Fire, Flood, Pestilence

From Sydney to Christchurch  

We arrived at the luggage store / laundrette near Central Station just before 4:00 pm and as soon as we had added our freshly laundered washing to our checked bags, we set off for the airport.

We were now pretty adept at that point at avoiding the airport surcharge on the metro. 

We took the metro from Central Station to Mascot and from there we took the bus to the international terminal.

As we had travelled from Sydney's domestic terminal on several occasions since our arrival in December, we nearly got off the bus at that point.

Fortunately for us the bus driver alerted everyone to the fact that the domestic terminal was for internal flights only. We were grateful for that and thanked him profusely as we left the bus.

The plush and spacious International terminal was very different from what we had grown accustomed to with all the domestic terminals we had been to since early January so we thoroughly enjoyed our luxurious surroundings and treated ourselves to a wonderful steak and salad baguette which was so generously filled that we realised we would be better off eating it on the plane as we would have more time to properly savour it. 

Navigating through that terminal was so easy.

It was quite busy but as it was so spacious it didn't feel at all cramped.

I enjoyed looking at the sale items in all the boutiques, gift shops and duty free outlets in the departure lounge; there was so much to choose from.

Obviously it wouldn't make sense for us to buy anything at that point but we decided that we would definitely pick up a few bargains when we were back there on the 12th.

That entire airport experience was certainly a far cry from the Tigerair corridor we had been crammed into the previous month when we were setting off for Perth.

We boarded soon after arriving at our gate and set off punctually at 19:15.

Our New Zeland Air flight was very comfortable indeed.

We were offered complimentary drinks and snacks once airborne then we tucked into our excellent steak and salad baguettes.

Just as we were taxiing off towards the runway I received a response from our friends in Kuala Lumpur who confirmed that several sections of Singapore had been quarantined due to clusters of the virus that had been traced there, so travel from Malaysia to Singapore was now banned until the end of March, this meant that they would no longer be able to travel from KL to Singapore on the 13th as planned. 

What was even more worrying for us was that most flights from Singapore to Malaysia had been cancelled and Malaysia had imposed a period of quarantine for anyone arriving from Singapore or China. 

We would need to speak to our travel insurance as soon as we could as the final two weeks of our voyage were due to be in SE Asia.

The plan was that we would spend a few days in Singapore with our friends from KL, then return to KL and spend a few days with them there and if time visit Langkawi and / or Penang together then the two of us would fly to Hanoi and spend a few days there before returning to the UK from Hanoi on 22 March.

I do not think anyone appreciated back then exactly how serious this problem was.

We were certainly not alone in hoping that it would all blow over soon and that life would go back to normal within a few weeks.

We really did not want to think about it too much at that point so we switched our focus to our travels in New Zealand and all the extraordinary things we would see there.

Another exciting and exhilarating brand new adventure was ahead of us so the SE Asia issue would need to be dealt with at a later date.

See you at the arrivals gate 

The last time we saw our daughter in Perth at the end of January we agreed that we would meet at the airport in Christchurch at midnight in the arrivals lounge.

We landed punctually at 11:55 pm and went straight to the car hire desk to pick up our hire which we had booked online in the usual way.

Once we had done that, I managed to pick up an NZ SIM card, such as I had purchased in Australia in January. It appeared to come with a good data package which I was assured would last the entire duration of our stay.

Once that was done we went to find our hire car and loaded all our luggage into it then we returned to the arrivals lounge to go and meet our daughter and her fiancé.

Their flight had been delayed for an hour due to poor weather in Melbourne. We knew all too well how that felt.

While we were waiting, we reflected on how strange it was that we were actually in New Zealand

To anyone in Europe, New Zealand is this very beautiful yet very distant land on the other side of the world as far away from home as anywhere could be.

Yet for us travelling to New Zealand from Australia couldn't have been easier.  

Just a few hours before, we were sitting at Buckley's, sipping cold ale whilst watching a colossal cruise liner reverse out of the harbour and make its way slowly towards the two heads, yet  now we were here - in New Zealand, having a cup of tea in the arrivals lounge in Christchurch airport.

If any moment in my life felt unreal or improbable, this was it.

Our daughter and her fiancé finally walked through into the arrivals lounge at 1:20 am. 

Unlike us they had had quite a trying journey. Their flight from Perth to Melbourne was fine but their second flight from Melbourne to Christchurch was delayed for several hours due to poor weather conditions. 

They had even been told at one point that they may not be able to leave that day at all so when their gate number was announced just over an hour later, they were extremely grateful. 

