A few days ago, I was right in the thick of that part of the semester where all the major projects in all your classes are due all at once. So, of course, I have been swamped with writing and procrastinating. And what better way to spend the latter than a trip to Christchurch! Some friends of mine were selling cheap bus tickets, so I planned a weekend excursion that would give me time away from Dunedin and maybe give me inspiration for my many papers. Through all the carsickness from reading and typing on the bus, early morning explorations, amazing city and museum sights, I managed to have a good time and finish an assignment!
The Cardboard Cathedral, set up for the Noah's Ark children's show.
In case you are not from New Zealand and didn't watch the news much, Christchurch was hit with a massive earthquake in early 2011. Because of this, the city in a state of recovery. The streets are a maze of construction sites, blocked roads, and fences. Despite the destruction evident at first glance, there are plenty of small hope projects to be found anywhere and everywhere. I thought the rebuilding would be enough to fill me with happiness (I passed by so many people just watching others working), there were tons of small art pieces from recycled objects around the city. There are also the larger, more functional hope projects, like the cardboard cathedral and Re:START shopping center.
A random mini-golf hole I found in the streets.
The cardboard cathedral was the first place I visited. It was so bright and colorful for a rather early gray day. The construction was so simple but sturdy. Plus, the architecture drew my eyes upward and the openness felt kind and safe. Re:START had a completely different vibe. This was a well established shopping area. It was neat to see the bright shipping container colors and all the busy people stopping for a quick breakfast and coffee in the morning. I grabbed a chocolate danish and ate it by the river that crossed under Bridge of Remembrance.
Next, I wandered through the Botanic Gardens. The Christchurch gardens have been my favorite so far (out of Wellington, Dunedin, and Rotorua) due to the simple fact that it was flat. All of the other gardens, especially Wellington and Dunedin, are rather hilly. Christchurch, on the other hand, is quite flat, and the gardens were more enjoyable because of that. Plus, there were beautiful art pieces (the peace bell, statues, fountains) and a little creek that had a gondola going up and down it. But, my favorite part was the Daffodil woodland, which was a expansive area of thick grasses--occasionally interrupted by trees--and thousands of daffodils. It was so peaceful in the early morning, and easy to see why it was a safe haven during the quakes. The rest of my day was spent in museums.
Next, I wandered through the Botanic Gardens. The Christchurch gardens have been my favorite so far (out of Wellington, Dunedin, and Rotorua) due to the simple fact that it was flat. All of the other gardens, especially Wellington and Dunedin, are rather hilly. Christchurch, on the other hand, is quite flat, and the gardens were more enjoyable because of that. Plus, there were beautiful art pieces (the peace bell, statues, fountains) and a little creek that had a gondola going up and down it. But, my favorite part was the Daffodil woodland, which was a expansive area of thick grasses--occasionally interrupted by trees--and thousands of daffodils. It was so peaceful in the early morning, and easy to see why it was a safe haven during the quakes. The rest of my day was spent in museums.
First I went to the Canterbury museum. There were so many varied exhibits: Maori history, Egyptian history, a mummy, fossils and dinosaurs, early Earth, bird taxidermy, New Zealand European contact history, Antarctic exploration, and a special exhibit called 37 portraits. This was basically quick stories from 37 people that were affected by the quake. Some were poetic, some dialogue, some factual. The accompanying photos were of the person told to stay still and support their head with their hand for the same amount of time that the quake lasted. It was beautiful, touching, and hard to walk through without allowing the emotion to overcome you.
The Hagglund. After this, I headed over to the International Antarctic Center. I highly suggest checking out an i-site if you ever visit a city in New Zealand, because I got a massive discount. They do special deals everyday, and I was lucky. But, they also have lots of information and are eager to help. Anyways, this was a fun, hands-on museum. Plus, it made me really want to go to Antarctica. I mean, at the end of my life, how incredible would it be to say that I had stepped on every continent. Because let's face it, I am going to at least step foot on the other 6. But, back to the actual museum. This was so hands-on! There was an Antarctic storm simulation room with an included ice slide (which I went down, because why not?), a seasons room that had an early explorer's journal being read (it even "snowed" foam), rescued penguins, a Hagglund ride (which impressively went up and down steep inclines, drove over large chasms, and floats on water. Plus, I got to see the only 3D movie shot in Antarctica, but the centre made it a little silly by putting us in 4D seats. Basically, the seats shook, water and wind were blasted at you, it snowed foam, and there were bubbles at the end...it wasn't that impressive (but the movie was when there wasn't cheap CGI added to sync with the effects).
Finally, to end my day, I had dinner at the vegetarian cafe, Lotus Heart. I forgot what it was like to be able to order anything and everything off the menu. It was a great feeling. And, the food was excellent. Most of the dishes were Indian, dahl, curry, etc, but there were also soups, pizza, salads, and so on. My meal came out incredibly quickly and I got a steaming pot of white tea to go with it. I am really going to miss the high quality international food selection when I go back to the States. My pumpkin curry was perfect, warm, spicy, and restorative after a long day. I was determined to do everything in Christchurch that I wanted to see in one day. and I did it! And, even more impressively, I did it without ever feeling rushed or worried and was still able to sit down and enjoy an excellent meal at the end of the day.
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