Christchurch NZ

Before we start

( from Christchurch Earthquake Museum - Quake City)


OK, on with our visit:

Our relatively short Singapore visit was so full of new experiences, we have to remind ourselves that the main aim of this adventure is to explore New Zealand. Now we're here and jet-lagged...

The Quantas Boeing 777-300 from Singapore was a little bit of Oz - "More coffee mate?" - and fine for that. It always fascinates how the big National carriers transport you to a little bit of their country and culture, never mind that you're heading somewhere else. We emerge creased and crumpled (economy again) in Sydney airport but our anticipated two hour wait for our big Emirates Airbus A380 turns into six hours while they fix it. Still, when we eventually board, it's nice place to be, even if it's not where you want to be - if you see what I mean.

It's always dangerous to comment on first impressions of a country when you're travel weary. After two hours trying to get out of the airport, standing in queues that are moving at one metre every ten minutes because you have to unpack to get your walking boots checked out, I would have been less than polite even though I understand why they're doing it. Ask me now, after a day in Christchurch and I'd say what a wonderful bunch of people, living in a town that's got a great atmosphere, even though it's still being rebuilt after something close to complete destruction in the  2011 earthquake.

Destruction and de-consecration (is that a word?)

Recontruction is everywhere

We take the restored electric hop on - hop off trams around the city complete with commentary, which is a great introduction, after which we wander around with more understanding. Also visit the Canterbury Museum.

Cathedral Square

Cool(ish) New Regent Street

We head off to coastal Lyttleton on the local bus today to experience a small town close to Christchurch, although it has a major port for the logging industry. It's got a kind of bohemian feel with a buzzy local market... and lots of logs.

Yeah, lots and lots of logs....

Buzzy local market

Notice that New Zealanders are a pretty friendly bunch down here in South Island.... and they always seem to thank the bus drivers, too.... even the bunch of incredibly noisy teenagers, high on something or other, each shout THANK YOU!!! as they get off and head off for more fun.

Eat at quite a cool bar in town and consume a couple of pints of local brew. Very nice, too.

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What to do on a rainy day in Christchurch? Drink coffee in cool new coffee bars, visit the swish art gallery, complete the Canterbury Museum visit and eat in one of the many restaurants, that's what.

Art Gallery

and here's a reminder of where we are.. (3rd para!)

The Canterbury Museum has lots on Antarctic Exploration...

...but found this ourselves in Lyttleton

The Transitional Cathedral or  Cardboard Cathedral  impresses...

Today we check out of our city centre hotel as we are due to meet up with the rest of the group at the airport hotel... so it's the end of part one of our adventure. So let's make the most of it...

We take the Gondola (cable car for UK readers) to the top of Mt. Cavendish for a couple of hours of walking and relaxing, with fantastic views over Christchurch and its surroundings...

Back to the city for a bite of food and a drink in the the soon to be removed  re:START - a temporary shopping mall fashioned from shipping containers.

Then we use UBER to taxi us and our luggage to the airport hotel where we meet old friends for a drink. Group meeting, motorhome briefing and group welcome meal tomorrow...

.....so this post is drawing to a close. Before we leave it, though, it's important to say something about this city. We see so many places on our travels and fall in love with some for all sorts of reasons.... but there are few that we feel could, in different circumstances, be our home. Christchurch really could, though. 

Singapore Sojourn

Four nights in Singapore on route to New Zealand

It's a fourteen hour flight on Emirates from Heathrow, with a change in Dubai....

                                  

... so we  arrive all out of sync and explore Clarke Quay  near to our hotel. Great view from our hotel when we come to after crashing out for a few hours.

We recover...

We walk the (riverside) walk for a couple of miles taking in the sights as we go... and they are really breathtaking in their way. Massive investment no real surprise but the style , engineering and architecture is cutting edge; even after our 'prep', we're taken aback. Even more surprising is the colonial feel of many areas with British street names and bridges retaining the names of significant entrepreneurs of the colonial period.

We head for Gardens by the Bay and experience the sights here, including the Bio-domes,  Supertree Grove , the OCBC Skyway and the wonderful roof top observation deck, Sands Skypark. We grab some Satay at Satay-by-the-bay and finish up with a riverside meal on the walk back.

Supertree Grove... disguised biofuelled cooling and energy system, driving the park

Nearly killed by rampant selfie-sticks...

Sands Skypark... atop of three towers...

...and this is the view of reclaimed Gardens by the Bay from the observation deck..

Looking north towards the Singapore Flyer (big wheel).

Inside a bio-dome

Laser light show projected onto water sprayers in the river: clever, that.

.....and here's a short movie clip to give you the atmosphere.

Ending the day with a meal with a view..

In complete and utter contrast with all of this is our day spent in Little India and Chinatown, trying hard to understand the history and culture of these areas (and probably failing miserably). Still, the street style food and Tiger Beer was great, as were all the people we met. We visit mosques and temples, both Hindu and Buddhist and, as ever, I reflect on the human mind and the devotion to belief. What a fascinating place Singapore is. Oh, we mastered the metro, too; very easy actually - and most impressive.

It is said that here is kept the left canine tooth of the Buddha. It's called the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple....

Contrasts in Little India

...and still we venture on...

Despite a really hot humid day, we visit the Botanical Gardens, although we can't see the famous Orchid Garden as it's unexpectedly closed for an event. Judging by the number of police with machine guns, it's for some pretty important people. We're using the metro today as we're running out of energy and we can cover more ground, too. We eat in Holland Village, which is favoured ex-pats - or so our lonely planet says.

We complete a hectic day by walking the Helix Bridge and riding the Singapore Flyer and  finish up in Raffles Hotel, drinking a Singapore Sling - What else!

Enough of all that.... How about some pics...

The Helix Bridge

View from the Helix Bridge

View from the Singapore Flyer

Yes, it's Raffles...

...and that's my Singapore Sling

Flight to Sydney this evening which gives us time for a final day of contrasts.

 We finish the afternoon with a visit to the shopping mall in the main shopping area, Coleman Street. It looks great on the outside but it seems like a (very large) rabbit warren to me, admittedly with some particularly expensive shops. Has to be done I'm told...

The interesting bit, though, is our three hour visit to the truly excellent National Museum of Singapore. It details the history of Singapore from the early days as a trading post, the involvement of the East India Company and subsequent Colonial Rule, the invasion by the Japanese, the return of British rule, through to the abortive union with Malasia and reluctant independence as multi racial country that has built tolerance and success.

A moving and fitting end to an enjoyable and fascinating visit.

The National Museum

 Hanging pans art in the National Museum

Sydney then Christchurch tomorrow – which means the end of this post.

Getting Close Now...

OK!

Less than two weeks to go now and we're still in Nerja.......

.....but it's time to start getting our minds around this trip. It's been surprising how many people we know out here have travelled around NZ in different ways. I guess that shouldn't really be surprising, given the kind of people that live/partly live out here. Tonight we spent a while chatting to a recently retired couple on our urbanisation who have spent the last two years living in Singapore; the four days we are spending there is too short a time, of course - always is. 

Looks as if we might be able to meet up with a couple of friends in NZ just before we join the tour group. Interestingly, they will be leading the next NZ tour, so that should prove interesting.

Here's the NZ motorhome (probably) : C&CC link to motorhome

Anyway - doing mundane things like sorting the house out, ready to fly back to the UK on Monday.

Next post from Singapore, all being well.