It had been a long, exhausting day for them, and by the time we were all in our hire car en route to our Airbnb flat, it was past 2:00 am so we were relieved indeed that our accommodation was a very short drive from the airport.

If you book a late flight with arrival  at your destination after midnight, securing accommodation near the airport is definitely a good idea.

Mount Pleasant Scenic Reserve 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Cavendish

https://www.christchurchnz.com/see-do/activity/christchurch-gondola

Our first port of call was to the cable car or gondola station which would take us up to Mount Pleasant (or Mount Cavendish) Scenic Reserve.

Mount Cavendish is located in the "Port Hills, with wonderful views over Christchurch".

"It is part of the crater wall of the extinct volcano that formed Lyttelton Harbour".

You don't need to be in New Zealand long before you realise that there are more volcanoes or former volcanoes there than anywhere else you are likely to have ever been to.

The christchurchnz.com website describes this as "an unmissable Christchurch experience".

The Gondola ride up to the visitor centre definitely "offers stunning unique views of the city, Lyttelton Harbour and beyond"

Then when you reach the summit station situated atop the Port Hills, you can see "the snow-capped Southern Alps, sprawling Canterbury Plains and the sparkling waters of Pegasus Bay and the Pacific Ocean".

It really was one of the most beautiful views that we saw anywhere in New Zealand.

What struck me immediately was the distinctive turquoise waters of the harbour below.

It was the first of many overwhelmingly dazzling views that we would be treated to in that truly beautiful country.

We spent a long time just admiring the scenery all around us from the viewing platforms at the visitors centre then we explored several of the walking tracks which would have been an alternative way up to the scenic reserve had we been in the area longer.

We then went to the information boards where we found out a few facts about the area which I also read about on Wikipedia later that day.

We discovered that "the Mount Cavendish Reserve displays some of the best examples of lava flow to be seen on the Port Hills"

"Mount Pleasant is 448 metres (1,470 feet) high and falls within the Mount Cavendish Reserve, which sits at the top of the Heathcote Valley, close to the northern entrance to the Lyttelton Road Tunnel".

"It is located approximately 10 km from Dyers Pass, and 4.7 km from Evans Pass via the Summit Road. On foot",

"it can be accessed via the Crater Rim Walkway or the Bridle Path" so it is very popular with hikers, that path also connects Heathcote Valley and Lyttelton.

We ended our visit at the Red Rock Cafe where we continued to enjoy spectacular views whilst sipping our morning coffee.

New Zealand prides itself on its coffee but I must say that on this occasion we were not impressed.

It was extremely strong, very bitter and lukewarm but the tea I replaced it with was excellent.

There were some good lunch options available there as well as breakfast and brunch ones and we even saw signs for afternoon tea.

I expect you can't go wrong in a place like that at any time of day as the wow factor is always going to make an amazing experience regardless of what the food and beverages are like.

It would be the perfect place to book for a birthday or anniversary lunch. 

I suppose we were also lucky with the weather. A perfect blue sky and bright sunshine is exactly what you need to appreciate scenery such as this at its best. 

The Christchurch Gondola has its lower terminal located on Bridle Path Road, in Heathcote Valley.

"The gondola opened on 24 November 1992.

It was closed following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, and reopened in March 2013".

"Mount Cavendish was first transferred to the Crown for a Scenic Reserve in 1910, by the Morten Brothers".

"The mountain was first named Hill Morten in 1912 by Harry Ell, in recognition of the Morten family's gifts of land for the Summit Road and scenic reserves".

"The name Mount Cavendish was first given to nearby Mount Pleasant (after which a suburb is now named) in 1848, but did not stick and the peak of Hill Morten was named Mount Cavendish after the Hon. Richard Cavendish of the Canterbury Association".

This was the perfect first outing for us though we were a little concerned that after that everything else would be a bit of a disappointment. 

Anyone who has been to New Zealand will know that we couldn't have been more wrong

2011 Earthquake in Christchurch 

https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/christchurch-earthquake-kills-185

It is impossible to visit Christchurch and not be affected by the suffering that this city endured as a result of the 2011 earthquake.

The devastating effects of this colossal world event are still in evidence all over the city.

When we visited Christchurch Cathedral, there was an eerie silence as tourists from all over the world crowded around the dilapidated fenced-in structure which would formerly have been the pride and joy of the city.

I remember seeing news reports of that earthquake on TV not long after it happened and we read many accounts of it in various media publications at the time.

Now, it is the history annals that provide the more detailed accounts of it. 

