Rotorua Trip
S.Island Round 1 (Christchurch Trip)
Saturday 4 April 2015
Continued in Christchurch...
The same weekend we went to Akaroa
Peninsula, we also toured around the city of Christchurch. Before we left for
our South Island weekend getaway, our friends were all telling us that there
was nothing to see in or around Christchurch. They were all wondering why we
chose to visit that place, and to be honest we didn’t really know when we
bought the air tickets. We were just blinded by the cheap prices for the flight, and hungry for adventure. So far the weekend had been a success and as
beautiful as anything we had seen before. Headed on to the city of Christchurch.
Here’s a little history lesson for you all
that are not aware of Christchurch’s situation. In recent events, Christchurch
experienced a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in September of 2010, which was apparently
the worst they had in 30 years. Somehow no lives were lost, but it left the city
broken and weak. But wait, that’s not all. In February of 2011, only 5 months
later, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch once again. This time there
were many deaths and injuries, and the city was left in ruins.
We had no idea we would be going straight
into ground zero of this natural disaster. Upon arrival, we quickly realized
that the city was almost a ghost town. Many people left after the last
earthquake to start their lives elsewhere while the remaining citizens helped
to rebuild the city. It is 2015 and they are still cleaning up the mess! I couldn’t
believe my eyes on how many buildings were literally just in a pile at ground
level.
We had a whole day free to explore the city
and had heard about an art exhibition being held down the street so we started
out there. On our way we noticed several wall murals of beautiful street are
and stopped to take a look. It wasn’t your everyday graffiti or tagging, it was
artwork filled with emotion, creativity, and hard work. We reached the
exhibition and follow the path through. It was about the street are in Christchurch,
what a coincidence. Apparently, all of the street art we had seen was a sort of
ray of hope though the destruction and a symbol of strength in Christchurch. We
picked up a map that pointed out several works of art throughout the city
created by the starring artists on exhibit. We followed the map and checked out
every single picture on the map, plus many more along the way.
I couldn’t believe
how many walls were covered with artwork. It turned into a sort of competitive
scavenger hunt for the three of us. We would try and call out first new murals
as soon as we spotted them peaking around a corner. Everywhere you looked had
some sort of artwork on it, between storefronts, abandoned restaraunts,
apartment buildings, and even parking garages. We would walk completely around
a single building standing out in the surround rubble and have four different
works of art represented on one building. Some murals were all about thanking
the construction and cleanup crews working day and night in Christchurch, while
others portrayed strength and hope for the new city calling it “Christchurch
2.0.”
Honestly, it was really sad seeing all of
the buildings completely destroyed, but at the same time, empowering and
inspiring that everyone had come together to rebuild their city. There were
even little pockets between still standing buildings that had small playgrounds
made of completely recycled materials from the destruction, and there was even
a whole mall made from shipping cargo containers. I loved seeing all of the innovation
and motivation.
So to prove all of those that doubted us
wrong, we had a very successful and cheap weekend in Christchurch! I learned a
lot and saw a lot of really sweet things. Travel is not all about going to
mainstream place and doing advertised things. It’s about learning new things
about the place and experiencing it completely. That was honestly one of the
coolest trips we have taken since I have been in New Zealand, simply because we
didn’t have a full plan.
Stay tuned for more about my two week South
Island road trip in the coming weeks…
CHEERS!
Friday 3 April 2015
Day in Akaroa
My latest adventure took place on the South
Island of New Zealand in and around the quaint little French influence town of
Akaroa. To start the weekend off, we woke early in the morning and headed for
the peninsula that Akaroa is situated on. Somewhere in the middle of nowhere we
were stopped by the breathtaking sight of early morning fog. Now this wasn't your
ordinary fog that covers the ground and makes everything dark and incredibly
humid, this was heavenly mountain fog. You've got to remember that we were on a
peninsula made up of mountains so it made for some interesting weather. As we
popped over that hill, we all just became completely speechless. It was what I can
only assume was a valley filled to the brim with fog. It was actually moving as
we pulled over to observe. The fog was acting just like liquid water would if
you poured it into a bowl. It was being blown over a nearby mountain-top and
into the valley below. The semi-condensed water was swirling and rolling around
in the valley as if it were being sloshed around. On top of seeing this amazing
sight, I would like to add that it was early in the morning so the sun was
perched perfectly over the horizon and gave everything a golden glow. I was
simply blown away. I literally cannot describe exactly what I saw into words so
enjoy this visual aid. J
That just goes to show what you can
experience if you get out of bed and do something with your life. Sleeping in
is overrated! I'm on vacation for life!
