Day 26.......Tiramu to Christchurch......

Evening all still having Internet issues despite being in the big city now (well kind of) so hopefully the pics of yesterday and today will be on shortly (I have put my money into a machine that does not take my data card from camera and I have left my lead back with Trev, not sure why I'm telling you this as you are not bothered I am sure but I am)

So I had been reading that the drive from (or to) Christchurch from this part of the world is fairly straightforward and offers nothing really to delay the traveller.  Good, I thought, 2 hours on the sat nag and I will be there.  Up and out by 9am (the clocks went back last night, but i did remember) so be in Christchurch by 11.  Not.

I decided to plump for the inland scenic route and I am glad that I did (although you may not be when you look at the pictures) and was pleasantly surprised.  It wound itself through more farming communities, Geraldine being my favourite, where i could just see Jessica Fletcher swinging on the front porch concocting another murder mystery (or me for that matter).

There were some more mountains and more ski fields with snow forming on the peaks and finally Christchurch arrived.

Now as you are more than likely aware, this city was hit by a massive and devastating earthquake just over 2 years ago, and the city is really struggling to find its feet and get back on track. From listening to locals in these parts and the radio, it seems like there is a lot of politics and red tape involved, isn't that always the case?

Still I drove through to get my bearings (getting hideously lost in the process as sat nag Lee had obviously not been informed that half of the city no longer existed and that massive detours were in place) so after shouting at him more than once I decided to head out to one of the beaches nearby, Sumner.

Now I will not go into too much details about the City today and I am getting the bus in tomorrow to explore properly, but the devastation the quake inflicted is evident everywhere, the cliff faces at Sumner fell away leaving houses hanging over the edge, and the once vibrant little town is trying its best to re invent itself.  I plumped for fish and chips on the beach with the customary 200 seagulls and then headed back for the campsite.

Now this was an emotional journey as when I pulled into the reception I realised that this was my last stop with Trevor, as I would be taking the bus tomorrow and the trans alpine train to Moana Lake on Tuesday, and the last journey we would make would be to the Airport on Wednesday so i could hand him back and head off to Auckland. Any way I will not dwell on that just now, it is still 3 days away......

I headed to a nearby mall after check in and realised it was open!!  Shops!!  Proper shops, in a mall!!  SO I shopped and drank coffee and bought sushi for my tea (in a vain attempt to be healthy, mind you there is enough for 4......) and then back to the site where I am currently sitting in a cupboard they typing faster than the computer can deal with, in what they call their 'high speed Internet room'  Still its not a bad site and has all I need so that is fine with me. 

Tonight I intend to down a few beers, sort through the 3 carrier bags full of paperwork I have amassed on my travels and generally unwind with sushi.  When my money runs out I will log on to another terminal and try to upload the pics I am late with and I have some that made me smile, not lakes and mountains, but just general observations.  I hope you will find them as entertaining as I did (probably not, you had to be there for most of them......)

Anyhoo until a bit later faithful follower(s)......Mmmmmmmwaaaaahhhh xxx