Earthquake

We continued our exploration of Christchurch and area and decided to do this by car as the day was quite overcast.  We started with a trip into Lyttleton, the beautiful bay and port we had seen from our hike the day before.  It was very picturesque with a gut that let into the ocean beyond and a large container ship alongside and unloading as we drove by.

Our drive took us to Sumner Beach where the sun came out and the vistas unfolded.  We were very surprised to see many containers stacked at the road side, and later discovered that these were there to prevent damage to the road from rock slides as a result of earthquake devastation from 2010 and 2011.  On the beach is a large rock with a cave through the centre which can be traversed at low tide. 

After lunch it was onward to Christchurch where we decided to visit the city centre.  This was specifically to visit the visitor centre so we could start our planning for the next few weeks.  What a surprise was in store for us.. 

Firstly, the visitor centre is located in the most beautiful botanical garden, laid out in a very English fashion.  Secondly, the downtown core has been mostly destroyed by the earthquakes.  Old stone buildings stand in ruins with supports holding them up while restoration efforts continue; large department store areas stand empty with not a soul around; government buildings are boarded up and large hotels are abandoned.   In true entrepreneurial style though, reconstruction efforts are underway with a new and interesting plan for a new and airy centre, showing much hope to the future.  Also, there is a mall which has been created out of shipping containers, and this area was bustling .

Tramping

Our first day in Christchurch has been filled with "tramping", the New Zealand expression for light hiking.  Our apartment is located on a hillside overlooking Christchurch and close to Victoria Park, so called as it was dedicated to Queen Victoria on her Diamond Jubilee.  It is on the Port Hills and these are covered with trails which are well marked and of various skill levels.  We climbed one to the "Sign of the Kiwi" to take in the view and then turned and hiked back.  This was about 6km tramp and we throughly enjoyed it.  The views were spectacular of both Christchurch and of the Port on the other side of the mountain...Lyttleton.  It was spectacular.  The remainder of the day was spent in the shopping district, looking for camping gear to round out the gear we brought.  The prices are higher than we expected, but there are many sales and we are taking advantage of them where we can. 

Goodbye Ratotonga, Hello New Zealand

On Feb 2 we were greeted early in the morning, as usual, by the many roosters and dogs which are ubiquitous to the island.  We made our way to the airport, thanks again to Henry and said goodbye to Rarotonga.  What a beautiful island it is.  The hills and mountains thrust up in the island's centre and are covered in jungle growth, making it lush and very green.  The people are very warm and welcoming and live mostly by the coast.  The beaches stretch on forever and virtually encircle the island.  Despite the rain, we had a marvelous time.  Our bungalow was perfect for us, even without air conditioning.  In fact by the end of the week, air conditioning felt very cold.  I learned many things about the ways of the people and some of their history while I was on the Island.  They hold their ancestors in great regard and many of the homes have their graves in their front and/or back yards.  Our hosts have respected this and, in keeping with their customs, we placed leis on the gravestone of our host's father.  I also learned that rain, heat and jungle produce many mosquitoes.  Fortunately we were warned well in advance and we prepared ourselves for those times when the sun dipped below the horizon and the invasion began!  It was not unusual to see people with dozens of bite on their legs.  Thanks to forewarnings we escaped this! I shall remember Rarotonga with great fondness and left with sadness.

Our flight to New Zealand was smooth and comfortable.  It is bizarre to leave on one day and to arrive on the next a mere four hours later thanks to the International Date Line!  So before I knew it February 3rd was upon us.  Of interest on our trip were the extreme efforts New Zealand is making to control the unintentional importation of biological materials.  This extends to camping and hiking gear, of which we had both.  All bags are x-rayed upon arrival and the contents scrutinized to ensure that declaration have been made honestly.  If any items were not declared before the x-ray, a substantial fine is levied.  Camping and hiking gear is examined and cleaned , if necessary, of any dirt or other foreign objects.  We did not have a lot of time to get to our connecting flight, so an additional screening and cleaning could have made us miss our flight.  Fortunately we had taken the precaution of thoroughly cleaning our gear so we were able to get through quickly.  A quick flight from Auckland to Christchurch followed and we arrived in the early afternoon.  We found the rental agency for our prearranged vehicle and then Paul bravely drove, on the left hand side of the road-with me flinching and starting at every turn, to our new home for the week.  We were exhausted and made it to a local burger joint for a quick supper and then relaxed for the rest of the night in our new digs.

