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Published: July 19th 2006
Hello all. Sorry I've been slow with the postings lately, but things are just now beginning to settle down for me. I believe my last posting was from Wellington, my final destination in the North Island. That's where my bus trip ended and I took the ferry over the Cook Strait and into the South Island. That was a remarkable three hour ferry trip - sun rising, mountainous terrain on both sides of the waterway...typical NZ scenery.
Once in Picton (the point of entry to the South Island), I joined up with two Americans I had met in Auckland my first few days in NZ. We all had the same idea of settling somewhere on the South Island and working for several months, so that's what we did. Initially we pursued Nelson (supposedly the sunniest place in NZ, which would be nice right now), but work was limited so we decided on Christchurch (East Coast)...turned out to be a great alternative, but I'll get to that...
We hired (yes, hired, not rented) a car and drive along highway 1 which runs down the east coast of NZ until we hit Christchurch - again, amazing scenery with the jagged coastline and bright blue waters on the left and mountains to the right. I have to mention that I drove for the first time on the left side of the road and the car was a stick...only have done that once. Was interesting at first to say the least. By this time we were ready to have a place of our own and unpack for a while, but it took several days to secure a house. We were lucky in finding a great place near the City Center - had everything we needed and more (the grill, hottub, and laundry machines were a bonus!).
Next was the job search (All those extreme sports are not cheap, hence the job search...). I lucked out at the first place I went, finding a job with the Christchurch City Council for three months. Sounds important, huh?! Not really. Just working on a special project that have going on in their Customer Service dept. But the time frame worked out great. By then I'll be ready to check out other areas of NZ. It's been a great way to meet people my age in the city - even a few more Americans are working there.
Enough about working - it's hard enough living in NZ and getting up everyday at 6:30am!! Our next feat to tackle is buying a car. Something cheap and old will do, just to putter around the South Island. With so many cool places "off the beaten path" in NZ, a car is the best way to go. Went to a silent car auction the other night - definitely tempting, but we didn't get there early enough to test drive any. Hopefully next time I'll have good news on that...
Christchurch has turned out to be a great place to plant ourselves for a while. It's very accessible by foot, has great food and bar scene, and the architecture and gardens are like non-other in NZ. It's very English in some aspects with the Avon River running through the city and large cathedrals. If you have a minute do a google image search on Christchurch and see what you find. I'll send pics once I take them. ha!
We have a list of things we hope to do while in Christchurch, all most nearby. Maybe skiing on Mt. Hutt, visiting Hanmer Springs (thermal pools), some cool treks in the nearby mountains, and possibly take the TranzAlpine Train one weekend which takes you across to the east coast through river valleys, Southern Alps, and rain forests. Will definitely update as they happen...
Well I'll sign off for now - guess I have to work now. Hope all is well on your end.
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Allison Hart
non-member comment
Cory i can't believe you didn't get a job with that Drake company. The reference form i filled out was a pain in the ass and took me like an hour to do. I talked you up though!! Shit- i would have hired you myself if i had read all that stuff.