Christchurch City Tour

Having too much fun so it's hard to keep up with this blog. We took the double decker tour of the city. Last time we visited a year after the February 2011 earthquake all the Center city was a Red Zone, meaning no one could enter the main city area. Now the majority of Red buildings are down and many new ones are going up. Rebuild will take many more years.  See all the pictures.

Music in NZ

We enjoyed Tara's performance with the Atlas Voices Choir in the newly restored Knox Presbyterian Church. Our Christmas present was VIP tickets to the Sol3 Mio concert in the Waipara Hills Winery near Christchurch. We bundled in layers for the cold but it didn't dampen our enjoyment of food, wine and especially the concert. There were also a performances of Mary Poppins and ones by the Canterbury and NZ Orchestras with carol sing alongs which added to our holiday spirit. It was fun to see Tara's enjoying her friends and life in the Christchurch music community. 

New Zealand Citizens

Tara and Al are now proud New Zealand citizens. It was an impressive ceremony including Maori entertainment and a wizard that also became a citizen. See pictures  from the ceremony.

Willowbank Wildlife Reserve

It was a day for enjoying nature and taking pictures.

Christchurch Sights and Sounds

It's hard to keep up with a blog when you're having fun and there is so much to do. There was lunch out at the Tannery shopping area with another excellent flat white and Frank got a haircut and his new beard trimmed. We enjoyed, another trip on the gondola, something not possible on the last trip due to earthquake, bus to the Re-start Mall and Quake City (the earthquake museum) often observing the ongoing rebuilding of the city. Tara performed with the Atlas Choir at their Christmas concert and sing-along which was a great way to get in the holiday spirit. See all the pictures.

At Home in Christchurch

We stopped for lunch along the Coastal Pacific train route on our journey home. We arrived to find the earthquake street drainage repairs were blocking access to the lane to their house. Frank and Al shoved some fencing enough to drive over the sidewalk to get to the house. I now have a Christchurch library card and we're moving around the city via the buses. See pictures.

WW I Airplane Museum & Airplane Ride

A sedate trip to the World War I Air Museum in Blenheim turned into an exciting and fun airplane ride for Frank and Al. Tara and I enjoyed flat whites (coffees) and kept our feet firmly planted on the ground while they soared the wild blue yonder. See all the pictures.

Heading home to Christchurch

We started the day Heading back to Christchurch by visiting the Pic's Peanut Butter Factory in Nelson for a tour. It all started 7 years ago with a cement mixer with a gas burner added to roast the peanuts. Listen to or read the interesting story. Traveling through a major wine growing so it was only appropriate that we spend the night at a hotel in the middle of an vineyard. See pictures from the day.

Broadgreen Historic House

A rainy day did not dampen our enjoyment as we toured the Broadgreen Historic House and it's beautiful gardens in Nelson and of course lunch and flat whites. See some pictures from the day.

Wilding Pine Project

For Lu who asked for more information about the control of the non-native pines. The boat guide narrative about killing the trees with poison darts might be a tourist version of the reality. Yes they drill holes and poison trees but could not find anything about using darts. The workers wading ashore at the beach were going in to service the predators traps. See more information on the project.

Abel Tasman Park

The park is known for its popular costal track. The water taxis are a great way to see the beautiful beaches and to reach different sections of the costal track to start a hike. We all rode the Sea Shuttle together to Awaroa then enjoyed coffee at the lodge before Tara and Al set out to hike the track back to Tonga Quarry.

We walked around the Awaroa Lodge grounds and enjoyed a leisure lunch before reboarding for our return trip. Tara and Al reboarded later on the return from another beach. Check out pictures from our day of beautiful beaches, perfect weather and calm seas.