A wonderful final day in Rarotonga

Feb 1, our last day in Rarotonga was wonderful.  The weather finally cooperated and we had scorching heat and bright sunshine.  I took a trek on the beach where I saw magnificent rolling surf in the still substantial winds.  It was Superbowl Sunday and our wonderful hosts Henry and Trish made their TV available so Paul and I could watch.  We also explained the game (I kept saying in "girl style" as I really don't understand the fine details).  It was a great game and a wonderful time.  Henry and Trish then extended an invitation to supper and that was really the highlight of the trip in many ways.  Henry taught us how to husk a coconut (well Paul learned this, not I) and then with the help of a tool he had owned since his childhood, we scraped the meat from the coconut shell.  This meat was used to make coconut milk as we sat and watched, and this was added to a cerviche type fish dish.  It was truly lovely and so appreciated.  We returned to our little bungalow, packed up our belongings (no small feat as we had spread out our stuff over the seven days) cleaned and tidied the bungalow and got ready for an early departure the next day.

Rainy Days

Although the temperature has been very warm, we have been experiencing many rainy days.  The rain comes suddenly and with great force...truly tropical.  In between rain storms we have been making the most of the few activities which are on offer in this, the off season.  We have snorkeled and swum, kyacked and biked, explored on motorcycle, gone to a local outdoor market to eat, and watched the wind surfers as they jump the waves and soar into the air.  Overall it has been quiet though, not that I am  complaining,  in fact our goal was to take time to recover from jet lag, which we have now done; while at the same time enjoying the warmth and the ocean.  Tomorrow, Sunday is our last day here and we will see if we can get out to enjoy the beach one last time before we leave for New Zealand.

Paul At Wigman Falls

Reminder of how far we

are from home

Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Our flight was long but uneventful, and we were thrilled to arrive because as soon as the plane doors opened we were greeted by warmth and humidity!  We could feel the winter melting away, despite being tired and very disoriented.  We were greeted by our host who placed leis around our necks and were then taken to the little bungalow we had rested for the week.  It is behind a small bicycle shop, across the street from a beach and it is very private.  We have everything we need...a small kitchen, comfy beds, a bar-b-que and two bycicles to use to explore the island.   It is a small island and we can bike around it fairly easily, it being about 30 km. 

We forced ourselves to stay up for the first day.  This was very difficult as we arrived at 6:00am.  We spent the time getting some groceries, going snorkeling and exploring the immediate area.  What a lovely island!  The ocean is very warm and that beautiful blue color one only finds in ocean settings!  We have tropical fruit trees growing outside our door and we are picking fruit to add to our diet.  This is helpful as nothing is inexpensive here!

All in all we are just kicking back and trying to recover from jet lag. 

Let the new adventure begin

After a lovely Christmas and a very cold start to 2015, we are starting a new adventure - destination New Zealand.  It seems we have been preparing for months before departure day finally arrived.  Our first stop - Los Angeles where we arranged to meet up with Jennifer (a friend from my days at work), and a new friend, her husband Jeff.  The flight to LA was uneventful and after a relatively good night we met up with Jennifer and Jeff for Sunday brunch.
They whisked us off to a great meal at a restaurant on Hermosa Beach and then we took a walk along the beach front to Manhattan Beach.  The weather is fantastic, hot and sunny; such a contrast from the sub zero temperatures at home! 

Our next flight leaves at 9:30 tonight and our plan is to spend the rest of the day enjoying the beach so we will be good and tired for the next leg of the trip...12 hours overnight to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands where we will be spending a week soaking up the culture on a South Pacific Island.