Akaroa & Christchurch

We anchored in the bay at Akaroa, Shown above, and tendered in to the docks.  In the past, the cruise ships would dock in Christchurch, but after the 2011 earthquake that became impossible, as the harbor was destroyed.   So, into Akaroa we went—a lovely town in its own right—and drove through the countryside 1.5 hours to Christchurch.  Along the way we saw expansive agricultural lands, including sheep and cattle, and hundreds of waterfowl—black swans, ducks, geese—and many shorebirds like the shearwater, as well as albatross.

We passed this unique hotel made from silos:

We were dropped off in city center of Christchurch by the art museum shown here, and for a brief walkaround and bite to eat.

Here is where I learned to not order my favorite lunch drink, lemonade, because in New Zealand, lemonade is Sprite.

Much of Christchurch is still being rebuilt after the 2011 earthquake.  New homes, office buildings, and infrastructure abound, but still the City has lost some of its population as townspeople moved away, never to return.  Good news is that the shipping Harbour has been rebuilt now sufficiently to accept docking of container ships.

We ended the day at the International Antarctic Centre, which was both informative and fun.  NZ is a jumping off point for visitors to Antarctica.