Spent the day on a tour of the Banks Peninsula and Christchurch. Akaroa, on the Banks Peninsula is about 90 minutes from Christchurch and is the location for cruise ships to anchor and tender passengers to shore to tour Christchurch and the surrounding area. Ships had previously docked at Lyttleton, closer to Christchurch, but the piers there were badly damaged by the 2011 earthquake. The Banks Peninsula and Akaroa Harbour offer fantastic scenery. The tour was a good one offering great scenery and a good tour of Christchurch, including the destruction of the 2011 earthquake. About 75% of central Christchurch was destroyed, including virtually all of the historic buildings. Many of these structures (such as the Christchurch Cathedral, the stadium, etc.) are still standing but are beyond repair and will be torn down. It is sad to see so much destruction, but Christchurch still has many attractions, such as the botanical gardens and the Avon River. In addition, the surrounding countryside is very scenic. We finally had some reasonable weather today. (Only posted two photos due to slow internet. i will post photos of the destruction later.)