Lake Tekapo

On our way to Christchurch we had a nights stop in Lake Tekapo. This lake is situated beside Mt. Cook and is an incredible bright turquoise colour. The colour is so vibrant due to the fact that the lake is fed by glacial waters, leaving a glacial 'flour' on the floor of the lake reflecting light and leaving the water looking so turquoise. It was a truly spectacular place, i couldn't get over the colour of the water. The lake is surrounded by mountains and in the far distance we could see Mt. Cook. On the edge of the lake where we stopped was a tiny stone church, it only had 4 pews. The front of the church had a large rectangular window which perfectly framed the incredible views in front of it. It was a gorgeous place and i can imagine would make for a very special and serene wedding spot! We stayed at a hostel by the lake and enjoyed an evening of star gazing as the lake is quite far rom light pollution so the stars are majestic at night. The next day we continued our journey to Christchurch.

Christchurch

Arriving at Christchurch we were all reminded of the devastating earthquake in 2011. Although nearly 4 years ago the damage is still quite apparent. Driving through the city you could see plots where buildings once stood and countless buildings covered in scaffolding being rebuilt after the quakes damage. I walked around the city centre and was humbled by a memorial left in the place of the iconic church steeple that fell. The building has been cordoned off and a window left open so you can see the church ruins. Around this window is a wall of flowers as a memorial to those who died. There is also a memorial of white chairs around the corner, one chair for each victim. This memorial is really beautiful and personal as each chair represents the victim for example a wheelchair and a child's car seat, it was quite upsetting to see but i appreciated the personal touch to honour each individual victim.

In the evening i met up with my childhood friend Hannah who i went to primary school with before i moved to Sweden and she moved to New Zealand. It was so great to catch up after nearly 15 years! We had a Mexican dinner and some cocktails, it was a lovely evening. The next morning i packed my stuff up and made it plane safe and then headed off to the airport for my next adventure down under!