Day 1 - Christchurch, NZ

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After 3 flights, and nearly 22 hours of travel, we finally arrived in Christchurch, New Zealand! We checked into our hotel at the Novotel and were greeted by a wonderful plate of desserts waiting for us in out suite that overlooked the cathedral. How sweet! Since our flight arrived early in the morning, we spent the afternoon cruising the city and visiting the botanical gardens. The city was hit pretty hard with an earthquake 5 years ago, and is still very much in a state of rebuilding - lots of crumbled buildings and new construction. We had a great dinner at a local farm to table restaurant, though unfortunately the jet lag got the best of us and we turned in early (which proved a little challenging considering that it doesn't get dark there until about 10pm!). All in all, a great first day, and ready for the next leg of the adventure!

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Photos

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View from the balcony