South Island Trip Day 4 - Christchurch To Queenstown

The Southern Alps

It was another early start, getting into Christchurch centre to catch the coach to Queenstown. Luckily the scenery was amazing along the way! The coach driver was pretty talkative and talked for almost the whole way. It was nice at the start but it soon got really annoying, especially when he got on to really random topics - like irrigation and constipated cows....

Me at Lake Tekepo

Ducky at Lake Tekepo

On one of the stops I discovered my new favourite New Zealand cuisine - chesse and pineapple sandwiches - they were SO yummy! Eventually 4 hours in we stopped at Lake Tekepo - it was SO BEAUTIFUL! How lucky to stop here! Also saw Mount Cook on the second leg of the journey to Queenstown! 

Mount Cook

Vineyards for NZ Wine

The road to Queenstown

8 hours on a bus- but a great journey. I arrived in Queenstown - it looked amazing I couldn't wait to get out to explore tomorrow! :)

Also staying at such a LOVELY backpacker's lodge - Hippo Lodge! Cute!

    

Arriving into Queenstown

Day 2 In The Garden City - Christchurch

I woke up in my little cupboard - I actually slept pretty well! I packed up my stuff and was out of the backpackers for 8:30am. I went to the supermarket, got some apples and milkshake( it tasted salty - ewww). I sat on New Brighton Beach to eat breakfast. It was so beautiful, the sea spray was like mist coming of the crest of the waves. There were also lots of people gathered for a surfers competition, people in longboats and kayaks   even a woman jogging pushing a pram and a man out with a metal detector. The took the bus to town!

Hagglund and US Antarctic Programme

I walked back to the museum and reached the bus stop to the Antarctic Centre with plenty of time to spare! Its called the "Penguin Express" and had giant penguins on top! The driver was super nice! There were 2 other people on the bus - English couple from LA. They were so nice we were all having the chats and the woman even offered me a place to stay if I was on LA! Going out towards the suburbs you wouldn't even know there was a quake! It was fine, we even passed a vineyard  At the airport I saw two big American Military planes getting ready to go down to Antarctica! There was a massive hangar which said "UNITED STATES ANTARCTIC PROGRAM" very exciting and official! :D

I got a $10 discount on my ticket woooh! Went into this room which was in complete darkness and then it changed showing the seasons. I arrived just in time for the penguins getting feed! The woman came right down to the front to feed the ones that couldn't swim and eat. Some were paralysed after getting attacked by dogs when left in a car park. One even got fed by hand because it had brain injuries from getting hit by a boat : ( On the other side you could look into their nests :D! Sleepy wee penguins.

I went outside and got on the Huggland - a Swedish Military vehicle  The driver was so grumpy.  There where two New Zealanders(the woman had her leg in a cast), two Arabian (mum and son) - they were having stacks of craic! Then older Indian people got in. The ride was so much fun! It sped up and down hills and everyone was getting thrashed about, laughing and screaming! Then it went into water and floated!

There was a massive cold room where you could go into and experience an Antarctic Storm! I put on a big red coat and goofy shoe covers - it was already -8 and it hadn't even started! There was actual snow too. when it stared it got dark and a wind started blowing and it got down to wind chill -20! It was so cold I couldn't feel my hands! The Arabian people took my picture : ).

Then I went to a 4D film of a voyage to Antarctica. In the queue the woman with the broken foot started showing me pictures of a really ugly pig on her ipad and then her grandchildren and telling me her lifestory (FYI, she was born in the Netherlands.)The film was really good! The seats rocked, water, bubbles and snow came down. There was even a bit where a seagull came down and did a 3D shit and stuff sprayed in your face!

When I got back to Christchurch I waited ages in the tourist office to buy a redzone tour. I had an hour or so to kill before hand so I went outside and jumped on the giant caterpillar tour of the gardens. The driver woman was so funny and so where the 2 Australians on board too! I had to sprint afterwards to get the redzone tour. (I just made it!) Had to sit behind these two old biddies who gearned the whole way.The only bit of the tour that was good was the bit where it goes into the redzone and you get right up close to the cathedral  The redzone is guarded by the army...who had a stuffed sheep in overalls pinned to their hut they also had a big comfy arm chair sitting outside! It was really creepy like being in some post apocalyptic thing...

I walked up to the Gondolas took some pictures and went to container city again.. it was kind of busy with a band playing and some man sitting away up high in an orange turban with loads of ribbon coming out of him.. weird. And there was a woman giving out kisses for $2. I went into the Quake City exhibit - learned all about the Maori god that is supposed to be trapped in the earth, and he's angry when he stomps it creates earthquakes. There was also a beer called Aftershock. It was brewed during the September 2010 7.1 quake which caused the power to go off- leading to stronger beer which was ironically 7.1% proof! Then they had people's stories up on video - it was pretty sad. One woman was talking and then just said , "then I saw my fingers fall off..."

