The weather has been a bit ordinary, overcast days with showers/rain so I have spent a bit of time at home. But it did clear up on Thursday which made it a good day for a walk. Starting from Taylors Mistake (no one quite knows where this name came from) there is a great walk along the clifftop to Godley Head. Named after Sir John Godley, the Commander of the NZ forces during WW1, this headland area was the site of a large gun emplacement area during WW2. It's purpose was to protect the vital port Lytellton. Many of the emplacements including ammunition magazines, observation posts and searchlight points are still there. Apparently it is the best preserved coastal defence area in New Zealand. It certainly provided a great place to have lunch and simply take in the view. Disappointingly the main site was closed for refurbishment, however it was still possible to get a good perspective of the site. One of the more unusual sites was the many bachs located along the beach and in some cases seemingly hanging from the cliffs. These were originally known as bachelor huts and were built by fisherman as somewhere to base themselves whilst fishing in the area. They appeared to be very basic but certainly provided unrivalled waterfront views. Some were no more than caves with a wall built across the front. From Godley Head the track continued along the clifftop, heading towards Lytellton. The contrast of the aqua blue water against the green hills that surrounded the harbour was stunning. The view epitomised the image that NZ is probably known for. 4 hours later I was back where I started and feeling a little more tired than I should have been. Is that age or simply a case of being unfit??Saturday turned out to be a day of cultural activities. The Cultural Galore Festival was a celebration of the many different nationalities which call Christchurch home. Some 70 odd different nationalities were serving up some of their traditional food and handcrafts as well as putting on performances on a central stage. Fijian, Korean, Japanese, Egyptian and Thai to mention a few. The performances were mainly dancing but also included a Japanese drumming troupe and also a female Japanese choir. I wasn't all that hungry but the Egyptian doughnuts looked enticing. Served with ice cream, a sprinkling of cinnamon and a lemon curd topping it certainly made for a delicious afternoon snack. With great weather and a really casual family atmosphere it was a great way to spend an afternoon. That night was the Lantern Festival, a celebration of the Chinese New Year. In the central city, gardens, trees and the Avon River had been decorated with many colourful and brightly lit Chinese lanterns. As well there were 2 stages where traditional Chinese entertainment was in full swing. Singing, dancing, acrobats, it was all on show. The crowd was huge. There seems to be no shortage of activities and entertainment in Christchurch. Saturday was also the final ODI match between England and the Blackcaps. Played in Christchurch the result was a bitter disappointment for the home crowd. My first 2 weeks here seem to have flown by. I hope the next 5 don't disappear as quickly.