I read in the nzhistory.govt.nz website that:

"At 12.51 p.m. on Tuesday 22 February 2011, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake caused severe damage in Christchurch and Lyttelton, killing 185 people and injuring several thousand".

"The earthquake’s epicentre was near Lyttelton, just 10 km south-east of Christchurch’s central business district".

"It occurred nearly six months after the 4 September 2010 earthquake".

"The earthquake struck at lunchtime, when many people were on the city streets".

"More than 130 people lost their lives in the collapse of the Canterbury Television and Pyne Gould Corporation buildings".

"Falling bricks and masonry killed another 11 people, while eight died in two city buses that were crushed by crumbling walls".

"Rock cliffs collapsed in the Sumner and Redcliffs area, and boulders tumbled down the Port Hills, with five people killed by falling rocks".

"Although not as powerful as the magnitude 7.1 earthquake on 4 September 2010, this earthquake occurred on a shallow fault line close to the city, so the shaking was particularly destructive".

"The earthquake brought down many buildings damaged the previous September, especially older brick and mortar buildings".

"Heritage buildings that suffered heavy damage included the Provincial Council Chambers, Lyttelton’s Timeball Station, the Anglican Christchurch Cathedral and the Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament".

"More than half of the buildings in the central business district were subsequently demolished, including the city’s tallest building, the Hotel Grand Chancellor".

"Liquefaction was much more extensive than in September 2010".

"All the shaking turned water-saturated layers of sand and silt beneath the surface into sludge that squirted upwards through cracks".

"Thick layers of silt covered properties and streets, and water and sewage from broken pipes flooded streets".

"House foundations cracked and buckled, wrecking many homes. Irreparable damage led to the demolition of several thousand homes, and large tracts of suburban land were subsequently abandoned".

"The government declared a national state of emergency the day after the quake".

"Authorities quickly cordoned off Christchurch’s central business district".

"The cordon remained in place in some areas until June 2013.

"Power companies restored electricity to 75 per cent of the city within three days, but re-establishing water supplies and sewerage systems took much longer".

"The Oi Manawa Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial was opened on 22 February 2017, on the sixth anniversary of the earthquake".

We saw evidence of devastation and destruction all over the city when we were there last February and we could not help but feel saddened by the horrific loss of life and serious injury which it caused.

Yet, in spite of all that, the city remains positive, vibrant and welcoming. 

The rebuilding process is well under way and I am in no doubt that in a few years time it will have been restored to its former glory.

It will be altered a little I imagine; maybe fewer tall buildings than before, but it already has its own distinctive character which is very different from other places we visited in New Zealand.

We enjoyed every minute we spent in beautiful Christchurch and we would definitely visit it again should we manage to return there.

Tourism will definitely support its regeneration once travel is permitted again of course, so if you are able to visit Christchurch then we all recommend that 100%.

You would not be disappointed 

Cathedral Square Christchurch 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_Square,_Christchurch

https://ccc.govt.nz/culture-and-community/heritage/heritage-in-the-city/chalice

Christchurch Cathedral is located on Cathedral Square, locally known simply as the Square.

This is clearly the geographical centre and heart of Christchurch. 

We were pleased to see that this square is still a hub for tourists and locals alike and is a wonderful place to sit, have a cuppa or a bite to eat and watch the world go by.

I read later online that there is an excellent street food market there every Friday but we were there on a Wednesday and the street food trucks were there then as well.

There was so much to choose from:

Malaysian Noodles, French Crepes with a variety of fillings, curry with rice or naan, Jacket potatoes with lots of different fillings, Dumplings, Moroccan food, German bratwurst, Japanese food, lasagne, pizza, coffee and muffins, bacon rolls and so much more!

Between us we ordered crepes, bacon rolls, bratwurst in buns, dumplings and excellent coffee with a slice of homemade fruit cake. 

It was all so good.

Unfortunately the metal fold up chair that my husband was sitting on collapsed under him not long after he sat down.

At that point he was the proud owner of a freshly prepared bratwurst bun with all the trimmings so when he fell his main aim was to save his bun.

He accomplished that well but did manage to injure his elbow slightly in the process. 

Weeks later when we were still putting arnaca on the painful joint, he continued to claim that his bratwurst bun was so good that it was worth a little long-term discomfort.

If that isn't a positive review of the Christchurch's street food market then I don't know what is.

"The square stands at the theoretical crossing of two of the city's main streets: Colombo Street and Worcester Street, though in practice both have been either blocked off or detoured around the square itself".