I dandered around to the Redzone again - it said no entry but everyone was dandering around so I did too. Seen the cathedral again up close. I went down to the cardboard cathedral and the CTV buiding and read all the cards people had left. Very Sad. across the road they have a lawn with different white chairs - one for each of the people who died. It was really sad too... office chairs, lounge chairs, baby carriers even a wheelchair. You;re invited to pick a chair that speaks to you and sit in it. ...

I got lost walking back to the bus station - and made it back to the backpackers.

First Day Out And About In Christchurch

I caught the bus into the town... it took ages! Well only like 20mins but it was still long.  The whole way I could see the damage then I got to the city centre - if you could even call it that. It was completely in ruins. Crazy! It was exactly 2 years from the big earthquake and there was still rubble everywhere.

I walked from the temporary bus station to the museum where the tourist information was. The tourist info place was so tiny, a little shed thing! The queue was massive so I decided to go into Canterbury Museum - it was free :)! The lady at the info desk was SO nice! She was all like , "you came all this way to visit us sweety? Come here for an adventure?" Nicest person ever! :) The museum was okay, lots of moa and Maori stuff. There was a replica house of an old man and woman who collected all these weird blue shells which covered the ENTIRE wall - everywhere! (Hahah my mum has one! :P)

Shell House

Penny Farthing

Moa

Then I paid into the Scott's Last Expedition section - all about his journey to the South Pile - where he got there after Ammundenson and then die on his way back. It was interesting after the ESCI132 Antarctica course last term, (put probably not worth the money). It had his navy uniform, books, kit, food- lots of things. There were even some amazing sketch books and photographs. I nearly started swinging digs at this loud American woman who was walking around saying really loudly, " This is rubbish, he didn't even do anything! All he did was die!"ARRRGHHH - seriously?!!! Then I almost left my camera on the ground! :( There were some other cool stuff in the museum like old clothes (so pretty!) and they had "Christchurch Street" which was a model street from the 1800s, cool! Plus they had a penny farthing - couldn't stop laughing!

Oh! I also saw a bus in the town going to Belfast! :D I would've liked to have gone but its just a suburb... nothing to see.

Punting on the Av

Gardens

After the museum I booked a bus tour around the city (it was on an old fashioned red open top London Bus). I went upstairs and it had good views. Waiting fro the bus I walked around the Christchurch Botanical Gardens, they were really pretty, the River Avon, flows right through it and there were people kyaking and there were even gondolas going up it. (Called punting here) The wee man was wearing a waistcoat and straw hat. Cute! the rose garden was so pretty - lots of different colours.

Giraffe!

The tour was ok. There wasn't much to see around the city. There were 2 big clocks and they both stopped at the exact time the 2011 quake struck. Saw the Catholic Basilica - it was in ruins too. you could see the safe lying open at the top floor. The guide said that during the quake the statue of Mary rotated 180 degrees and turned facing the city and people saw it as a "sign". CREEPY. The massive rugby/cricket stadium was derelict had just been finished for the rugby world cup in 2011 when the quake hit. The stand tilted forward 40 degrees and one moved forward 40cm! Now it is just empty.


I went around the red zone, saw the new cardboard cathedral that is being built, there was a memorial of chairs for the people who died, right opposite the old CCTV building. People had left lots of flowers there (also at the Remembrance Bridge.. it was really sad : (  . There were more empty streets and I saw the ruined Cathedral - I remember seeing it on TV - scary and really eerie.

Abandoned Christchurch City Centre

Got off the bus and went back to the gardens, there was a man doing questionnaires, so I did one. He was nice and said he was in Belfast in 1990 and he has never been so scared with men coming around the corner in tanks with a machine gun on top! It was weird. Had a sit around the gardens enjoying the sun. They have this thing like a giant golf buggy in the shape of a catapillar that goes around the gardens it had a face too - cute! :D

Container City

I dandered down to "container city" the shopping centre made out of shipping containers. There's a random Hotel Ibis right on the red zone! The container shops were cool but not what I expected after all the hype... was  a let down. Also it was supposed to be the city centre -  it was a Saturday afternoon and it was deserted - you really can walk down the middle of a street. If not for the tourists it would be empty.



