Christchurch Airport

Well, we got here safely after a slightly less than restful night. Our campground was by a major highway and a railyard and such it was not a silent night.

Up early and out to the airport witout issues and turning in the campervan went surprisingly well. With over four hours before our flight, we went to the Antarctuc Exploration Centre, adjacent the airport.

We enjoyed the exhibits, the penguins, and most if all the 4D movie. They call it 4D as it is 3D with extra bits such as moving seats, falling snow, and seats that spray water on you like sea spray. That and you don't even have to spend all that money to go to the real place.

Now we are sitting in the airport waiting to fly to Auckland, San Francisco, and finally Boston.

Home soon!

Christchurch

Chaos and Courage. Two words that sum up today's Christchurch.  Like a prizefighter that has taken two devastating blows, the first on September 4th, 2010 at 4:35 am, and the second on February 22nd, 2011 at 12:51 pm, Christchurch was nearly out for the count.  Thankfully, the fight is not over and indeed there are signs that revival will be complete.  

In the meanwhile, the city is a ghost town, a scene out of an apocalyptic movie where no one walks the streets, not even a stray dog.  The worst of the damage was to the Central Business District (CBD) and the beloved  Cathedral.  There is much bickering and fighting over insurance, rebuilding, etc., etc., etc., so not much is happening, except for in those areas that have simply been bulldozed to the ground and are acres of wasteland waiting for investors.  That and the City Council has grandiose ideas of a centrally planned city center with all the bells and whistles.  For a culture that prides itself on its "Britishness", they sure have nothing on the Brits that braved the Nazi air raids on London and Coventry and how quickly they rebuilt those cities.

However, there is a bright and shining center of rebirth, Re-Start. Re-Start is simply a slew of cargo containers re-purposed for retail space and it is the thriving hub of the city, central planning be damned!  We can only hope that this vitality spreads without restraint.

And so, we leave on a high note, heading once again homeward.  We will miss the balmy temperatures and beauty all around, but home is home, critters and all.  Tomorrow we begin the long flights to the good old U S of A!

Tuned In

The Cathedral Front

Damage Detail

Cathedral Rear

Not Much Left

Trying Hard

Re-Start Sign

Ghost Town

Re-Start Red

In Ruins

Hope for the future

Akaroa Day Two

The big thing of the day was the arrival of the Sea Princess, one of the Princess Cruise Liners, into Akaroa harbor.  This used to be a rare thing, but since the quakes that devastated Christchurch, they come here. Before, Akaroa had eighteen to twenty cruise ships, last year they had eighty and in 2013 they expect ninety-four!  It is a great boom for the town, but it sure gets crowded early and all day.  There are scheduled bus tours into Christchurch for the passengers, but most simply walk around like lost puppies.

We endured that as much as we could, then returned back up the hill to a very, very lazy afternoon.

Tomorrow, Christchurch for our last full day, then HOME!!!

Sea Princess

Anchored far out

Happy Tourists

Fox II 'sailing' ketch - he only uses the engine!

Harbor View

The Old Lighthouse