One of my favourite features of that square is sculptur Neil Dawson's magnificent sculpture, simply called 'Chalice'..

I read online that "Chalice celebrates the new millennium and the 150th Anniversary of the founding of Christchurch and Canterbury by the Canterbury Association".

"Sculptor Neil Dawson was commissioned to produce a major contemporary, public artwork for Christchurch by The Turning Point 2000 Trust".

"Funds for the Chalice were raised through grants from the Community Trust and the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board with Christchurch City Council meeting the cost of the foundations, granite, drainage works and lighting".

"The official lighting ceremony was held 10 September 2001 and Chalice has since been lit at night with one floodlight situated inside the base of the cone and one spotlight aimed at the exterior of the structure from the pavement".

"Chalice has a primary hexagonal steel structure and a solid steel conical base".

"Native leaf patterns are cut from aluminium sheet, welded to custom-made triangular beam structures, and then bolted into position on the frame".

"The exterior of the conical structure is painted silver using a durable automotive paint".

"The interior of the sculpture, seen through the perforated shell, is painted metallic blue".

New Regent Street

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Regent_Street

One of our first 'hop-off' stops on our second tramway tour of Christchurch was in New Regent Street.

I had already read about this quirky area of Christchurch and we were all keen to see it. 

"New Regent Street is a pedestrian mall built as a private development in the early 1930s with 40 shops in Spanish Mission architectural style".

"It is one of the Christchurch's major tourist attractions".

"Providing a number of small shops as a comprehensive development was an advanced idea at the time".

"It is regarded by some as a forerunner to modern shopping malls".

"Due to its coherent architectural character, the buildings in the streets are listed as Category I heritage items by Heritage New Zealand, and in addition, the entire street has a historic area listing".

"The street was pedestrianised in 1994 in preparation for the introduction of the heritage tram, which began operation in February 1995".

"Damaged in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the street and buildings reopened in April 2013, and the tram returned from November of that year".

"Following the 2016 Valentine's Day earthquake, five of the buildings that had not been repaired after the previous earthquakes have been cordoned off, which stopped the tram from operating on its original heritage loop until May".

Fortunately for us it was all operating as normal when we were there last February and New Regent Street was fantastic. 

The Spanish Mission style buildings were painted in a variety of different colours and gave this area a vibrant, continental vibe. 

We admired many of the establishments on this street and even managed to see inside several of them.

The Last Word pub even invited us to go upstairs and admire the view from its quirky continental balcony.

It goes without saying that this pub became our 'local' for our remaining time in Christchurch. 

We totally appreciated a lovely cold beer there on that very warm summer afternoon but our favourite drinks were the hot toddies we enjoyed later that evening and the following one when the weather cooled down.

New Regent Street definitely comes alive at night when young people gather outside the Last Word pub and the Rollickin Gelateria next door. 

We have thought of those wonderful balmy summer evenings so much during lockdown this year.

What we wouldn't give to be back there right now instead of being stuck in a tier 4 lockdown at home during Christmas week 2020, in cold, damp, rainy Surrey 

Whistle stop tour of Christchurch 

We wanted to visit so many of the sights that we had seen fleetingly on the tramway tour, but we realised that we had a limited amount of time in Christchurch and we really could not see them all properly in just one day, so as often happens in situations such as these, when there are several people in a group and everyone is drawn to one or more things that other members of the group wouldn't have prioritised, we ended up not boarding the tram again after our time in New Regent Street and switched our tramway tour to a walking tour so we could spend a little more time admiring these sights, if not visit them properly all together.

Press Lane Artwork 

https://findchch.com/places/6062-press-lane-artwork

https://newsline.ccc.govt.nz/news/story/latin-letters-bring-lanes-legacy-to-life

The first thing one of our party was keen to visit was Press Lane, located between Gloucester St and Cathedral Square.

"This new artwork, brought to the city by Christchurch City Council's Enliven Places Programme, captures the history of Press Lane".

"Local artist and Ara student Grace Duval hand-painted the latin motto from the newspaper that gives the lane its name".

"Nihil utile quod non honestum (Nothing is useful unless it is honest)."

You could argue that it could be the motto for the Covid era all over the world, as it is those countries which faced the stark reality of the pandemic from the very start and dealt with it in a firm, proactive manner, that appear to have been more successful at keeping it at bay and reducing the number of fatalities. 

"This excellent motto has been painted along the footpath of the Press Lane Walkway, with its mirror image typeset text opposite".

