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

Our bedroom overlooks the beach so we wake up to the most glorious view of the sun rising over the ocean. I take a stroll along the beach while the old man sleeps. The plan for today is to drive the 94 miles along the coastal SH1 to Kaikoura, stopping for lunch at a vineyard on the way. SH1 has only recently partially reopened following the huge earthquake which hit the region in 2016, and has been shut again over the past few days following Cyclone Gita. If it’s shut, we will have a 6+ hour detour so we are on tenterhooks awaiting the traffic update. Luckily the road opens and we set off for the huge wine estate of Yealands. It’s a cutting edge eco friendly vineyard (it even plays classical music to the vines ... read more

Not a great start to the day; I’m up at 4 am to answer a barrage of increasingly stressed texts from daughter no 1 who is offloaded from a flight at Bucharest airport for ‘acting suspiciously’. It’s our last day visiting friends who suggest an outing to Greytown - claim to fame NZ small town of the year 2017. It’s a beautiful little town with many traditional wooden Victorian buildings (the fire brigade is very centrally located). We wander along the high street admiring the architecture and Greytown’s other pride, its abundance of mature trees. Most notably the Historic Tree, an enormous eucalyptus planted, having been stolen off a wheelbarrow while its owner was in the pub, in 1856. On the outskirts is the Cobblestone Museum. This isn’t as I first suspected a museum decided to ... read more

We have a 5 hour drive ahead of us today so I start with a lovely scenic run round Lake Taupo. It’s a pleasant way to start the day and sets me up for the huge cooked breakfast our host has prepared. We set off, breaking our journey at the coastal town of Napier. The area was decimated by an earthquake in 1931, hence a large rebuilding programme in the 1930s. So it’s an Art Deco extravaganza with many of the public buildings, hotels and shops built in that style. We purchase a self guide tour map for $10. The old man mutters about the cost. A lot. Then we spend an hour wandering round the city centre taking pictures of the Art Deco buildings. We return through the pristine seafront gardens, have a picnic lunch ... read more

Auckland has been fun but I’m excited to get moving. Today we pick up our hire car and head south. First stop – Matamata, which has rebranded itself Hobbiton since its use as a film location in The Hobbit. I’m not a Lord of the Rings fan but the old man has bought me a set location tour ticket regardless. The Matamata tourist information office has been converted to resemble a hobbit hole and there is a sign which says ‘Welcome to Hobbiton’ in the street outside. They’re keen to milk their LOTR link for all it’s worth. We drive to the set location; a 1250 acre sheep farm in the middle of nowhere. Despite this, the place is heaving with tourists and set tours depart every 10 minutes hosting up to 4000 visitors a day. ... read more