More Memories

Hi Everyone!  When we last left off, I was about to head up to Kaikoura for a few days.  Here's a little preview:

Kaikoura, if some of you recall from previous visits, is where Trond's father grew up.  They have a house there, which we used during our two-night stay.  Apart from planning our wedding to take place there in 2015, we generally relaxed and saw some local sights. We have planned tons and left the rest in the hands of our capable friend (GODDESS, really). 
A couple of highlights:
1) Seeing dolphins from the beach (we swam with them a couple of years ago).
2) Cave exploration just south of Kaikoura.  Barry the guide is wonderful.
3) Trond and I went up alone the first night, then were joined by a friend and his parents for one more night.  We ate, drank, and played games.  I enjoyed, "Articulate" (The more you drink, the less articulate you become)
4) Driving up the coast about 20 minutes to see the seal colony and take the short walk to see Ohau waterfall.

We are really looking forward to the wedding we will have in this area.  There is so much to do, we are hoping people will be keen to make a week of it in the region (those coming from the USA, anyway).  Not just the seals, hiking, and dolphins, but there's also helicopter tours, skydiving, and horseback riding.  Kaikoura is also a hub for artists.  In fact, a Kaikoura-based artist recently won a prize in an international competition in Rome.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/arts/9651643/Quake-inspired-art-nets-prize-in-Italy

And, of course, you get to look at this all day:

First sunset of our arrival.  Taken on the beach just in front of his parents' place

Although the drive to Kaikoura takes about 2 hours from Christchurch, it's a very pleasant drive.  First you head through Waipara (wine country) and then north through the green hills to the coast.

Back in Christchurch, I worked my butt off all week (actually worked a full day Sunday as well, turning it into a 6-day work week).  That didn't mean I couldn't enjoy the summer evenings though.  The sun is up until about 9:30PM, so after work, we would generally go out to spend time with people or go for a sunset hike in the hills overlooking Lyttelton Harbour (a favorite!). 

Coming back down through the trees, I always try to spot local bird life.  This day, I was hoping to see a Wood Pigeon.  They are about twice the size of a normal pigeon, but have a lovely green color.  Although they blend into the green around them very well, they are quite loud when they flap their wings and not very skittish.  Luck was with us that day!

Over the weekend, it was another 6-hour lunch with began with 6 bottles of port and ended with me rolling around on the ground with the dog.  I was also introduced to this gem of a music video.  It gets a little violent at the end, but it is about a group of ducks who get revenge on a bunch of gang members.  I laughed a LOT.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_BGKyAKigs

I really enjoy the time I spend in Christchurch.  I always see or experience something new.  :) It's also interesting to see how things are evolving since the quakes.  I have a unique point of view in that I am almost seeing snapshots of the city as a year goes by.  I can really tell what has changed each time I arrive.  The red zone is shrinking around the CBD, and more businesses are coming back to the area.  In the meantime, though, little gems like this appear when you least expect them:

The Pallet Pavilion.  A small outdoor music venue just beyond the Red Zone (those taller buildings are abandoned since the quake)

The last full day we were in Christchurch, we went to the Botanical Gardens with Trond's parents.  Would you believe I still hadn't been there yet?  Their rose garden and dahlia garden are fantastic.  All a-bloom this time of year, of course.

While I could have spent all day in that section alone, we really did need to move on.  We stumbled across a choral performance in a nearby field, PACKED with spectators.  After a couple of songs, we moved on to see the peacock fountain and the curators tudor-style house on the corner of the grounds (it's now a quaint cafe).  Looping back to the car, we passed the Japanese peace bell, some truly massive eucalyptus trees, and most intriguing, the native forest land:

No matter how many times I see a New Zealand tree fern, I still giggle.

Though the silver fern may be more poetic and "sleek," to me the true symbol of New Zealand is the tree fern.  That, or this T-shirt:

Until next year, wishing you a wonderful 2014!