Christchurch, New Zealand

                        

 

I had heard many fantastic things from fellow travellers about New Zealand, being an Australian that had travelled all over Europe and North America it was getting embarrassing that I had never been, so I finally decided to see for myself what this country was all about.

I decided to visit the South Island as Virgin were offering great deals into Christchurch and I figured this would be as good as place as any to scratch the surface.  It was June, so the middle of winter for New Zealand, we stayed in the heart of Christchurch at Chateau Blanc Suites.  This all apartment hotel was great if you have a family, we had a two bedroom apartment which included a kitchen, large lounge area and a kitchen table for eating. I am not sure if we got upgraded, but it was a nice surprise for our five night stay and it even included free parking!

The first few days we looked around the city, we took the hop-on hop-off tourist tram around the city to get our bearings and see the major attractions.  Whilst I love doing these tours in new cities, I found this one a little expensive for the distance it travelled. The city is quaint with a large cathedral in the city square and beautiful botanical gardens surrounding the city.

As we had hired a car, something I would recommend for a trip here, we went exploring the outskirts of the city and drove out to the Christchurch Gondola for the trip to the top of the summit for the spectacular views at sunset. Sitting high in the mountain with a hot chocolate watching the sun go down was a great moment of the trip.

We wanted to venture out of the city and explore and what a beautiful countryside New Zealand has, we drove south of Christchurch to a small coastal town called Akaroa.  The rolling hills and views from the winding roads was a breathtaking experience, every corner was a Kodak moment. Akaroa was a quaint little sea side town and was a great place to stop for lunch before heading back to town. Along the way we stopped at a small hill top cafe for coffee and cake and took in the amazing views.  This was a great day trip from Christchurch.

The next day we drove north of Christchurch, stopping off for a bit of adventure.... no not bungee jumping, something a little more closer to the ground, but much faster, a jetboat,  it was certainly an adrenaline rush and highly recommended!  We drove further north to Hamner Springs, where the outdoor hot spring baths are located.  Just as we changed into our swimmers and headed outside to take a dip into the thermal pools, the temperature seemed to plummet by about 20 degrees!  and the sky opened up and it started to snow, certainly a strange experience....

Our drive back to Christchurch was something that I would never like to do again, as the snow turned into a small blizzard, driving in pitch black and having only a few metres visibility was a scary drive, occasionally the car would slide, only travelling at 10km/h!

Christchurch and the South Island of New Zealand itself is a spectacular part of the world and like I have been told from many other travellers, this place must be on your travel list. Whether you are an adventure junky or love the smell and scenery of the countryside, New Zealand is a must do!