"The lane runs between Cathedral Square and Gloucester St, near The Press building".

Following the devastation of the 2011 earthquake, "this project is designed to increase safety and pedestrian use of the laneway, which is near the new central city library Tūranga, until surrounding properties are developed"

"Before the earthquake the lane was bordered by Christchurch's iconic The Press building and Warners Hotel".

"The old Press building and Warners were both badly damaged in the February 2011 quake and later demolished".

"A new Press building opened in 2012 on an adjacent site..

"Staff at The Press were involved in working with Duval on her designs and expressed interest in seeing the motto included as part of the artwork".

"Council Head of Urban Design, Regeneration and Heritage Carolyn Ingles said the project was a way to bring the area’s history to life for residents who might not otherwise be aware of it".

"It also made a more appealing walkway for pedestrians".

“The artwork captures the heritage and associations behind the lane’s name", said Carolyn Ingles, "and makes it a more interesting and pleasant route for the growing number of people working in and visiting our central city.”

"Grace Duval has also created artworks on a nearby substation wall depicting residents and signposts from the lane’s colourful history".

"The thoroughfare was once home to a laundry and a surgeon’s rooms".

"Landscaping in the area was designed by Lincoln University student Johanna Blakely, and the planter boxes, seats and native plants, were installed and planted by Greening the Rubble".

Definitely a place to visit if you're ever in Christchurch.

With all the rubble and devastation still in evidence all over the city centre, seeing something like this is an uplifting experience and helps you realise that Christchurch will one day return to its former glory even if it is likely to take quite a few more years to get there.

For more information on this go to: https://www.peelingbackhistory.co.nz/press-lane/

Old Government Building, Christchurch

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Government_Building,_Christchurch

Our next stop was at a magnificent  heritage building in Worcester Street "which was formerly the Old Government Building of Christchurch designed by Joseph Maddison in 1909".

We were drawn to this building partly as it appeared to have been completely spared by the 2011 earthquake.

The sad reality is that a historical structure of this kind does tend to stand out in post 2011 Christchurch. 

According to Wikipedia, "the building was designed to centralise various government departments in Christchurch that had previously been housed in the Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings and other rented spaces throughout the city".

"The Government Buildings opened in 1913 and housed various Government departments up until the 1980s".

"The last Government department to occupy the building was the Ministry of Works and Development".

"After being vacant for some time the building was threatened to be demolished in 1991".

"On 11 July 1991 the Christchurch City Council purchased the building from the government for $735,000".

"The council then sold it to the ‘Symphony Group’ in 1995 and it was converted into a hotel with the conditions to strengthen and conserve the building".

"It is now home to the Heritage Hotel Christchurch and the bar O.G.B." 

On that afternoon there was some sort of community fair there raising money for homeless charities. 

We decided to support the fund raisers by buying a few local delicacies in the food hall. 

We wouldn't usually buy home made salted caramel fudge, but as it was for a good cause, we made an exception on that day and I must say it was absolutely delicious.

Aperitivo at The Last Word and dinner at Barberra

After our long walk through central Christchurch and our lovely evening stroll along the banks of the river Avon, we were ready for a rest and a pre-dinner drink at The Last Word.

On this occasion I tried one of their warm rum punch options which I enjoyed so much that I ordered another. 

Others decided to sample a selection of local beers and a very good New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

The early evening vibe in New Regent Street was excellent. 

We were seated at a large outdoor table which appeared to be shared with Rollickin Gelato next door. At least that's what we thought at the time but I did wonder later whether we had actually sat in the wrong place. Either way, it was a great atmosphere and no one really minded anyway. 

After about an hour at the Last Word, we set off towards Barberra in Cambridge Terrace which we had booked for dinner on First Table. 

Barberra claims on its website that it "brings a modern yet casual, fresh offering to the Christchurch dining scene".

Its small and medium plate menu is perfect for sharing if, like us, you want to sample as many different dishes as possible rather than just one main course each.

If you still can’t decide what to select between all the wonderful food choices available, they can decide for you. Ask for the Just Feed You selection at $79pp and SO much amazing food will come your way.

As we were on a 50% off food deal via our First Table booking, we opted for the latter and it was extremely good value for everything we were given.

There was so much food that we could not eat it all that evening so we took half of it back home to eat the next day.

This restaurant caters to all tastes which was perfect for us as our daughter is vegetarian. 

For just under £20 per person for food, I cannot recommend this enough.