After we finished drooling over the
beautiful morning sight, we made our way down a curvy mountain road that was
supposed to lead us to the small town of Akaroa. As we approach the waterfall
of fog it became clear to us that we were going to have to drive right through
it. The only way I can explain it is that it was like seeing a waterfall and
walking under it or behind it. The fog was moving and rolling over the
mountainside. So strange.
We finally pulled into Akaroa and pulled
over for a quick pit stop. It was super foggy and grim looking. The town is
situated right on the harbor which made it a little creepy. It reminded us of The Series of Unfortunate Events series
when the Baudelaire orphans had to stay with an aunt on Lake Lachrymose. We unanimously
decided that this would be a fantastic place to grab breakfast before making a
solid plan for the day. Along the water front, I spotted a little café with
seating outside. As we entered the shop it was clear that we had stepped into
the closest thing to being in France in the Southern Hemisphere. I was overly
excited to see that there was a Nutella Crepe being offered on the menu and
quickly ordered one for myself. Let me just tell you, it was the best crepe I have
ever had!! It did help that it was swimming in Nutella.
After finishing off our French breakfast we
made a short walk down the street to the water’s edge. By this time the fog had
all but been blown off to the Pacific Ocean. The landscape looked so fake, like
a backdrop for a cheesy movie. My photos look so fake, I'm afraid people back
home aren’t going to believe it was an actual place.
Next stop for the day was our hostel for
the night. We had booked a few beds at a farm hostel in the mountains close to
Akaroa. We followed the directions up a one lane road along the edge of the
mountain. When we finally made it up the steep inclines and around the treacherous
bend to the end of the road we spotted a sign for Onaku Farm Hostel that let us
know we had arrived. We check in and got a quick tour. The hostess warned us of
their gumpy old guard goose and of the local furry visitors we may have from
the farm. This place was one of the cutest places I have ever seen in my life.
I instantly fell in love. We were staying in a cabin meant for 7, but we were
the only 3 that night. There were two kitchens, one with a wood stove and
lounge area and the other with only one wall. The showers were basically just
like what you would get at the beach or the pool, and the toilets were in
little metal tube port-a-potties. Two of them were flush and the third was pit. They
even had a sink for the “bathroom”. It was just an old sink and vanity from a
house, perched on the side of the hill connected to a garden hose. There was
even a mirror included, just like your bathroom at home, but without walls. The
cabin and kitchen, along with the extra comforts of home made it feel like we
were 8 again in our own little club house. I felt like a Lost Boy on Peter Pan.
It was a magical place to say the least.
After we dumped our stuff in our personal
clubhouse, we were directed by the hostess towards one of their very own hikes
located out back. It was a steep climb up the side of a mountain and around
another until we got to the top lookout spot where there was a rock with the
word “END” painted on it. We were literally walking through their farm. We said
hello to the cows laying in the sun, and how-do-you-do to the sheep frolicking
on the hillsides. Our only indication that we were on the right path was the occasional painted
arrow on rocks, fence posts, trees, or sticks. As we neared the end of the path
and the “END” rock became visible, the view became more and more breathtaking. From
our lookout spot you could see the Pacific Ocean on one side, the small town of
Akaroa on the other, and tiny little kayakers in the inlet between.
We completed that supposedly 40 minute hike
in a couple of hours, then retired to our clubhouse village for a well-needed
shower. We made a trek back down the treacherous road to Akaroa and got some
amazing fish and chips on the water-front for supper and headed back to get a
good nights sleep.
To be continued...
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