Exploring Christchurch
On our first day on the South Island we recognized some distinctions from the north island which is much closer to the equator. It is definitely cooler by about 5-8 degrees on average and the terrain is much more mountainous with the New Zealand Alps reaching impressive heights. The mountains are most impressive along the eastern seaboard where you can take the Franz Joseph Alpine train and see the landscapes which were filmed in Lord of the Rings.
Once we got settled in the house we set off to explore, get groceries and see the area. Tracie and Nicholas ventured off for groceries while the girls unpacked and Christopher and I tried to set up a dial up connection via one computer so that they could do some homework in the mornings. When Tracie returned we piled in the van and headed for Christchurch. We parked near the core of St John’s Anglican cathedral. We bought tickets on the scenic tram which is like a pass that you can jump on and off for the same price all day. We explored the Museum of Modern Art which was weird at best and then we explored an outdoor flea market 2 blocks away. From there we went toward the University and did the botanical gardens and the museum of history which was largely celebrating the settlement of New Zealand and the Mauori culture of the south. There was a really wierd exhibit at the museum which was a couples house who had recently passed and they resurrected it inside the museum.
The weird part was that the house was 100% decorated and constructed with shells
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