Just remember to book via First Table to secure the best reduction available on any day you wish to go

Southern Lights and Schedule Changes

After one of the most substantial meals we had eaten since our arrival in the Southern Hemisphere the previous December, we all agreed that we could not manage ice-cream and after dinner drinks in  New Regent Street as originally planned so we walked back to our car with three large containers of food which we hadn't even tasted and which we would definitely enjoy the following day.

As I had received further alerts from our airline re that Singapore flight on 12 March, we also needed to contact our travel insurance providers to ask their advice as to what we should do next; I had emailed them earlier that week but had not yet received a reply so we had no choice but to call them.

New Zealand is 13 hours ahead of the UK during their summer months, so we calculated that we would need to call them after 10:00 pm Christchurch time.

It was still quite early as First Table bookings tend to be for 7:00 pm or sooner, so it was still light when we were driving home.

It was during that drive while we were stopped at traffic lights, that we noticed the unusual flashing  colours in the sky.

There was a light layer of fluffy white cloud in the Christchurch sky at that time but when I looked up I noticed what I first thought was a flash of lightening underneath the cloud; several others followed so I mentioned this to the others as I feared our boat trip the following day would need to be cancelled if a storm was coming.

We then thought that it was probably a plane as the intermittent flashing did not really manifest as a lightening strike.

But then suddenly and totally unexpectedly we noticed pink, blue, yellow and green waves under the clouds which totally ruled out our plane theory.

We realised then that we were seeing the Aurora Australis: the Southern Lights.

It took a while for it to sink in as it was still not completely dark and the lights were dancing around faintly underneath the clouds so you could easily miss them.

The interesting thing is that the lights were not at all visible in the sections of sky that were not covered in cloud as it was still daylight; they were only visible underneath the sections with cloud cover. 

We were totally mesmerised by this vision. We had been to Iceland on a Northern Lights tour a few years before where we had not managed to see them at all and yet here we were seeing them in Christchurch in daylight at an ordinary traffic intersection. It was extraordinary.

We were brought back down to reality when cars behind us started hooting their horns when we failed to set off immediately after the traffic lights turned green.

One driver overtook us, shook his fist out of his window and shouted expletives at us with an extremely aggressive look on his face. 

It was our first experience of road rage in New Zealand (we would experience more alas), but our sighting of those beautiful southern lights is a memory we will treasure forever.

We went for a walk later that night when it was completely dark to see if we could spot them again but sadly we were not in luck.

Once at home we found our emails from the airline inviting us to change the date of our flight to Singapore at no extra charge, then we called our travel insurance help line back in the UK.

On this occasion I managed to get through immediately (that certainly would not be the case in later weeks), and the person I spoke to was very clear on the advice that we should follow at British Nationals abroad.

We were told to adhere fully to the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice (FCO), not doing that could compromise the validity of any future insurance claims.

At that time the FCO was recommending that UK nationals should not travel to Singapore unless they were connecting to direct flights from there back to the UK without leaving the airport, as we would be staying with friends in Singapore, travelling with other friends to KL then travelling to Hanoi and flying back to the UK from there, we did not fit into that category so we accepted the airline's offer to change the date of our flight to Singapore from 12 March to 22 March.

We were also able to change the date of our flight from Singapore to KL and our flight from KL to Hanoi. 

Fortunately we did not need to change our flight from Hanoi to Heathrow as that would have proved trickier, but at least the changes we did make, cost us no extra money even though we would now not be having a holiday with friends in SE Asia as originally planned.

That was disappointing but as both Singapore and KL were in lockdowns at that time, we wouldn't be able to see our friends anyway.

At least it was all easily resolved and we would have the benefit of almost two extra weeks in Australia.

All sorted with minimal effort and stress.....

...   At least that's what we thought then!

Thursday 20 February 2020

Akaroa

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akaroa

Although we had managed to do our own laundry prior to departure, courtesy of that excellent laundrette service-wash near the Central Station apartment in Sydney, our daughter and her fiancé had been working until very late on the evening prior to departure so they had not had a chance to do their own laundry before setting off for New Zealand.

Regrettably, this accommodation option did not provide use of a washing machine, so we asked our landlady if she could recommend a launderette to us which was not too far away.

Not all Airbnb flats or houses provide washing machines unfortunately even though they may be excellent as the Christchurch bungalow was in every other way.

Our landlady immediately messaged us with two laundrette recommendations which other guests had used before so we were all set to suggest these to our daughter as soon as they got up.

Most landlords will recommend laundrettes to guests or even offer to let them use their own personal washing machine for the occasional wash, as our landlords in Wellington did the following week, so it is always worth asking. 

