Well folks were now in New Zealand, so Kia ora (Welcome) and I hope you enjoy keeping up with our travels over the next 6 weeks!!!

Welcome to sunny but cold/windy Christchurch, also known as the Garden City! The hoodies are out! Must tell you the shock to our systems over the temperature difference between Australia and here is not good. Christchurch is about 10-15 degrees colder than Oz during the day and at night my god it's like being at home!! Although maybe nota s cold as it is over there at the moment!

We have also now discovered that New Zealand money also has our queen printed onto their notes and also New Zealand are another country that get a bank holiday on the queen's birthday!

So anyway we arrived here at 11:20pm on Thursday 7th January 2010. Whilst being on the plane we had jumped 2 hours forward and upon arrival there were very strict quarantine laws. We even had to have our hiking boots cleaned, just in case! Because of how late we arrived, once we had our bags and had had our customary cigarette we got straight on the shuttle bus which took us straight to our hostel in Christchurch. We had booked to stay at Stonehurst as it had been recommended by Kirilee. It also turned out that Ashley was staying here as well. Because of how late we were arriving we had booked ourselves a twin and we also decided that because we needed a much needed lie in the next day that we would have it for 2 nights and then move into dorms afterwards.

So once we had arrived and checked in us each had a much needed snack of rice in a bag and a drink before heading off to bed. It was pretty late before we went to bed and I couldn't sleep very well so it was light before I fell asleep!

Friday 8th January 2010, Christchurch

Well due to our late arrival and lack of sleep, morning was cancelled!!!

It was about 1pm when we eventually headed out and we headed straight for Cathedral square which is the heart of Christchurch. This square is obviously where Christchurch cathedral is, a nice building and with prominate place in the centre. We didn't go in as cathedrals and churches are not really us but we looked from outside, which is just as good!

In the square as well there was a little market on so we had a look round that and had a much needed Turkish wrap whilst sitting on the cathedral steps and people watching, as well as trying to block out a preacher man! Not really sure what he was preaching about as he was very hard to understand but we assumed it was god. We had just made a joke about someone rugby tackling him to the floor to shut him up when two guys started dancing very stupidly around him, not quite a rugby tackle but it sure shut him up for a bit! Thank the lord!

After eating we pretty much wondered about taking in Christchurch. We also enquired, booked, rang people and generally sorted out a few things that would make our lives easier in New Zealand. After this as neither of us were feeling the love to do things we went and found a nice place to have coffee. And then after 1 we wanted another but the café we were at were closing so we walked back into the square and went to Starbucks for another. We also popped back into tourist info for some more information. After this we felt we had better do something constructive so we headed into BASE hostel to use their global gossip so we could complete as much blog as possible and update some photos. Without realisingit we were in the internet café for about 3 hours and when we came out it was very dark, windy and about 12 degrees!! It was about 10pm by now so we went to get dinner at a cheap Japanese called Osaka-Ya. The food was pretty good. After this we decided to grab some beers and go back to our room with the beers and watch some TV! This is something we have not done for a very long time and probably want get to do it again until we get home! Ah the small things in life!

Saturday 9th January 2009, Christchurch

Today was to be our full day of sightseeing, so after checking out of our twin room at 10am we chucked our bags into room storage, had a coffee and went out.

Yesterday we had pre bought tickets for the city tram and the gondola. Because it was such a gorgeous day we went straight onto the tram. We joined it at the first stop which is Cathedral Square and we stayed on it till stop 8, on the way we passed by the Art Centre and Art Gallery, The Botanical Gardens, The Canterbury Museum and we also crossed the River Avon. As I said we got off at stop 8 and then caught the local bus to the gondola station. The bus journey took about half an hour to the bottom of the gondola. It then took about 10 minutes in the gondola to get to the top. The views on the way up and at the top were amazing! We could see all the mountains surrounding Christchurch, Christchurch itself, Littleton Bay and the ocean. It was fab although a tad windy! Also included in our ticket price was a free ride on a time travel shuttle. It was a very slow ride but it was an interactive thing telling you about the history of Christchuch. Caroline did declare, "… if all museum's were like this then I might like them!". After this and taking in the fabulous views we had lunch at the top before heading back down.

Once back in Christchurch centre, after trying to find a mobile phone repair shop, we went to the Arts Centre Weekend Market and had a look around there as well as having a look around some of the studios and shops inside the Arts Centre. This also included some free samples from the food shops and our first time at seeing Maori Art (very different to Aboriginal.). After the market we decided to finish the loop on the tram before heading back to the hostel to re-check in and put on some warmer clothes ready for our nights entertainment.

Tonight we went to an amazing Maori Culture Show called The Chronicles of Uitara - Lost in Our own Land. It was fantastic. Bizarrely on the tram earlier on in the day we had met one of the actors of the performance when he tried to give us a flyer and then we'd obviouslytold him we were coming tonight. At the time he had said to us "Sorry if I scare you!" and at the time we didn't really know what to expect so we weren't really sure what he meant but we were soon to find out!

On the website it says, "The Chronicles of Uitara, a powerful story of the Maori culture and of New Zealand, told across many generations of a single family - the warrior line of Uitara. As well as being a series of published books, two of the three stories in the trilogy have now been created as amazing live encounters for you to experience! They are Journey of Ages in Rotorua and Lost in Our Own Land in Christchurch.

In each story, we experience new landscapes, new characters, new villains and heroes. Courage and determination, love, loss and family - these are the backbone to The Chronicles of Uitara."

It was set across 25km of land and in various different settings both inside and out. The story started in the 1830's and went through until present day. It was amazingly well done and it was educational as well as fun. They do one as well in Rotorua which is more dance and song but we probably go there as well. After the actual performance was over we were taken to community hall where we were given a feast! The Best Seafood Chowder to start with followed by a meat/salad/veg/stuffing/gravy/mayo buffet. I had it as a salad, Caroline had it as a roast dinner and then for dessert it was either pavlova, bread and butter pudding or fruit salad. A great evening and for anyone who is coming to Christchurch you have to do it!!!!

We got back into Christchurch about 10:30pm and then we sat drinking wine until bedtime at about midnight!

Sunday 10th January 2010, Christchurch

For some reason today even though we went to bed pretty early neither of us woke up until 11:30am! So one Sunday morning wasted, oh well never mind!

After getting up and sorting out we had a morning coffee before heading out with first stop of the day the Botanical gardens. We could have walked but as we still had our tram tickets we decided to use those. Once there we then spent about 2 hours walking around the gardens. Very pretty with the River Avon running through them as well. From being in the Gardens and from later on today you can understand why Christchurch is the city in New Zealand that most resembles England. There are a lot of English things within Christchurch including the ducks!!! Lots of Ducks and there the same as ours unlike Ozzie ducks!

After the Gardens we went to The arts Centre Market again to have lunch. Although went I say lunch it was more like 3:30pm. We both had Jacket Potatoes with Chili and cheese-BLISS! I also had a crepe for afterwards-but don't tell anyone as its naughty!

From here we caught the local bus to New Brighton which is about 45 minutes out of Christchurch. This is one of the closest beaches. Once here we had a brief but very windy walk along it for about half an hour. We both decided that it was a nice beach but the wind was doing our heads in!!! After having enough we grabbed a take-out coffee and sat on the beach front for a while before getting the bus back into Christchurch

We are now back in Christchurch and here in the internet café getting up to date before leaving in the morning. We have to leave for Kaikoura at 7:30am so from here it will be food, pack and bed maybe with a cheeky glass of vino as well!!

See you in Kaikoura! xxxx