Blogs from Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 12

Monday 2/2/15 Christchurch. Two highly rated cafes right across the road so we tried out the first this morning for breakfast. Worth the ratings but as usual the GF options are never quite as good as the genuine article. Ian's Bircher Muesli apparently was excellent and we will have to try and replicate it at home. We had a fairly quiet day, wandered round the Christchurch museum and then found some lunch to eat in the park. Spent most of the afternoon reading in the park (the battery on my kindle had run out so we had to find a bookshop and buy a proper paper book)! It was another very hot day and the park was busy with picnickers and sunbathers. A dodgy stomach (mine, perhaps the breakfast wasn't as good as it should have ... read more

Sunday 1/2/15 Hamner Springs to Christchurch. Just one night in HS but a fairly short journey to Christchurch, after a quick look in the wool shop in town to get socks for Ben and Lizzie's new one (when it arrives). The woman in the shop was telling us that she's had to walk through waist deep snow in winter in HS!Looking forward to a coffee stop in a town like the many we have passed through already, but there didn't seem to be any! Maybe it's because of the proximity to the city but the towns we went through looked less inviting and more boarded up. Managed to find a cafe in the middle of nowhere but it seemed to be attached to some kind of theme park (a very small one). Anyway it had tea ... read more

Kia ora - Hi ; Greetings from South Island, the most magical place ever! After a 3 months n a half trip, I can say that we have proudly experienced New Zealand at its best and delighted with it all! New Zealand is all about trekking, cycling, kayaking, bungy jumping, skydiving and all sorts of adventure sports- so be prepared to leave your high heels behind ! Buying a campervan was an absolute necessity for us- but it wasnt easy I have to say- Auckland was full of scams- but we managed to buy one, along 2 kayaks and two mountain bikes- might as well be equipped! New Zealand is not cheap - a half day kayak at Milford sound might cost you 200 bucks- at least ! North Island is reaaally nice if you have ... read more

1st December-Oh my god I can't believe it's December.....24 days 'til crimbo! :) Well last night the dude brought a girl back and I'm thinking if you pair start making noises I'm gonna have to be rude, but fair dos they were quiet. It was an early start this morning...had to meet the bus at 7am to take us to the ferry. Our bus driver was a bit late because he overslept but I didn't mind one bit because it was Dylan! Our crazy driver from when I did the North Island :) :) So I met a few people on the bus/ferry who seem nice but they're all in their little group and I kind of feel like it's going to be hard to fit in :( It's like the bay of islands all over ... read more

Geo: -43.5316, 172.637We woke to a home cooked breakfast; bacon, sausages, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, home made fruits, cereals, juices, toast, and fresh coffee prepared by our friendly hosts. We shared the breakfast table with Christian and Helga, an Austrian couple around our age.By 10.30 we were packed and on the road bound for Christchurch airport. We elected to take the Scenic Inland Road on Route 72 via Methaven rather than the freeway. It was prettier sure, but did have us scrambling a little for time. The GPS lying to us about fuel near the airport didn't help our cause. We finally arrived at check in around 2.10 for a 4.00pm flight. We breathed a sigh of relief as our wine filled luggage scraped at 'around' the tolerated weight limit. Quickly, returning our vehicle keys, we cleared ... read more