Christchurch

Arrived in Christchurch and checked in at the Windsor B&B Hotel. It was a huge old place that reminded us of a seaside boarding house with dark wood panels, red-swirly carpets and rows of toilets & shower rooms opposite the bedrooms! It was very clean and the owner was very friendly and gave every guest the grand tour upon arrival. He also had the fattest daschund we’d ever seen, which waddled around like a little zeppelin with a leg at each corner!
The city of Christchurch is definitely the most English-looking city in NZ. The River Avon runs through the city flanked by the cathedral, museum and botanic gardens. They even have punts on the river for the tourists. With autumn approaching, the trees are starting to turn and it made a nice change to see the seasons (especially when you know you can leave before winter!).

City Tourist Tram

Andy outside the Arts Centre (and that’s as close as he would go.)









We drove out to Willowbank, the local wildlife park, as they had some native animals and it’s the only way we were going to see a Kiwi. New Zealand has very few native animals, and only two are mammals – both bats.
You see Pukeko everywhere (a funny blue waterfowl that looks like a moorhen on steroids) but everything else has been introduced by the early Maori and European settlers.

The Kiwi were cute, snuffling through the leaf litter in the nocturnal house on their chunky legs, but unfortunately, it was also full of screaming toddlers who couldn’t obey the silence rule, so we left rather quickly.

Well, that’s it for New Zealand. It’s been a great trip but we are looking forward to seeing the beaches, sun & sand of Australia again!