As they were still catching up on sleep from their long and difficult journey on the 18th, our daughter and her partner got up a lot later than expected so their trip to the laundrette had to be postponed until the following day. 

We were due to join an early afternoon Harbour Nature Cruise in the town of Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula, located about a 90 minute drive from Christchurch, so we had to set off by 10:30 am at the latest.

Our journey to Akaroa was beautiful.

This was our first proper drive into the New Zealand countryside.

As soon as we were out of the city we were surrounded on all sides by green rolling hills and thick green pastures.

It was stunning.

At times the dramatic sea or lake views were so compelling that we had to stop the car and take photos (which of course were always disappointing as we could never reproduce that extraordinary scenery in a simple, digital image).

We arrived in Akaroa at around 12:00 noon and headed straight for the Black Cat cruises counter in the visitor centre where we purchased four tickets for the 1:30 pm cruise, we then had a leisurely lunch in a café on the sea front and a lovely coastal walk around the beautiful French township of Akaroa. 

"The name Akaroa is Kāi Tahu Māori for "Long Harbour", which would be spelled "Whangaroa" in standard Māori".

"The area was also named Port Louis-Philippe by French settlers after the reigning French king Louis Philippe I".

"In 1838 Captain Jean François Langlois made a provisional purchase of land in "the greater Banks Peninsula" from 12 Kāi Tahu chiefs".

"A deposit of commodities to the value of £6 was paid with a further £234 worth of commodities to be paid at a later date.".

"On his return to France, Langlois advertised for settlers to go to New Zealand, and ceded his interest in the land to the Nanto-Bordelaise Company, of which he became a part-owner".

"On 9 March 1840, 63 emigrants left from Rochefort".

"The settlers embarked for New Zealand on the Comte de Paris, an old man-of-war ship given to them by the French government".

"The Comte de Paris and its companion ship the Aube, captained by Commodore Charles-François Lavaud, arrived in the Bay of Islands on the North Island on 11 July 1840, where they discovered that during their voyage the British had claimed Banks Peninsula".

"The French arrived in Akaroa Harbour on 18 August and established a settlement centred on the present-day site of Akaroa".

"Given that the French colonists had set out for New Zealand on the assumption that they owned the land, the New Zealand authorities made a grant of 30,000 acres to the Nanto-Bordelaise Company, which ceded all rights to the peninsula for £4,500".

"The French first called their settlement Port Louis-Philippe in honour of Louis Philippe I, who reigned as King of the French from 1830 to 1848".

"The area still shows a French influence, prominent in many local place names", such as L'Escargot, the little café we had lunch in.

"Akaroa is the oldest town in the Canterbury region of the South Island and one of the most historic places in New Zealand".

Definitely worth a visit if you are in the Canterbury region of New Zealand especially if, like us, you combine it with one of their amazing wildlife cruises. We are SO glad we did that.

The Banks Peninsula 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banks_Peninsula

"The Banks Peninsula, where Akaroa is located, is a peninsula of volcanic origin on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island".

"It has an area of approximately 1,150 square kilometres and encompasses two large harbours as well as many smaller bays and coves".

According to tradition the first Māori settlers of the area were the Waitaha led by their founding ancestor Rākaihautū.

The Māori name for the peninsula is Te Pataka o Rākaihautū (The Storehouse of Rākaihautū) in recognition of his deeds and the abundance of mahinga kai (foods of the forest).

The first European sighting of the peninsula was on 17 February 1770 by Captain James Cook and crew during Cook's first circumnavigation of New Zealand.

Cook described the land as "of a circular figure ... of a very broken uneven surface and having more the appearance of barrenness than fertility."

"Deceived by the outline of higher land behind the peninsula, Cook mistook it for an island and named it "Banks Island" in honour of the ship Endeavour's botanist, Joseph Banks".

"Distracted by a phantom sighting of land to the southeast, Cook then ordered Endeavour away to the south without exploring it more closely".

"In 1809 Captain Samuel Chase corrected Cook's charts by determining that "Banks Island" was in fact a peninsula".

"The Banks Peninsula forms the most prominent volcanic feature of the South Island, more than twice as large as the older Dunedin volcano which is located 350 kilometres to the southwest of Akaroa".

"Geologically, the peninsula comprises the eroded remnants of two large composite shield volcanoes, from approximately eleven million years ago".

"The peninsula formed as offshore islands, with the volcanoes reaching to about 1,500 m above sea level".

Two dominant craters from these volcanoes formed Lyttelton and Akaroa Harbours".

