The first thing I noticed when I arrived in Christchurch was how English everything was. Even on the shuttle bus from the airport I seriously thought I'd stepped off the place in the wrong country and somehow arrived back home! The houses all looked English, the streets very green and full of trees, we passed an old college that looked just like it was in Oxford or Cambridge and I even saw an old Sierra Sapphire (anyone remember those?!).

So I wasn't surprised to find out that Christchurch itself was actually modelled on Stratford in England. It even has a river Avon where you can enjoy a leisurely punt if you so wish.

The city?is not particularly big, so you can cover most of it easily enough by foot. I walked along the Avon river to the boatsheds and then spent an hour or so enjoying the sun in the botanic gardens. I went into the Canterbury Museum to find out a bit more about the city and also the Maori culture, seeing as I was about to spend a month in this country I thought it only right to do a bit of research. After a brief stop for lunch it was on to Victoria Square and then back to Cathedral Square where there's always something happening, from street entertainers and markets to a giant chess board.

I also picked up a lot of good advice from my hostel roommates in Christchurch who had already completed their trips around the two islands - where to go, what to see, hostels to avoid etc...by the time I packed my bags for my first bus ride the next day I felt well and truly ready to go and explore...