing. The cathedral still hasn't been torn down and visitors can looks right into the ruined building. Just a five minute walk away is a giant cardboard replica with 187 empty chairs next to it, to represent everyone who died in the quake. Adaptation At ... read more
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View from Skyline Circuit

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Christchurch July 28th 2015

So i haven't really used travel blog apart from quite a few years back when i went to Fiji to unsuccessfully look for the Pacific Boa, since that trip there has been many others with many interesting stories such as helping the locals of Taman Negara NP (Malaysia) help relocate a half drowned Tapir back into the rainforest! However i have neglected to actually do any blogs for these trips so with my next trip coming up in just over a week i thought i would give this blogging thing another go! So as stated in just over a week i will be heading back to Asia, this time with a long time friend Cohan who accompanied me on my first trip to Asia in 2010. The main parts of this trip will be spent in ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Christchurch May 16th 2015

I haven't posted on here in a while last time I posted I was up in Motueka panicking about what I was going to do. The rest of the trip didn't help it was perfect we went to the Antarctic centre had fun baking, talked constantly it was just perfect I fell there and then. The two of us sat crying in the dark saying we loved each other. I made the decision then I was going to stay. Telling my parents was one of the hardest things to tell them I'm staying out here even longer. It was pretty tough to tell them that also when I had to tell them it was a guy too. It was one of the toughest things I've done. I booked a flight to Australia as needed to leave ... read more
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