"The Canterbury Plains formed from the erosion of the Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana (an extensive and high mountain range caused by the meeting of the Indo-Australian and Pacific tectonic plates) and from the alluvial fans created by large braided rivers".

"These plains reach their widest point where they meet the hilly sub-region of Banks Peninsula".

When you first see the dark volcanic landscape of Banks Peninsula, you have a better understanding of why New Zealand is always at risk of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

Although the Banks volcano is now extinct, there is definitely 'another worldly' feel about this corner of the earth which I had only ever seen in volcanic areas such as Iceland and on the slopes of Mount Etna In Sicily shortly after a minor eruption in the early 1980s.

A must see for NZ voyagers and one of the best experiences of our entire trip.

Akaroa Harbour Nature Cruise

https://blackcat.co.nz/akaroa-harbour-nature-cruise/

On the blackcat.co.nz website, it states that this particular cruise was "voted the number 1 wildlife activity in New Zealand".

It didn't state which year and / or month that this accolade was bestowed upon it, however, based on my own experience of this cruise I would certainly give it a double thumbs up.

The website goes on to say: "your award winning cruise is packed with highlights including the rare, NZ native dolphin – the Hector’s Dolphin, as well as penguins and other sea birds".

"And you’ll see giant volcanic sea cliffs and hear about Akaroa’s fascinating past".

All this is 100% true. At least it was on the day we went.

We saw several seal families with baby seals playing in lagoons off the jagged volcanic rocks as we sailed by.

We saw lots of cormorants and other aquatic and non aquatic  birds we did not recognise at various points during the afternoon.

Some people claimed they saw penguins on more than one occasion but sadly I don't think I did, though I did mistake cormorants for penguins several times.

Of course the highlight of this trip were the Hector Dolphins. There were so many of them everywhere.

Hector dolphins are small and very fast so it is really easy to miss them when they swim past.

But we were very lucky that day as we had many sightings of them. We saw them swimming towards us, swimming under one side of our boat and coming out the other and we saw their classic jump. 

It was fantastic. There is a Swimming with Dolphins cruise option you can go on instead if you want but we were very happy with the one we had chosen.

Another excellent aspect of this particular cruise was its focus on the giant volcanic sea cliffs all around us; we sailed into and around huge jagged caverns while members of the crew told us about this area's extraordinary volcanic past.

The website states that these "cruises depart every day, weather permitting". 

We were lucky as although the weather was overcast it did not rain and the sea was not too choppy.

It continues with:

"You travel In Style: Your modern catamaran, the 60 foot /20 metre Black Cat (previously the Canterbury Cat), is perfect for viewing the natural wonders of Akaroa Harbour". We certainly cannot argue with that.

Apparently this "vessel is the largest and most luxurious on the harbour".

"There’s lots of room on the two decks for unimpeded viewing and plenty of covered seating, for shade and shelter".

"Inside there’s a bar and toilets. And the Black Cat is both stable and safe". 

We didn't have access to the bar on the day we went but I did manage to make myself a cup of tea on the lower deck which was perfect as it can get quite cool on this trip, though strictly speaking I am not sure whether I was actually meant to do that".

You can certainly "relax, stretch out and discover the harbour with their award winning Black Cat Cruise team".

"Each cruise is fully narrated by their skipper who has extensive knowledge of the nature, wildlife and history of the harbour".

We can certainly confirm that.

"On the trip you will catch glimpses of the White Flippered Blue Penguin, the smallest penguin in the world".

"There are many different bird species in the harbour, including five different cormorant (shag) species and the endangered yellow-eyed penguin".

"You’ll also see New Zealand Fur Seals sunning themselves on the rocks near Seal Bay". We saw so many seals on the day we went - it was wonderful.

"On each two-hour cruise we will endeavour to show you wildlife plus the many sea caves and volcanic cliffs".

"As Akaroa Harbour was a live volcano millions of years ago, there are many spectacular ancient lava flows to be seen".

"One cliff has a sheer 500-foot face and a fascinating history, while Nikau Palm Gully is the southernmost limit for these tropical palm trees".

"There is also the incredible Scenery Nook, an amazing pink, purple and red volcanic amphitheatre that will take your breath away".

In all honesty, it all took our breath away. 

I cannot recommend this enough if you don't mind catamarans and you have good sea legs.

Wear warm clothes on this trip and bring waterproof jackets. We were very glad we did that, sadly others didn't and we could see they regretted it.

Such a great experience for all of us and one I would definitely do again.