Blogs from Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 4

Today we have a full day to explore Christchurch. It’s a sadly fascinating experience. Sad because of the destruction caused by the earthquakes but fascinating to see the resilience and creativity employed in attempting to regain some normality. From the ‘cardboard’ transitional cathedral constructed round 96 cardboard tubes, to a shopping mall made out of shipping containers to the various murals painted on derelict buildings. We start with a return to the botanic gardens to visit the conservatory complex. As well as greenhouses dedicated to cacti, orchids and carnivorous plants, there is a large Victorian greenhouse with an array of tropical plants. Next to a banana tree is a sign saying ‘Eat Me!’ so the old man helps himself to a banana. Then we hear an angry gardener bemoaning the fact that people keep stealing her ... read more

In the morning some folks were a little worse for wear after the previous evening’s “last hurrah!” and also from the ever persistent “Top Deck Super AIDS” cold. I for one deny the notion that my own sickliness is a result of spending half an hour in an ice bar with no jacket and jumping in a glacial lake. Our day included some scenic stops at Lake Tekapo and the Church of the Good Shepard; a shrine to the working dogs of New Zealand. Here I was suckered into paying a dollar for a public toilet, though I could take solace in the fact it was a damn nice public toilet. My standards for public washrooms are usually “I hope the last person flushed and the graffiti is tasteful”, but this one had automatic doors, a ... read more

The Last Supper First I have to tell you something which will surprise you. The Donkey is married to a butterfly, called Butterfly! Yes, I know, it sounds unbelievable but it is true. The Donkey is very proud of this as most donkeys are married to other donkeys. Admittedly, Butterfly did not really fall for him; he had to conquer her, which he did, it took a lot of hard work from his side as there were many other contenders including a whole lot of other butterflies (although it had been relatively easy for the Donkey to swat these away). Marrying a butterfly had been one of the better moves the Donkey had made in his life. Many things he had done over the years had been rather unproductive, like what he did now, going on ... read more

The adventures of Hudson and Hellemans aka Showpony and the Donkey Showpony and the Donkey have been friends for a long time. They are now in the autumn of their lives, which means that they are very old. They are so old that they have become like children again. One evening they were reminiscing over a beer. The Donkey was berating the fact that he had worked so hard all his life and had nothing much to show for it. While he said this his eyes looked sadder and his ears drooped further than ever. Showpony looked at his mate with pity knowing full well that he had done nothing much at all in his life but by being a mere show pony he had done more than enough. He had lead an exemplary life, hadn’t ... read more

It has been noted that I haven't finished the blog - there are missing days - my tardiness must be rectified so here is 1 of the 3/4 missing days Christchurch I had decided I didn't like Christchurch before taking myself on my own mini graffiti tour (I do like a graffiti tour) and Christchurch is renowned for the standard of it's graffiti. I had a vision of Christchurch which it wasn't like - for some reason I thought it was costal or on a lake and it is not. I had also been spoilt by the amazing scenery of the preceding 2 weeks. I knew there had been a major earthquake in 2011 but I didn't expect the devastation to be as extensive as it was. However I decided to give the place my best ... read more