Let me apologize that it has been so long since our last New Zealand entry, but we had a little computer trouble this week that limited our ability to post. Now that we have fixed that problem, back to the trip. After leaving Kaikoura, the drive to Christchurch was about three hours to the south, but before entering the city, we stopped at the International Antarctic Center. Interestingly, Christchurch is considered "the gateway to Antarctica," as over 70% of all Antarctic expeditions leave from Christchurch. The Center itself was quite interesting. There were exhibits on the geology and biodiversity of the region, including a glimpse into the life of New Zealand's permanent scientific personnel that live at Scott Base. We got to experience an ice storm at -8 degrees Celsius and to see a group of the world's smallest penguins that are cared for by the center's staff. After enjoying the early afternoon in Antarctica, we drove into the city itself.
Christchurch, founded in 1850, looks like a small city in the English countryside. The cathedral (pictured above) looks like it could have been the destination for Chaucer's pilgrims, and the architecture of the buildings properly belongs somewhere in the gothic period. Needless to say, it is a beautiful place . . . and that was just the buildings.
The Christchurch Botanical Gardens are some of the oldest in New Zealand and they are literally at the heart of the city. Unlike Adelaide, which is a city surrounded by green space, Christchurch is a giant green space with a city around the edge. The gardens are absolutely spectacular with giant poplars and pines and rows of dalhias and roses. Since it is now fall in the Southern hemisphere, the trees were changing color and kids were playing in the piles of leaves, and with a crisp breeze in the air, it felt like fall at home.
As we wandered through the gardens and down by the river, our nostalgia gave way to a mild jealousy: we were both pretty envious that Christchurch has such a incredible place to enjoy. Honestly, I'm not really a garden person, but I found myself suddenly interested plants and trees because everything was beautiful. After walking around all afternoon, we enjoyed an early dinner and then drove to the Willowbank Wildlife Park for a Maori cultural experience and a kiwi tour.
Normally, I would confess that I'm not really a fan of manufactured cultural experiences, but the evening we spent with the Maori was unusually candid and meaningful. The Maori are originally from Polynesia and arrived in New Zealand between 800-1000 years ago. After crossing thousands of miles of open ocean in large war canoes, the Maori landed at a site just south of Christchurch. We learned about Maori social customs, traditional rituals, and even participated in the Maori hokey-pokey.
Following our time with our Maori hosts, we took an evening tour of the Willowbank Wildlife Park. The reason the tour is at night is because the kiwi, a small flightless bird (pictured above) that is the symbol of New Zealand, is nocturnal. Waddling and stumbling awkwardly along the ground, the kiwi is an extraordinary creature, but like many of New Zealand's prized birds, it has been driven to near extinction by introduced species. Following our time at Willowbank, we returned to our hotel in the city under the assumption that we would be up early on a hot air balloon ride the next morning. However, the weather deteriorated overnight and we were unable to go. Disappointed but undeterred, we left Christchurch on our cross-country drive across the Southern Alps to the Eastern coast.
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