I got some curry and ate it in the park ... it was pretty nasty. I got the bus back to New Brighton, and some sort of gang sat beside me :S. Getting back to the backpackers I collected my bag and went to the linen room where I would be sleeping! Although the woman had got me a bag of chocolates to say sorry :). (In the shape of ducks!)  There was some weird fan machine thing in there and it was so noisy!!! It was freezing too, had to put my hoodie on over my pyjamas. The shower rooms were... ok... they were raised up off the ground and there was  a gap at the top and bottom of the door, so it was really weird getting undressed, had to crouch weird so noone could see.   Oh and again I saw the 2 Danes at the museum. Scundered!  They must think that I'm stalking them! ... Or maybe they are stalking me... >__>

My "Room" in the Linen Cupboard

There's so many Irish people in Christchurch... seriously is there even a need? I came here to try and get away from them all at home! I heard some guy walking past talking in his big broad Belfast accent " YER EFT-POSSST NAT WORKIN'?" - scundered for yee! In the backpackers there were loads too, they all seem to be builders.

Was really paranoid about someone trying to get into the linen room while I was asleep. I couldn't put my bag against the door because there's too much clutter and I didn't want to block my way out during an earthquake... there was  a load of shit in that room that could've fallen on me...

South Island Trip Begins

Ducky at New Brighton Pier

So I kind of slept in which meant I had a rush to pack my bag and print my tickets. Luckily I got to skype my dad and sister/ I walked down to the city centre and caught the airport bus- to the airport funnily enough. There was a bit of a wait but soon I was on my Jetstar flight and flying to my first stop Christchurch.

It was a super short flight - only 35 minutes! Landing in Christchurch I got the supershuttle to where I was staying, it took for EVER. There were two Danish people in the front and the driver did not shut up the whole time. Some of it was interesting but some of it was just verging on annoying.

Earthquake demolition in city centre

It didn't look so bad then there was rubble, derelict buildings,half of buildings and buildings being held up by props. Today was the second anniversary of of the big quake. The driver said around 10% of the population have left - I can see why so far it looked like a dump...






I arrived at Pointbreak Back (in New Brighton). Firstly - its MILES from the city centre, its in a terrible suburb that seems almost derelict  run down and feels pretty unsafe - there are also a good few unsavoury people about... When I checked in they had made a mess if my booking.They had me down for 2 people 1 night instead of 1 person 3 nights! The woman (she was pretty nice though) said she would sort it out. So I went to my room, it was okay nothing special... it could be cleaner - I'm glad I brought my sleeping bag with me! There are too many Irish here!

New Brighton Beach

In the mean time I went for a walk , even during the day it seemed unsafe. The place was eerily quiet and there were a few people hanging about.. I walked down to the beach it was actually pretty nice. They have a pier stretching out into the sea and there were loads of people fishing for crabs along it. I took a walk along it and back. There were seagulls flying up in the air and dropping shells down into the sand to open them so they could eat what was inside! Crafty!

Damage in central city

I went to the supermarket (saw the Danes again) then headed back (saw the Danes yet again!). When I got to my room there was a note on the door from the woman asking me to go to the office. I went down and waited in the queue while these two Irish builders had the chats. Then some American cut infront of me to borrow pots!!! GRR! :(

When I got to the woman she told me they had messed up - so tomorrow night I would have to sleep in either a dorrm with 11 boys or in the linen cupboard! She showed me both... the cupboard smelt really bad - BUT GUESS WHAT THAT IS WHERE SHE WAS PUTTING ME! Not happy especially since I paid $240 (no offer of a refund either!!) So then I got to my room and my Vodafone phone wasn't working. So  had to go through a whole big argument with an Indian and a Scot - think it's sorted now.

I went to use the bathroom - could only find the toilets - IT WAS VILE. I swore that I was going to catch typhoid or something. ewwwwwwww. Sinead rang me and was helping find somewhere else to stay because it didn't feel safe at all there.Then...

I literally just put the phone down and there was a really loud banging sound that was getting closer and closer and bigger and bigger - then BAMM!!!! A MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE!. The whole place was shaking like crazy, it was violent compared to any in Wellington! It was a proper big quake! Had to hold on to the bed so I didn't fall off! Never felt anything like it before! WOW! The ground may have stopped shaking but I didn't! (When I checked Geonet it was a 4.0, 8km deep moderate, centred near Christchurch,) I rang, Sinead, Mum and Dad straight away, I was pretty shocked! What a day it had turned out to be...

AWKWARD!

Noone was in the flat so I was just blaring 80's music and dancing like

and then the next thing I know there's a middle aged man standing there who had come to check the sprinklers in the apartment.... just staring at me like I was crazy...